Wrestler of the Month - Beat the Streets

January Wrestler of the Month – Kenneth Purvis

BTSPhilly — Sat, 13 Jan 2018 20:16:52 +0000

Each month, Beat the Streets Philadelphia recognizes one student-athlete as ‘Wrestler of the Month.’ Selections are made based on recommendations from coaches, mentors, and/or BTS staff. For January, we have selected Kenneth Purvis of Frankford High School!
Executive Director, James Mangan spent some time with Kenny just before the start of the featured match of the month; Frankford at South Philadelphia. Audio from this interview can be found at the bottom of this article.
Kenny, a senior at Frankford High School and Juniata resident has a positive energy that is a pleasure to be around. His 6 foot tall, 270 lb frame is naturally balanced with a smile that never fades. When speaking with him it is obvious he has a positive outlook on life. Considering the things Kenny has to overcome on a daily basis, his personality is an inspiration.

“It’s a hard neighborhood, so we all go through a lot”

Kenny comes off as a natural leader amongst his peers. It would make sense that his favorite class offered at Frankford is Peer Group Connection taught by Mrs. Damond. Having that support system in the school encouraged Kenny to be active in other ways, including improving his own physical health. Kenny met former Mariana Bracetti Academy wrestler and current Beat the Streets mentor Edwin Morales three years ago at the same neighborhood gym. It is there that Kenny was motivated by Edwin to begin wrestling. As a 10th grader Kenny was 40 lbs heavier than the maximum weight class, but that didn’t discourage him. The nature of wrestling challenges individuals both physically and mentally helping many achieve goals otherwise thought to be impossible.

“I lost a total of 5o pounds, I feel a lot better.”

On the year, Kenny is undefeated in the Public League, more impressive is his commitment to success in the classroom. Kenny plans to finish this marking period with second honors. Frankford’s Head Coach Joe Farina understands the importance of putting academics first. That message is reinforced at every wrestling practice as part of a holistic development philosophy. Upon graduation Kenny has his eye’s set on attending Brightwood Career institute to pursue a career as an electrician. It is clear Kenny knows where he is going, but he admits there is still some unfinished business on the mat as a senior…

“I want to make it to States, I want to go all the way in my last year!”

If you would like to contribute to Beat the Streets and help to create more opportunities for kids like Kenneth Purvis, you can visit our Donate Now page here. If you would like to consider giving in other ways, either as a mentor or wrestling coach, please fill out one of our interest forms and we’ll be in touch!
Audio from the interview:

https://btsphilly.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Kenny-Interview-WOM-Jan.m4a

The post January Wrestler of the Month – Kenneth Purvis first appeared on Beat the Streets.

December Wrestler of the Month-Julio Ortiz

BTSPhilly — Wed, 20 Dec 2017 21:42:37 +0000

Each month, Beat the Streets Philadelphia recognizes one student-athlete as ‘Wrestler of the Month.’ Selections are made based on recommendations from coaches, mentors, and/or BTS staff. For December, we have selected Julio Ortiz of Mariana Bracetti Academy!
Julio sat down with Beat the Streets Executive Director, James Mangan during a MBA High School dual meet to discuss why he loves wrestling. Julio started wrestling last year as a 6th grader. His older sister, Tatyana was his inspiration for joining the team. Tatyana has had her fair share of success as a female 106lb wrestler in PIAA District 12, including an appearance at the District tournament last year. Even though Julio looks up to his bigger sister, he is starting to emerge from her shadow. His hard work and dedication to the sport led to a second place finish in an open tournament this year. He told us how that accomplishment is one of his proudest moments. His confidence continues to improve, while his behavior and attention in class is at an all time high.
When asked about his favorite wrestling move, Julio with out hesitation said “Blast Double”. He has watch his favorite wrestler, Angel Garcia (MBA 160lb Junior) hit the move in competitions and practices routinely. Julio’s 7th grade goals are heavily oriented around academics. When asked what his biggest goal for this year is, he discussed achieving honor roll first and foremost.

“I want to finish the second marking period with honors!”

Lastly we asked Julio what else he wants everyone to know about him. He smiled when telling us his favorite color is MBA blue, his favorite subject is Math, and he wants to one day win an Olympic medal.
If you would like to contribute to Beat the Streets and help to create more opportunities for kids like Julio, you can visit our Donate Now page here. If you would like to consider giving in other ways, either as a mentor or wrestling coach, please fill out one of our interest forms and we’ll be in touch!

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September Wrestler of the Month-Pat Daly

Dan Altomare — Fri, 22 Sep 2017 17:45:22 +0000

Each month, Beat the Streets Philadelphia recognizes one student-athlete as ‘Wrestler of the Month.’ Selections are made based on recommendations from coaches, mentors, and/or BTS staff. For September, we have selected Pat Daly of the Police Athletic League! At 12 years old, entering 6th grade at the Science Leadership Academy Middle School, Pat has been wrestling since he was six years old. He has been a big part of the PAL Wrestling program and rarely misses a practice. This month, Pat was one of the first people to ask us about coming to the Mentoring Center. Despite being one of our younger wrestlers, Pat took the initiative to seek us out an re-engage on his own. Combined with his longtime commitment to wrestling through PAL, it was easy to recognize such a great kid!
When we sat down with Pat last week to talk to him, he shared with us that what actually got him started wrestling was an interest in WWE. He recalled walking into his first practice (as MANY of our kids have) expecting to climb into a ring with a mask on an pile drive the other kids. Much to his surprise, however, this type of wrestling was much different. Over the years, Pat says that he has grown to love ‘real’ wrestling. He has made many friends, really likes his coaches (especially Coach Ed), and says the physicality of the sport is his favorite aspect of it.
Off of the mat, Pat says that wrestling has helped him with focus and discipline in school; but more than anything it has taught him confidence. In Pat’s observation, there’s no room for doubting yourself in wrestling; if you second guess decisions on the mat you’re probably going to find yourself on your back. In the classroom, Pat says this has helped him to confidently give answers in class, on tests, and while doing homework!
After talking about wrestling, we asked Pat if he knows yet what he wants to be when he grows up. Impressively, Pat says that he wants to be a marine. When we asked him why, he gave us a very simple answer almost instantly:

“Because I love my country and I want to defend it. I believe in it, and that’s something I want to fight for”

(…Yeah, wow was our reaction too). For a 12 year old to express that sentiment is particularly impressive. While he certainly still has a lot of time left in school, we look forward to working with him as he works toward achieving his goals.
We closed by asking Pat who his favorite athlete was and why. Pat say his favorite athlete is Jordan Burroughs. A few years ago, Burroughs made a visit to PAL and Pat was particularly impacted by it. Specifically, Burroughs’ ability to ‘flip the switch’ between being a killer on the mat and a genuinely nice person off of it was something that resonated with Pat. He says that that’s the type of person he tries to be.
If you would like to contribute to Beat the Streets and help to create more opportunities for kids like Pat, you can visit our Donate Now page here. If you would like to consider giving in other ways, either as a mentor or wrestling coach, please fill out one of our interest forms and we’ll be in touch!

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August Wrestler of the Month- Aboubakare Diaby

Dan Altomare — Wed, 30 Aug 2017 13:41:04 +0000

Each month, Beat the Streets Philadelphia recognizes one student-athlete as ‘Wrestler of the Month.’ Selections are made based on recommendations from coaches, mentors, and/or BTS staff. Recommended by coach Ian Hammond and BTS staff member Dan Altomare, the Wrestler of the Month for August is Aboubakare Diaby!
Champions don’t become great by training when everyone else does; they do so by working while their competition rests and when nobody is watching. For Aboubakare, this mantra has defined his summer not only on the mat, but in the classroom as well. While most kids chose to stay home and relax, Aboubakare challenged himself. Over the past three months, he chose to partake in the Beat the Streets Summer Program and attend wrestling camp in North Carolina. In the Summer Program, Aboubakare was engaged daily; he asked questions, honed his math skills, and attended every single class. Additionally, Aboubakare traveled with a select group of Beat the Streets wrestlers to North Carolina for a week-long wrestling camp. For his commitment to learning, dedication to wrestling, and overall embodiment of what a Beat the Streets Philadelphia wrestler should be, Aboubakare is an extremely deserving recipient of this distinction.
This fall, Aboubakare will be entering his freshman year at Central High School after performing exceedingly well at Mastery Charter School. He began wrestling two years ago after being encouraged by his teacher, Mr. Wise, and he largely credits his work ethic in the classroom to the sport of wrestling. When asked about how wrestling has helped him in life, Aboubakare had this to say:

“Yes, definitely. In 8^th grade I became very interested in attending Central High School. While I was always a good student, wrestling gave me the tools to grow as a student. BTS helped me keep my grades up, go through the high school application process, and make my interest a reality.”

From a wrestling standpoint, what Aboubakare enjoys most about wrestling is the individuality within a team sport. He says wrestling has taught him a lot about accountability. To him, this means not just taking credit for his successes, but owning up to his failures. He looks forward to continuing to wrestle at Central High School and competing at 126.
Looking past high school, Aboubakare has his sights set high. At this point, Aboubakare says that he’s interested in studying civil engineering. His interest in engineering stems from his enamorment with the buildings in Philadelphia and how some structures are both creative and functional. Secondarily, he has considered studying law. Aboubakare attributes this interest to his dissatisfaction with the judicial system as it currently stands and says he wants to be part of the change he hopes to see in the future. His favorite school is Penn State University.
Lastly, Aboubakare told us that his favorite athlete is Kyle Dake. He chose Kyle Dake because of how much he admires his persistence in challenging Jordan Burroughs. Despite falling short to this point, Aboubakare sees resilience in Dake and cites his recent close matches as reason to believe that a win over Burroughs isn’t far off.
For those who didn’t know Aboubakare before reading, we hope this sheds some light on who this awesome kid is. If you’re a coach, volunteer, parent, or part of the Beat the Streets Philadelphia community, we bet you know some other other kids who deserve to be recognized as well. If there’s a wrestler at your program who has done an outstanding job, contact us at btsphilly@btsphilly.org, write ‘WOM-(Wrestler Name)’ in the subject line, and tell us briefly why the student-athlete you’re recommending should be recognized!

If you want to support Beat the Streets and help wrestlers like Aboubakare, visit our Donate Now page

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May's Wrestler of the Month: Angel Garcia

BTSPhilly — Mon, 05 Jun 2017 18:05:53 +0000

Angel Garcia has been following up a tremendous regular season, with an even better offseason. The Marianna Bracetti Academy freshman put together a 33-11 record while winning a public league title, taking third in the district, and third in the region. His season ended one win away from qualifying for the state tournament. While many wrestlers take time a break after the season, Angel continued practicing and worked on improving his technique.
Angel put his skills to the test by competing in some of the best offseason wrestling tournaments in the country. In March, he took 7^th place to earn All-American honors at NHSCA Freshman Nationals in Virginia Beach. A month later he placed 4^th in the prestigious War at the Shore tournament, falling to the eventual champion 1-0 in the semi-finals. Then in May he found himself on top of the podium in both Freestyle and Greco Roman at the Pennsylvania State Tournament. His performance there qualified him to train at the Pennsylvania Regional Training Center, and also earned himself a spot on Team Pennsylvania at Nationals in Fargo, North Dakota, later this summer.
Angel’s impressive off season performances have earned him the May Wrestler of the Month honors.

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April's Wrestler of the Month: Dymir Davis-Carruth

BTSPhilly — Wed, 31 May 2017 16:49:02 +0000

Dymir Davis-Carruth has been working his whole life towards an opportunity to wrestle in college. Starting at the tender age of 4, Dymir was rolling around on the mats at the Rizzo PAL Center. However, it wasn’t until he started middle school that he really started to excel. As a 7^th grader, he placed 4^th at the prestigious Eastern Nationals. As an 8^th grader he won it. His skill was undeniable, and with the help of his youth coach, Ed Schneider, he was brought to the attention of coaches at the Hill School. Dymir attended tutoring at the Beat the Streets mentoring center in order to get himself prepared for entrance exams and making the jump from middle school to high school.
After getting accepted into the Hill School, Dymir made quite a name for himself on the mat. As a Sr., He was one match away from placing at the National Prep Championships. The loss was heartbreaking, but also provided Dymir with motivation for his future. His goal going forward is to be a 4-time college National Champion and an Academic All-American. After being courted by many schools including various Division 1 colleges, Dymir selected Ithaca College, due to their great balance of wrestling and academics and the opportunity to study physical therapy.
Dymir believes that wrestling is about never giving up, and that mentality translates to everything he does in life. Dymir also stresses the importance of dedication. By dedicating himself to the sport of wrestling, Dymir has opened up doors for himself and set up a pathway to his future built upon his hard work and dedication. For these reasons, Dymir is April’s wrestler of the month.

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March's Wrestler of the Month: Miles Lee

BTSPhilly — Mon, 17 Apr 2017 16:14:05 +0000

Pennsylvania is known as the toughest wrestling state in the country making placing at the PA state tournament quite a feat in its own right. Placing at the state tournament with less than 3 years of wrestling experience is nearly unheard of. However, Miles Lee did exactly that when he took 5^th place at the Hershey Center this past March. Miles, although still a relative newcomer to the sport, became the first ever state place winner from a Beat the Streets program and only the second ever in Philadelphia Public League history.
Miles had an incredibly dominant season leading up to states putting together a 36-4 record with his only losses coming to the number 1 ranked wrestler in the country, a Delaware state champ, and 2 PA state placers. Miles won the Public League tournament, Districts, and Regionals. He was named the “Outstanding Wrestler” at both the the Public League and District tournaments.
At states, Miles won his first match 8-4. In the quarterfinals, he gutted out an 8-6 sudden victory win to guarantee himself a spot on the podium. He dropped his next two matches to the wrestlers that finished second and third respectively, putting him in the 5^th and 6^th place match. He ended his high school career on a high note, winning his 5^th place match 6-3.
Miles’s success comes as no surprise to those who know him. An incredibly hard worker, Miles would frequently supplement his South Philadelphia High School practices with training at the Philadelphia Police Athletic League,and the Pennsylvania Regional Training Center. In fact, sometimes Miles would have to be reminded to allow his body to rest and recover because of how hard he pushed himself. Miles has been named March’s Wrestler of the Month for his incredible season and 5^th place performance at states!

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February's Wrestler of the Month: Samirah Conners-Reed

BTSPhilly — Fri, 07 Apr 2017 15:58:39 +0000

Samirah Conners-Reed was faced with a dilemma at the end of the season. She was unsure of whether to enter the beginners or advanced bracket at the Beat the Streets youth tournament. By all accounts she was a beginner, not even having completed a full season of wrestling yet. However, her dominance in the practice room gave her the confidence to challenge herself in the advanced bracket. The decision turned out to be the right one, as she reeled off 4 straight wins including a pin in the finals to take home the championship. The bracket was co-ed, and Samirah beat male wrestlers in both the semis and finals to win and was the only female placer in the weight class.
The 7^th grader at Wissahickon Charter School took naturally to wrestling and began to excel immediately at practice. Her combination of strength, body control, and gut instinct made her dangerous right from the start, and her strong work ethic and competitive nature helped her progress rapidly. Samirah displays a strong desire to get better, and consistently works to hone her technique in the wrestling room. Her hard work has paid dividends and she recently placed 2^nd in the Folkstyle State Tournament. For taking 1^st and 2^nd her first ever tournaments, Samirah has been named the March Wrestler of the Month!

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Craig Duren: January's Wrestler of the Month

BTSPhilly — Mon, 06 Feb 2017 15:15:07 +0000

Craig Duren didn’t set the world on fire his first few weeks of wrestling. In fact, he started his freshman season off by going 2-11. While most would feel discouraged, Craig kept plugging along and making strides. The second half of his freshman year he went 14-7 and qualified for the district tournament. Craig’s wrestling progression continued at a rapid pace. With one year of experience under his belt, he went 36-13 as a sophomore. He followed that up with a 32-6 junior season.
Now, as a senior, he is off to his best start yet with a 24-1 record. His coach at Martin Luther King High School, Dom Castelli, points to his work ethic and toughness as keys to his success.
“There was a turning point in his freshman year where he realized that he could be a really good wrestler. After that the switch was flipped. He doesn’t do anything fancy, he’s just a tough wrestler that wants to go out there and dominate, which is really enjoyable to watch as a coach.”
Craig began to attend off-season wrestling practice as soon as his freshman season ended, frequently bringing his other teammates with him. As he continued to hone his skills, his record continued to get better. This season Craig reached 100 wins, an incredibly difficult milestone to achieve. However according to coach Castelli, he still isn’t satisfied.
“He’s a warrior and he wants to be the best. He wants to set the all time Public League win record. He wants to qualify for states. He wants to one-day wrestle in college. Wrestling has helped him set goals, and now he’s trying to achieve them.”
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Craig’s success this season is that he is doing it across 3 different weight classes. Although he is certified at 170, he has wrestled the majority of his matches split between 182 and 195. Craig’s strength and speed allow him to compensate for his lack of size. Having the option to slot him into 3 different weight classes and still get a win makes Craig an incredibly valuable wrestler in dual meets, and allows a lot of flexibility with MLK’s dual meet lineups.
Craig’s stellar season, and reaching the 100 wins milestone, has earned him the honor of January’s Wrestler of the Month.

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Daishawn Tilghman: January's Mentee of the Month

BTSPhilly — Fri, 03 Feb 2017 17:52:02 +0000

Daishawn Tilghman began wrestling in 6^th grade at Belmont Charter School and was first accepted in the Mentoring Center in 7^th grade. However, he did not come on a regular basis and missed more mentoring sessions than he attended. As an 8^th grader, Daishawn realized that education was a key component to living a successful life. He began coming into the mentoring center on a weekly basis looking to improve his grades and receive guidance with his impending high school decision. Daishawn applied to schools with strong academic programs across the city and was accepted into Mastery Charter School.
The gap from middle school to high school is a large one, especially from an academic standpoint. The amount of homework increases, tests become harder, and teachers give students less leeway when they fall behind. This can seem daunting to many incoming freshman, and it often takes them a while to adjust to the new standards. Daishawn, however hit the ground running. During his first semester of high school, he was constantly at the mentoring center staying on top of his homework and studying. He managed to maintain high grades, while still competing in wrestling. This season Daishawn is 17-6 and ranked 5^th in the district at 220 lbs., a weight class typically dominated by upperclassmen.
While Daishawn’s wrestling accomplishments are certainly impressive, his academic achievements are even more admirable. Daishawn was named to the Mastery honor roll for the first quarter of the school year. Daishawn’s accomplishments in the classroom have earned him the honor of being named the first ever Mentee of the Month.

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