Wrestling leaders in Chicago have announced a re-launch of the Beat the Streets Chicago program with a focus on growth and expansion.

Beat the Streets Chicago is dedicated to teaching the youth of Chicago the benefits of wrestling and how they apply to success in the classroom, community and personal growth.

The program was created in 1997 and now serves 12 clubs and 18 elementary schools with over 1.000 participants, representing some of Chicago’s most challenged neighborhoods.

Brian Giffin, a leader in the development of the Beat the Streets New York program, now serves as President and Executive Director of the Chicago program. 

“Our mission is simple, to expand youth wrestling in the third largest metropolitan market in the USA, provide learning opportunities to the student-athletes in Chicago through a summer camp program and expand the coaching base via USA Wrestling’s coaches education program. We can't accomplish this mission alone,” said Giffin.

Giffin said Beat the Streets-Chicago set a campaign goal is to deliver 60 elementary wrestling programs by 2016 in coordination with the Chicago Public School League as a feeder program to the existing Chicago Public High Schools. 

Long term plans include student mentoring and summer camp programs, with ongoing involvement in USA Wrestling’s coaches education program.

Beat the Streets Chicago has started an aggressive fundraising program, aimed at providing financial support for existing programs and the rollout of new programs through 2015. Along with individual gifts, private funds and other fund-raising efforts, there is a projected need of $100,000 a year over the next five years to successfully deliver on its goals and objectives.

The concept for establishing a wrestling program for inner city youths in Chicago was launched in 1997 with a partnership between the Midlands Youth Foundation and the Chicago Park District. In 1999, the program was reinvigorated through an alliance with the YMCA network and branded as the “Beat the Streets” Youth Wrestling Program. Using the basic infrastructure of the YMCA, its staff and its captive youth audience, BTS designed a volunteer-based program to help kids succeed by instilling in a set of values based on hard work, discipline, dedication and perseverance and exemplified through participation in inner city wrestling clubs.

“Beat the Streets Chicago is a program dedicated to teaching the youth of Chicago the benefits of wrestling and how they may be applied to success in the classroom, community and personal growth. Our mission is to reinvest in the Youth of Urban America and provide life lasting change that may be attributed to the great sport of wrestling," said Giffin.

For more information, visit:
btschicago.org