Philadelphia, PA — Beat the Streets Philadelphia (BTSP) is proud to announce the appointment of Edwin N. Morales as its new Program Coordinator. In his role, Morales will support wrestling and mentoring program initiatives across all age levels. At our marquee club, BTSP HQ, he will serve as a liaison between volunteer staff and BTSP leadership. He will lead evaluate programming, solicit feedback, and help to continually shape the program intelligently to meet the needs of our youth.
A former mentee of the organization, Morales is a passionate advocate for youth development and an experienced mentor who is eager to give back to the next generation. His journey with Beat the Streets began when he was a high school student, using the program’s support to excel both academically and athletically. Morales went on to have a successful wrestling career at the high school and collegiate levels, culminating in his graduation from college in 2023. “I am extremely proud to say that I was part of the Beat the Streets family, and now I want to give back in the same way this organization gave to me,” said Morales. “Growing up, I didn’t know what or who I wanted to be. But with the help of Beat the Streets and incredible mentors, I was able to see life beyond high school and the workforce. I went to college, pursued my academic and athletic goals, and developed a mindset I never had before.”
In addition to his experience as a mentee, Morales brings a wealth of knowledge to his new role. He has worked in college admissions and financial aid, advising students and families on navigating the complexities of higher education. He also brings valuable coaching experience, having served as an assistant coach at his alma mater after graduating.
Morales will help further Beat the Streets Philadelphia’s mission to provide young people with access to educational and athletic opportunities that inspire growth both on and off the mat. He will work closely with local schools and partners to continue expanding the organization’s reach, while also mentoring young athletes and supporting their academic and personal development.
Morales adds, “It’s not how you start, it’s about how you finish” – Edwin is a believer that regardless of your circumstances, you can always come out on top. He is excited to empower the youth we serve to think similarly and accomplish big things.
Beat the Streets Philadelphia (BTSP) is excited to announce that CJ Composto has joined the team as a Program Development Associate to support grant writing, marketing, and program leadership efforts. A standout student-athlete at the University of Pennsylvania, Composto is a two-time NCAA All-American, Ivy League Champion, Midlands Champion, and three-time NWCA Scholar All-American, graduating in 2026 with a degree in Political Science.
The opportunity to get involved with BTSP was one of the reasons that attracted him to wrestle at Penn. CJ first joined Beat the Streets Philadelphia in 2021 as a volunteer mentor, where he spent his time hanging out in the Mentoring Center, running workouts, providing homework help, and getting on the mats. He then quickly became part of the one-on-one mentoring program, where he developed a strong relationship with a senior from Central High School.
During a gap year after his sophomore year at Penn, he continued to deepen his commitment by serving as a lead mentor, a coach at the BTS Wrestling Club, and an assistant coach at Mariana Bracetti Academy. A highlight of that year was attending the first-ever Beat the Streets National Camp and Duals, where youth from chapters across the country came together for a week of community and competition.
For CJ, Beat the Streets is more than just wrestling, it’s a community of people prioritizing self-growth and encouraging others along the way. One of his favorite parts of Beat the Streets is that everyone involved truly wants to be there. As he steps into his new role, he is eager to channel that same passion into helping the organization grow through grant writing and marketing.
Philadelphia, PA – Beat the Streets Philadelphia is thrilled to welcome Scott Layer as the organization’s new High School Program Director. With more than three decades of leadership in education and athletics, Layer will bring his passion for mentorship, teamwork, and student success to Philadelphia’s wrestling community.
In this role, Scott will oversee our mentoring program, lead our High School club-based wrestling program, and bridge the relationship between BTS Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Public League Wrestling programs. More broadly, he will help to expand life-changing opportunities for student-athletes across the city.
Layer’s story reflects the same values he hopes to instill in the next generation. Growing up in Hatboro, PA, he was a standout three-sport athlete at Upper Moreland High School. He is a member of the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame for his accomplishments in football, basketball and track. His dedication on the court earned him a basketball scholarship to Lehigh University, where he started as the team’s point guard for four years. The highlight of Scott’s collegiate career was playing in the 1988 NCAA Basketball Tournament, against #1 ranked Temple. In addition, he was named Lehigh University’s Outstanding Male Student-Athlete in 1990. After graduating, Layer spent 33 years as a teacher, assistant principal, and athletic director in the Cheltenham and Council Rock School Districts, shaping thousands of students’ lives along the way.
“Scott is living proof of the power that sport holds to shape lives,” said Dan Altomare, Beat the Streets Philadelphia Executive Director. “Given that, paired with his extensive background as an educator, we are excited to see how Scott will continue to lead, inspire, and guide our student-athletes as they pursue their full potential at Beat the Streets Philly.”As Layer joins the team, BTSP looks forward to continuing its mission of ‘Positively Altering Life’s Trajectory’ for young people throughout Philadelphia—one wrestler at a time.
In this episode with Jon Guevara, we discuss the upcoming Beat the Streets National Camp and Duals. Jon is the project manager for this event being held in Philadelphia for the first time. BTSP Executive Director Dan Altomare provides insight on what it means to host the event in the famous Palestra arena.
A Beat the Streets Philadelphia reunion will be held during the Camp and Duals. Details can be found by emailing Dan at daltomare@btsphilly.org.
In this episode we talk with Dan Altomare. Dan is the new Executive Director of Beat The Streets Philadelphia. He succeeds James Mangan who has become the Executive Director of Beat The Streets National.
Dan shares his background and involvement in the Philly Wrestling Ecosystem from his days living in the Philly Suburbs and attending Temple University to volunteering at the Police Athletic League. Dan has held multiple positions at Beat the Streets and he shares his experiences and vision for the future.
Dan will become the new co-host of the Beat The Streets Philadelphia Podcast.
Philadelphia, PA—Beat the Streets Philadelphia (BTSP) is excited to announce that it has named Dan Altomare as its new Executive Director effective April 1, 2025. Having been with the organization since 2015 as an intern, coach, mentor, and staff member, and most recently, as Director of Program Operations. Altomare brings with him a decade of experience with BTSP, where he played a major role in shaping, refining, and structuring both wrestling and mentoring programming.
Altomare first joined Beat the Streets Philadelphia as an intern in 2015 before joining the full-time staff as Director of Wrestling in 2017. During his tenure, he standardized our programming support model and developed key relationships with school & community partners, namely the School District of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Police Athletic League. He also takes pride in having cultivating a culture across all programs that embodies our core values.
In 2021, with the expansion of our Mentoring Center, Altomare stepped into the role of Director of Program Operations where he led leading strategic planning and programmatic oversight over both wrestling and mentoring programming. He developed the plan to effectively/efficiently utilize the space, recruit participants, and create seamless continuity between wrestling and mentoring activities. The results were astounding – in 2024, nearly 600 youth participated in programming at the Mentoring Center alone. Across all programs, BTSP has eclipsed 1,300 wrestlers this year: a new all-time high.
“Dan’s long career with Beat the Streets Philly is a testament to his commitment to our mission”, said Clinton Matter, Chair of the Board of Directors at Beat the Streets Philadelphia. “He has an intimate knowledge of our program and a proven ability to identify/address the needs of the youth we serve. I am excited to see him lead this organization for years to come.”
Altomare was born and raised in Churchville, Pennsylvania just outside of Philadelphia. He graduated from Council Rock South in 2011, wrestling under legendary coach Brad Silimperi. It was here that he learned first-hand of wrestling’s unique ability to act as a tool for positive youth development. As an Eagle Scout, Altomare also deeply values community involvement and service to others. In his words, “Beat the Streets (Philadelphia) perfectly combines my passion for wrestling and commitment to service. Being able to use wrestling as a tool to help kids realize their full potential is a dream come true.”
As Executive Director of BTSP, Altomare will continue maximize our impact through our Mentoring Center, while expanding on existing partnerships to ensure access to wrestling for all Philadelphia youth. By galvanizing the existing network, and reinforcing it, Altomare aims to create a sense of permanence among BTSP programs; to ensure that this work continues in perpetuity.
Jimmy Lynch is currently the Executive Director for Athletics at the School District of Philadelphia. He joined the School District of Philadelphia in 2016. In this episode, Jimmy shares his experience working with Beat the Streets Philadelphia as a partner and some insight as to how the School District of Philadelphia looks to foster the growth of scholastic wrestling.
In the late fall of 2011, Pat Daly was wrapping up football season & his parents found themselves wondering what they could do to keep him involved in something during the offseason. Speaking with the parents of one of Pats teammates, the O’Neill’s, they learned about a wrestling program not too far from their home at the PAL Center in Port Richmond. While they didn’t know much about wrestling, they knew Pat enjoyed the physicality of football, so they figured it was worth a try!
Almost immediately, the family realized they had found something special. Pat recalls many welcoming faces and coaches who were eager to help. He remembers constant encouragement from coaches (Coaches Ed, Jim, & Brandon), making friends, and looking forward to Tuesday’s & Thursday’s each week! Pat’s parents were impressed as well, however they noticed something deeper. As Pat’s parents attended practices, they recall continually hearing about all the things that older wrestlers in the program were accomplishing off the mat:
“We were hearing that the older kids in the program were doing some pretty big things. Jameel Coles had been accepted to the Hill School, the Stevens boys were headed off to the Hill School & Archbishop Wood (respectively), and Dymir Carruth was headed off to college at Ithaca! We saw the opportunities that some of these kids were getting through this program and through this sport — We remember thinking that could be Pat one of those kids somewhere down the line.”
Hearing about the opportunities these kids were earning through the sport and seeing the caliber of the high school aged young men/women coming through the PAL/BTSP program were significant selling points to the Daly’s. They knew that if Pat stuck to it, he could become one of those types of kids. (spoiler warning: they were right!)
As much as his early years at PAL were fun for him in many ways, the sport of wrestling didn’t come easily to Pat. In fact, in his first five years participating in the sport, Pat didn’t win a single match – but he refused to be deterred. While he admits now that it wasn’t always easy to keep trying, he also acknowledges that with each practice he could feel himself taking steps forward. His coaches certainly recall Pat’s struggles; however, they all say that what stood out about him was his infectious smile and constant eagerness to improve. Then, finally, in 2018 Pat began putting it together on the mat & developing a package of moves that worked for him. Pat started winning…a lot! After a couple of successful seasons, this past winter Pat placed at almost every tournament he wrestled in and became a PJW State Qualifier!
Beyond his own determination, something else that kept Pat coming back was the impact the sport was having on him personally. He and his parents noticed how he was developing as a young man and attributed a lot of that development to his participation in wrestling. Pat was gaining confidence and becoming more disciplined both in the classroom and his personal life! In Pat’s words “I learned that if I told my coaches/teammates I would be somewhere, I owed it to them to be there. With schoolwork, with my parents, and with my friends, I learned that same idea applies.” Teachers would consistently comment on his leadership, responsibility, and work ethic.
Further, Pat believes wrestling has helped him to improve his focus and ability to learn. He’s always worked hard and brought home good grades, but Pat learns a little differently than many of his classmates. The success he’s had has required a lot of additional time and energy on his end; it’s been far from easy. Pat says that over the last couple of years he’s learned to break down lessons he learns in school into smaller, easy to understand steps — an idea that came to him after realizing the success he’s had learning wrestling technique that way!
Pat’s tremendous work in the classroom and his stellar character are leading to big successes. In just a few short weeks, Pat will begin his freshman year at Roman Catholic High School, where he’ll also wrestle and play football! Pat is excited for high school in general, but he also can’t wait to take full advantage of the BTSP Mentoring Center and continue being a leader in the PAL wrestling room.
We’re so proud of Pat & all that he’s accomplished to this point in his young life! Pat has big goals ahead. Following high school, he plans to enlist in the United States Marine Corps — plans he’s had since he was 8 years old according to mom/dad & this story we wrote on Pat back in 2017 when he was our ‘Wrestler of the Month’. We have no doubt that Pat will continue to push forward, cultivate success, and continue to be a fantastic role model for the younger generation of PAL wrestlers for years to come…Congratulations Pat!
When asked ‘What does Beat the Streets Philadelphia & PAL mean to you?’, Pat & his parents had some powerful words. In the interest of letting their quotes speak for themselves, I’ve included their quotes below:
“Beat the Streets & PAL are both such a big part of my life. There are so many friends & coaches there who care about me and that means a lot. My whole family lives on my block & I was really the first one to branch out. BTSP & PAL helped me be different & become the person I want to be.”- Patrick Daly Jr.
[Editors Note: A couple of weeks ago, BTSP founding Board Members Clinton & Brett Matter, joined by their father Andy, sat down with Track Wrestling to discuss the vision behind BTSP (see below). Pat’s father had recently watched the interview & had this to say about it…]
“That neighborhood Andy [Matter] was talking about, that’s our neighborhood & our block. That kid who needs a positive outlet – that’s Pat. When he got started at PAL, we were just a couple of young parents looking for something positive to give our son to do. We saw what the older kids were doing and what they were achieving & to see Pat getting to that point is special. To sum up what it all means though, Beat the Streets & PAL is a family, it really is.”- Patrick Daly Sr.
For over a decade, Naseen Pennington has been a familiar face at the BTSP mentoring center and on wrestling mats throughout Philadelphia. From wrestling on youth days at the Palestra & stopping by the mentoring center on weekdays to leading his high school team & setting an example of excellence at our mentoring center, it’s been so rewarding watching Naseen grow, overcome obstacles, and become the young man he is today.
Naseen’s wrestling career began in the third grade at Belmont Charter when Coach Ed McCabe encouraged him to give it a try. Where many kids begin wrestling with at least some trepidation, Naseen enjoyed it right from the start. He enjoyed the physicality of the sport, the early success he found competing, and being a part of a close-knit team.
One part of being on the wrestling team that Naseen really liked, in fact, wasn’t a part of the sport at all. Following practices, a Penn wrestling alumnus who had coached at Belmont, Geoffrey Bostany, would regularly take a group of Belmont wrestlers to the BTSP mentoring center in University City. While Naseen and his teammates were a little younger than the typical BTSP mentoring participant, Geoffrey would regularly bring the team there and Naseen remembers it fondly. “I never really had much homework back then, but we all enjoyed being there. It was a safe place to go after school, to socialize, and of course to grab some snacks!” Despite getting little done academically at the mentoring center back then, Naseen was an excellent student who consistently earned A’s & B’s through his middle school years. Through his success, he earned the opportunity to attend high school at the special-admit school Parkway Center City.
As a wrestler, Naseen consistently got better through his younger years and in his 8th grade season he qualified for the PJW State Tournament. Although he came up short, losing in the blood round, he remembers feeling content in knowing that he gave his best effort consistently—and his coaches agreed! To this day, Coach McCabe remembers Naseen as the epitome of hard work and humility. Whether it was drilling, conditioning, or just showing up on time, McCabe always knew Naseen could be relied on. To illustrate his point, Coach McCabe shared a little story with me about Naseen’s determination:
“In his 8th grade year, training for the PJW State Tournament, we ran an ironman drill at the end of one of our final practices. For 10 minutes, we rotated 5 coaches (some were active collegiate guys) in on the kids & it obviously tested their conditioning & mental toughness. Naseen didn’t fade during the drill, it was awesome to watch. Then, in the final minute of the drill, Naseen actually took down one of the college guys we had helping in the room! After practice, once the kids had left, I told the college guy it was a smart move to give up that takedown and he said that wasn’t his plan – Naseen just caught him!”
Penn wrestling alumni, Geoffrey Bostany, coaching at Belmont Middle School in 2014-15
For many Belmont kids entering high school, the transition can be challenging. Where small class sizes & an abundance of staff provides Belmont the capacity to ‘meet kids where they’re at’, most high schools do not offer the same type of individual support – especially rigorous special-admit schools. Despite being an excellent student and hard worker, Naseen was no exception to this struggle. Early in 9th grade, Naseen saw his typical A’s & B’s he had earned at Belmont dip significantly – again, not due to laziness or poor decision-making, but rather feeling overwhelmed & somewhat lost. As he struggled, Naseen began to return to a familiar place, Belmont. Coach McCabe was of course happy to see Naseen and used to having alumni visit, but eventually it got to the point where Naseen was dropping by, almost daily. Shortly after, McCabe learned that Naseen was really struggling to adjust to the high school workload and he quickly reconnected Naseen with the mentoring center at BTSP. Having been familiar with the center from his younger years, Naseen was easily convinced to get reengaged. After getting some advice from BTSP staff & McCabe, Naseen actually decided it would be in his best interest to ‘press pause’ on wrestling for South Philadelphia High School (Parkway doesn’t offer wrestling) to get his academics under control. Naseen was then paired with a mentor in Jake Johanson and immediately the two got along. Jake remembers being impressed with Naseen right away. “His understanding of his own shortcomings and his eagerness to improve was extremely impressive. I just felt lucky (and still do) to be working with such a driven kid.”
Naseen & Jake worked together twice weekly, for hours at a time over the course of the next three years (At the time, typical, one-on-one BTSP mentoring sessions took place for about one hour each week). Jake helped Naseen develop tactics for staying organized, provided homework help, and held him accountable to stay ahead of his studies. The two were regularly among the last to leave the office each night, working on various projects or doing extra work to get ahead. Beyond that, Jake was someone Naseen could lean on. “It didn’t matter if it was about school, wrestling, or really anything – it was really nice to know I had someone who was vested in me succeeding” Naseen said. Naseen saw improvements in the classroom quickly during his freshman year but admitted that it wasn’t easy for him by any means. As his grades improved, he didn’t get complacent either. Naseen continued to work with Jake on virtually the same schedule throughout the remainder of his high school years.
As his grades went up toward the end of his freshman year, Naseen and those around him felt like he had the structure in place to add wrestling back into the mix. To close out the year, Naseen finished 5th in the Philadelphia Public League which left him hungry for more in years to come. Once he learned to manage his time effectively, he was able to commit more time to wrestling. Each of his next three seasons, Naseen earned 20+ victories and qualified for the PIAA AAA NE Regional Tournament. Although he never managed to make it to the state tournament, Naseen is content with how things played out knowing the effort he put in. As Naseen puts it “I achieved my goals in wrestling. I wasn’t a state qualifier, but I always left it all out on the mat & I know I gave it everything I had. My goal was to finish it out & to never quit. I accomplished that & I’m proud knowing that.” Looking back on what he’s learned from the sport, Naseen put it succinctly, “What I love about the sport is that you get out what you put in. There’s basically no luck and there aren’t handouts. Hard work is rewarded with success and fulfillment.”
Next year, Naseen has decided to attend a two-year program at Community College of Philadelphia to study Behavioral Health & Human Services before finishing his degree at a four-year university. Although he elected to attend CCP, it should also be noted that Naseen earned a significant scholarship to attend Eastern University in PA. After reviewing the information in front of him, Naseen and his family felt like CCP would be the best choice for him and his goals. Congratulations Naseen!
Editor’s Note: Beyond assisting Naseen, Jake has had a tremendous impact on many more kids at Beat the Streets Philadelphia. Jake was a catalyst in sparking action toward a major mat room renovation project at Belmont Charter – Naseen’s old wrestling room! The project, completed by BTSP in partnership with Resilite, Puro-Tec, & Digitas Health, provided a much-needed facilities upgrade to the Belmont mat room which serves nearly 200 wrestlers each year. Thank you Jake!!!
As Daishawn Tilghman tried his best to enjoy the summer between his junior and senior year of high school, he had a looming decision to make – where would he continue his education and athletic career? Having had notable success in both football and wrestling, Daishawn was fortunate enough to have several viable options in front of him across all three collegiate divisions. While he was grateful to have so many choices for his future, however, he found himself overwhelmed at times and struggled to narrow his shortlist of schools based on the factors that were most important to him. While Bloomsburg University was always a school Daishawn had interest in, initially, it wasn’t among his top choices. Albeit a Division I school with a respectable marketing program (his desired field of study), and within a reasonable proximity to Philadelphia, Bloomsburg’s rural setting and lack of diversity gave him pause.
That summer, Daishawn attended Freestyle/Greco-Roman Nationals in Fargo, ND. It was there, halfway across the country, that Daishawn had a chance encounter with a former coach in PRTC athlete & Bloomsburg alumni, Richard Perry. For a number of years Rich made time to have a consistent presence in BTSP wrestling rooms throughout Philadelphia. Daishawn fondly remembers Rich having coached him at both the PAL Center in Port Richmond & Belmont Charter.
Where normally, a high school wrestler might find it intimidating to approach someone of Richs’ caliber, Daishawn’s personal connection with Rich made the conversation easy:
“When I saw Rich out at Fargo coaching with team Connecticut, I jogged right over to him. I hadn’t seen him in a while, but I remembered him coaching us over the years at Beat the Streets & I knew he was a Bloomsburg guy. After talking to him, as a black role model who had success there, I think that was when I really started looking at Bloomsburg as a serious option.”
Whether Rich realized it in the moment or not, his conversation with Daishawn was extremely impactful. Daishawn walked away with an entirely different attitude toward Bloomsburg. In summation, he said “If a guy like Rich went there, had a positive experience and found success there, I can too.” After returning home, Daishawn took a more proactive approach to deciding his future. He initiated follow-up conversations with the coaching staff, took visits to campus, and announced his decision this past March. He’s no longer intimidated by the new environment he’s walking into – instead, he’s excited for the new experiences in front of him!
We’re so proud of Daishawn. He’s accomplished so much as a wrestler, but frankly, we’re infinitely prouder to see the type of young man he’s grown up to be. As sad as we are to see him leave us, we know his departure is only temporary and we can’t wait to see the impact he has on younger wrestlers for years to come.
