Americorps - Up2Us Coaches Join Beat the Streets Chicago Team

We’re proud to announce that Beat the Streets Chicago received grants funding two Americorps - Up2Us coaches for the 2019-20 year.  Chris Hinton, who coached for Beat the Streets Chicago last year, received one of the two coveted spots, allowing him to take his coaching to a new level while he completes his degree at DePaul.  Jamie Berg joins our team from the East Coast, where he wrestled at Beat the Streets New York and will be wrestling for University of Chicago after his gap year.   We are delighted to have both young men double-down on their commitment to wrestling, Chicago youth and Beat the Streets Chicago.

Both coaches started their year of service August 1, working with Program Director Sonny Simonetti to prepare curriculum prior to the start of Fall Pre-Season Wrestling.  Once the season is underway, each Americorps - Up2Us coach will be assigned to one of our program sites and will work hand-in-hand with the head coach at that site.

Americorps is a US Government-funded program often called our “domestic Peace Corps.”  Volunteers receive a small stipend for committing to service work in areas of need throughout the US.  The coaching program within Americorps is administered locally by Up2Us, a national nonprofit focused on supporting coaches.  Americorps - Up2Us coaches receive training and coaching certifications as well as ongoing professional development throughout the service year.  Specific training in sports-based youth development, relationship-building, creating a positive culture and trauma-informed coaching strategies comprise the Up2Us curriculum.

Beat the Streets Chicago is thrilled to be part of the Americorps - Up2Us coaching program and very glad that Chris and Jamie are able to benefit from the program while working within the framework of BTSC.  Our acceptance into the program as an organization is further recognition of the important work we are doing in Chicago’s under-resourced neighborhoods as well as our ability to have recognizable positive impact. This affiliation with Americorps - Up2Us is a true win-win situation that will benefit all of us - but most especially the youth we serve here at Beat the Streets Chicago.   

We hope you get to meet Chris and Jamie throughout the year.  In the meantime, here’s a little about each in his own words: 

Chris Hinton ~

“Hello my name is Christopher Hinton and I am 23 years old and going into my junior year of college. I started wrestling as a freshman in high school and quickly fell in love with the sport. Since then, wrestling has been a huge part of my life from my days of competing to now coaching youth and high school wrestling. Coaching for Beat the Streets Chicago is very rewarding for me because I am able to give back to the community that I grew up in and also to the sport that has given me so much. I’m very excited to be working with Americorps and Up2Us this year and looking forward to the continued growth as a coach and young man.”

Jamie Berg ~

“My name is Jamie Berg, and I am a gap year student who will be attending and wrestling at The University of Chicago next year. I grew up in New York City, where I’ve wrestled with Beat the Streets NY for years. I started wrestling in middle school, but fell in love as a sophomore in high school when I began to experience the vastness and diversity of the wrestling community through Beat the Streets and my wrestling club. Wrestling was a tremendously impactful part of my high school experience, and I can barely wait to start wrestling in college. I owe a huge amount of my high school wrestling success, as well as my development as a student and a member of my community, to Beat the Streets coaches and athletes. I decided to participate in Beat the Streets Chicago as a coach because I believe in the organization and its ability to create a lasting impact on individuals and communities. I want to help give other students the opportunities that I had to learn and grow from wrestling.”

Welcome Chris and Jamie!

#ittakesacity #wrestlingcoach #btschicago

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