2015 BTS Philadelphia Youth Wrestling Day Recap

With folk style season coming to a close for many youth programs, Beat the Streets Philadelphia (BTSP) hosted the Philadelphia Youth Wrestling Day tournament this past Sunday at George Washington High School. BTSP sponsored teams from throughout Philadelphia took part in this past weekends’ action. Throughout the tournament, athletes and their families enjoyed a day full of competition and showed a great level of enthusiasm toward the sport of wrestling. The day began with a session for novice wrestlers at 9:00am. Throughout this session, new wrestlers competed in round-robin format and had a chance to experience tournament style competition. Each wrestler competed in a minimum of two matches and in most instances three or four. It was fantastic to see so many new kids take to the mat and give the sport of wrestling a chance. Additionally, this was a great opportunity for these new wrestlers to show their parents and loved ones how hard they have worked this season. Thanks to one of our coaches and skilled photographers, Jim Mangan, we were able to capture this image of Christian Lopez as he embraced his mother following a victory. This image epitomizes what Beat the Streets Philadelphia hopes to achieve. By using the sport of wrestling as a vessel for change, coaches can not only teach the sport of wrestling, but instill positive life values such as the importance of family or the value of education. During the advanced session, which took place in the afternoon, the energy in the building really began to pick up during a highly anticipated match between Caesar Fountain (MLK) and Naseen Pennington (Belmont). The match was hard fought by both athletes with Fountain coming out on top by a score of 5-2, but this bout represented something larger. As coaches, teammates, and parents crept up to the edge of the mat in George Washington High School, it became clear beyond any doubt that a wrestling culture is quickly developing in the city of Philadelphia. Where the sport has historically struggled to create an identity in the city of brotherly love, it is beginning to gain traction and it is becoming a sport kids of all ages are gravitating toward. Embodying the tough-minded spirit and grit that many Philadelphians pride themselves on, Philadelphia wrestling is beginning to show its’ own identity. In coming years, it will be exciting to see how this enthusiasm translates to the high school level, but many are hopeful that this is a sport indefinitely on the rise. Check out the photos from the day below: BTS Philly Wrestling Day Photo Gallery 1 BTS Philly Wrestling Day Photo Gallery 2 BTS Philly Wrestling Day Photo Gallery 3 BTS Philly Wrestling Day Photo Gallery 4 BTS Philly Wrestling Day Photo Gallery 5