"Grow the sport," it's a phrase we have all shouted proudly as any wrestler or fan knows, wrestling is truly the greatest sport of all time. The idea of standing alone on a mat with one opponent in front of you, ready to take you down, ready to give everything they have to stop you from stepping foot on that podium you so desperately want to reach; the other opponent within you, that little voice of doubt that attempts to distract, deter and sabotage you before the match even begins countered by a coach standing in your corner, who fully believes in you and your abilities, owner of that single voice that can drown out the doubt when you think your body cannot physically take anymore, a mentor who can allow you to fully see your own potential, pushing you to conquer your fears, your doubts and your opponents.
The correlations between the sport and life are pretty obvious, but for those not well versed, I will offer some insight: Wrestling, the very word means to struggle, and struggle is something every single person on this earth will encounter at some point in their life. If we can teach our youth how to struggle, and struggle well, they will be equipped to face life's challenges, taking problems head on and not backing down when things get tough, or situations seem bleak. While the concept may be difficult for our youth to fully understand at a young age, we can use the sport of wrestling to teach some of life's greatest lessons: self-discipline, accountability, hard work, perseverance, and grace. These principles form a strong foundation everyone can benefit from; they set a standard, create strategy, technique, self-awareness, goals and personal growth, as well as build strong communities. It is rare you will ever encounter a wrestling room where an athlete is practicing alone, without a training partner, without someone else who is committed to being the very best version of themself. Another great benefit of this sport, while it teaches self-discipline and self-reliance, it also builds community. In all the wrestling rooms I've wandered in, I've witnessed teammates mentally and physically pushing one another with this idea of, "iron sharpens iron." Despite competing one-on-one, it is the team and the coach who struggle alongside the wrestler, who not only witness, but also live out the day-to-day struggle in an attempt to get better, an attempt to become the best version of yourself. So when I think of wrestling, I think of overcoming with the support of a special kind of community who doesn't just rally behind you on your best days, no, the wrestling community comes alongside you even on your worst day to remind you that you can do it, you can make something of yourself, you can overcome whatever is set before you because you've trained for this, you've sacrificed for this, you've committed to the preparation and you can take on the opponent or obstacle set before you. These concepts made me fall in love with the sport even as an outsider looking in. The idea of starring down our obstacle, embracing the struggle it brings, knowing we will learn and grow from it; I have to ask, who in their right mind would not encourage everyone to experience this type of life-training, this transformational experience?
As a community, the wrestling world always talks about growing the sport, increasing visibility, obtaining higher enrollment numbers, and maintaining participation from youth to the high school levels and beyond; while I am well aware of the many obstacles that stand in our way to make this a possibility, I believe we have to start somewhere. With my recent transition as the Director of Development and Communications for Beat the Streets National, I am making it my personal mission to help grow the sport and expose as many youth to wrestling as possible, in order to positively alter their life trajectory while using this great sport as the vehicle to achieve just that. Like everything else in life, this has to start with preparation. Every athlete knows you cannot just sign up for a tournament or take on a challenge without a plan, without a clear goal in mind, without being prepared or having the proper equipment. There is a level of confidence that is achieved just by coming into a situation well-prepared. Beat the Streets recently launched the #GearUp campaign with the objective to better equip the student-athletes we serve, in order for them to enter the wrestling room with confidence, equipped, geared up and ready to wrestle. Statistics show there are clear physical and emotional benefits for youth to participate in sports; however, youth in poverty are 6x more likely to quit sports due to the associated costs. While wrestling is a relatively low-cost sport in comparison to others, shoes, headgear, workout clothing--it all adds up! Beat the Streets National is a non-profit organization that serves 10 chapters reaching 37 cities, with over 8,400 student-athletes, many of which are new to the sport and live in underserved communities stricken by poverty. When families from underserved communities are forced to choose between gas money to get to work or a new pair of wrestling shoes, groceries or headgear, the electric bill or workout clothes for their child, is there really a choice at all? The families involved with Beat the Streets are already overcoming so many obstacles placed in front of them, and they do it with such grit and a relentless determination to be the best versions of themselves. You see, when our youth decide to participate in Beat the Streets programming, they also choose to commit to their goals, to their teams, to their coaches, to the community; they commit to buying into Beat the Streets mission, to positively alter their life trajectory, to apply the principles and lessons learned through the sport to their everyday life and be an example to their siblings, to their peers, to their neighbors. It is our duty as members of the wrestling community, to ensure these youth have the resources they need to be successful on and off the mat, because if we choose to turn a blind eye, we are doing our great sport a disservice, we are stunting its' growth and neglecting the very youth who can change the landscape of wrestling. Thanks to very generous sponsors (Asics, Gear 2 Compete, Resilite and Good Sports), your support can stretch further than ever. For every $50 donation made by supporters to the #GearUp campaign, our sponsors are donating $200 worth of brand-new gear for our student-athletes!
Each year, Beat the Streets aims to grow enrollment rates and expose as many children as possible to the sport, to the mentoring and youth development programs BTS has to offer. As programs grow, so does the need for gear. This year Beat the Streets National is asking the wrestling community to get involved, to fill the need and to help grow the sport and change lives as we aim to #GearUp 2,000 youth wrestlers by raising $100k by December. There are two ways wrestling fans can support our efforts: Donate to our general crowdfunding page or create a fundraising team. Every single donation, every dollar helps meet a need, and there is no donation too small. Because the community is at the center of this great sport, Beat the Streets has created a friendly competition you may have seen on social media. We are asking the wrestling community to get involved, to help share Beat the Streets mission with family. friends and followers by becoming Team Leader's and going head-to-head with each other in an attempt to take over the Leaderboard. There are several college programs, podcasts, wrestling advocates, media outlets and coaches' wives who have already stepped up as Team Leaders and are establishing their teams. Every week Team Leaders are recognized for raising the most money, establishing the largest team, acquiring the most donations (no matter the total amount raised) and achieving their fundraising goal in order to earn BTS swag and bragging rights while helping Beat the Streets #GearUp the youth we serve. Together we can create change, we can impact lives and we can work to grow the sport!
Join or support #TeamIntermat here: Check out Team Intermat's team fundraising page for Beat the Streets National
Recommended Comments
There are no comments to display.
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now