Beyond Wrestling: Programming for Life Champions

Chicago youth look to Beat the Streets Chicago for more than "just" wrestling.  Their trust in our organization positions us to create long-lasting positive impact beyond winning wrestling matches today.  We are developing tomorrow's champions and leaders in both wrestling and life. 

As Director of Wrestling and Enrichment, I am working with my team now to put in place new facility-based programming that will begin as soon as our new training center is open (target: mid-first quarter 2021).  We will provide programs that offer the real life experiences our student athletes need to excel in life.  That demands a curriculum with much more than wrestling and physical workouts.  Enrichment is just as important.

All of our programs will continue to reiterate the core values: accountability, gratitude, grit, integrity, and excellence.  By placing a daily emphasis on these skills through programming - whether they be physical literacy classes, conditioning workouts, enrichment programs, tutoring sessions or mentoring relationships - our student athletes will be positioned to become the future leaders of tomorrow in our community, our city and our nation.

Our programs will bring together some of the most successful and influential people in the community in industries such as education, finance, wellness and athletics to name a few, to share real life experiences and to empower our student athletes to become the next success stories from Chicago's neighborhoods.  

The building blocks are in place: both literally, as we build out the new facility at 59th and Archer, and figuratively, as we brainstorm the new curriculum building off what we've offered these past two years and what has resonated during the pandemic.

Coming this February, we will have a mix of wrestling and enrichment programs structured to adhere to social-distance protocols and the needs of our community.  We'll be announcing the full line-up and registration process very soon.  

Our staff, coaches and volunteer tutors and mentors are committed to the success of every student athlete within our BTS Chicago community.   As our organization grows, our programs will continue to evolve and meet the needs of the communities that we serve.  We encourage our kids to have input into program design, and let us know what they believe is important to their future, thus ensuring they are fully invested and bought-in to what we offer. 

This is an exciting time to be a part of Beat the Streets Chicago.  We are grateful for the opportunity to serve the youth of Chicago and are building them the world-class organization, world-class facility and world-class curriculum that they need to become Life Champions.

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