Tag Archives: Beat The Streets

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USA Men’s And Women’s Wrestlers To Compete At New York City’s South Street Seaport May 17 for Beat the Streets Annual Benefit

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Select American Stars To Take On International Squad At Newly-Renovated Pier 17 In Ninth Annual Event; Youth Wrestlers And High School Wrestlers Take The Mat; Benefit Celebration Follows

 

 

 

 

 

NEW YORK– Beat the Streets Wrestling, Inc. and USA Wrestling announced today that the men’s and women’s national wrestling teams of the United States will again compete in their annual benefit event on Thursday, May 17, but at a new location: South Street Seaport at Pier 17. The squads will take on international-level wrestlers from nations to be determined in the eighth annual wrestling celebration. Competitors for Team USA, which will likely include members of the 2016 Olympic team and 2017 World Championships team as well as other elite stars, and their opponents will be announced in the coming weeks.

 

 

 

 

 

“We are excited to celebrate the best of wrestling at the newly-renovated Pier 17 at South Street Seaport,” said Beat the Streets Chairman of the Board Mike Novogratz. “The Beat the Streets matches have annually been a fantastic showcase for the sport and its international appeal.”

 

 

 

 

 

This year will mark the first time that Beat the Streets has held its annual event at South Street Seaport. In 2013, the event dubbed “The Rumble on the Rails,” was hosted in historic Grand Central Terminal and featured dual meets between Team USA, Russia and Iran. Playing an important role in the international Keep Olympic Wrestling effort, this historic wrestling event gained international media coverage and helped wrestling retain its status on the Olympic Games program.

 

 

 

 

 

The world-class competition had been hosted in Times Square six previous times. In 2011, the United States defeated World Champion Russia, 5-2, the first sports event ever held in historic Times Square. In 2012, another U.S. vs. Russia dual meet was held in Times Square, along with the U.S. Olympic Team Wrestle-off for the 60 kg/132 lbs. position on the U.S. Olympic Team in men’s freestyle. In 2014, Team USA defeated a World All-Star Team in Times Square, 8-3. In 2015, “Salsa in the Square” featured a meeting between Team USA and Team Cuba in the three Olympic styles, held shortly after the historic change in USA and Cuban political relations. In 2017, the US met Iran in a dual meet in Times Square as a preview to the 2016 Olympic Games. Finally, last year, Team Japan provided the opposition in a spirited competition at Duffy Square.

 

 

 

 

 

This will be the ninth straight year in which a major international-style wrestling competition will be hosted as part of the Beat the Streets Benefit activities. In 2010, an all-star challenge featuring top U.S. wrestlers was held on the USS Intrepid, an aircraft carrier docked on the west side of Manhattan.

 

 

 

 

 

Top Beat the Streets youth wrestlers will take the mat showcasing their skills in exhibition matches beginning at 3:00 p.m. to kick off the NYC Benefit. For the third straight year, the Benefit will feature the PSAL Girls Freestyle Dual Meet Championships finals, showcasing the two top New York City girl’s freestyle wrestling high school teams from the spring girl’s freestyle season. Then it’s Team USA vs. an international squad at 6:00 p.m. with video highlights and special guest appearances followed by the Beat the Streets Benefit Celebration.

 

 

 

 

 

Tickets are required for entry and can be purchased at www.btsny.org or 212.245.6570 or by emailing Kate Linker at klinker@btsny.org. Standing room available for non-ticket holders on first come first serve basis. A ticket is required for the Benefit Celebration at the Marriott Marquis.

 

 

 

 

 

The Benefit Celebration will follow the wrestling competition. This unique and electrifying annual event helps Beat the Streets (BTS) raise significant funds to further its mission. Whether it’s providing a safe, constructive outlet for our urban youth, fighting childhood obesity, empowering women, or uniting entire nations, wrestling teaches persistence, dedication, and the value of working hard to achieve one’s goals and creates opportunities for personal and universal growth. BTS currently serve over 3,000 student-athletes every year.

 

 

 

 

2018 Beat the Streets Wrestling Schedule
South Street Seaport/Pier 17, New York City, May 17, 2018

 

 

 

 

 

3:00 p.m. – Beat the Streets Youth Exhibition Matches
4:45 p.m. – New York City Girl’s Freestyle Dual Meet Championships Finals
6:00 p.m. – World Class Wrestling: Team USA vs. international-level squad TBD
Followed by Benefit Celebration

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USA Men’s And Women’s Wrestlers To Face International Power Japan In New York City’s Times Square May 17 for Beat the Streets Annual Benefit

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Select American stars to take Japanese wrestlers in first-time New York dual meet; Youth Wrestlers and High School Wrestlers take The Mat; Benefit Celebration Follows

NEW YORK– Beat the Streets Wrestling, Inc. and USA Wrestling announced today that the men’s and women’s national wrestling teams of the United States and Japan will square off in New York City’s Times Square on Wednesday, May 17 in the seventh annual wrestling celebration. This year’s event will take place in Times Square’s Duffy Square (between 46thand 47th streets). Competitors for Team USA, which will include members of the 2016 Olympic team as well as other elite stars, and their Japanese opponents will be announced in the coming weeks.

“We welcome our friends and colleagues from Japan to help us spread the word and once again make history with our event in Times Square,” said Beat the Streets Chairman of the Board Mike Novogratz. “We have worked with many nations in our goodwill mission for young people over the years, but bringing both the men’s and women’s elite wrestlers from Japan here for this dual meet will be a unique experience for all, with every dollar helping further our mission of growing the sport of wrestling in New York City across the country and around the world, from the grassroots on up.”

In 2013, the event dubbed “The Rumble on the Rails,” was hosted in historic Grand Central Terminal and featured dual meets between Team USA, Russia and Iran. Playing an important role in the international Keep Olympic Wrestling effort, this historic wrestling event gained international media coverage and helped wrestling retain its status on the Olympic Games program.

The world-class competition has been hosted in Times Square five previous times. In 2011, the United States defeated World Champion Russia, 5-2, the first sports event ever held in historic Times Square. In 2012, another U.S. vs. Russia dual meet was held in Times Square, along with the U.S. Olympic Team Wrestle-off for the 60 kg/132 lbs. position on the U.S. Olympic Team in men’s freestyle. In 2014, Team USA defeated a World All-Star Team in Times Square, 8-3. In 2015, “Salsa in the Square” featured a meeting between Team USA and Team Cuba in the three Olympic styles, held shortly after the historic change in USA and Cuban political relations. Last year the US met Iran in a dual meet in Times Square as a preview to the 2016 Olympic Games.

This will be the eighth straight year in which a major international-style wrestling competition will be hosted as part of the Beat the Streets Benefit activities. In 2010, an all-star challenge featuring top U.S. wrestlers was held on the USS Intrepid, an aircraft carrier docked on the west side of Manhattan.

Top Beat the Streets youth wrestlers will take the mat showcasing their skills in exhibition matches beginning at 3:00 p.m. to kick off the NYC Benefit. For the second straight year, the Benefit will feature the PSAL Girls Freestyle Dual Meet Championships finals, showcasing the two top New York City girl’s freestyle wrestling high school teams from the spring girl’s freestyle season. Then it’s Team USA vs. Japan at 6:00 p.m. with video highlights and special guest appearances followed by the Beat the Streets Benefit Celebration.

Tickets are required for entry and can be purchased at www.btsny.org or 212.245.6570 or by emailing beatthestreets@eventassociatesinc.com. Standing room available for non-ticket holders on first come first serve basis. A ticket is required for the Benefit Celebration at the Marriott Marquis. More details are available at http://www.btsny.org/gala.

The Benefit Celebration will follow the wrestling competition. This unique and electrifying annual event helps Beat the Streets (BTS) raise significant funds to further its mission. Whether it’s providing a safe, constructive outlet for our urban youth, fighting childhood obesity, empowering women, or uniting entire nations, wrestling teaches persistence, dedication, and the value of working hard to achieve one’s goals and creates opportunities for personal and universal growth. BTS currently serve over 3,000 student-athletes every year.

Beat the Streets Wrestling Schedule

In New York City, May 17, 2017

3:00 p.m. – Beat the Streets Youth Exhibition Matches between 46th and 47th Streets

4:45 p.m. – New York City Girl’s Freestyle Dual Meet Championships Finals between 46th and 47th Streets

6:00 p.m. – World Class Wrestling: Team USA vs. Team Japan between 46th and 47th Streets

Followed by Benefit Celebration

About Beat the Streets

The mission of Beat the Streets is to develop the full potential of the urban youth and to strengthen the culture of New York City wrestling. BTS works directly with the New York City Department of Education in a public-private partnership to bring the life changing sport of wrestling to over 3,000 New York City student-athletes to help them achieve their personal and athletic goals. Through the operation of wrestling programs in middle and high schools in the five boroughs, BTS and the DOE provide a safe, positive atmosphere in which disadvantaged and at-risk youth can learn the essential life lessons of grit, personal responsibility and teamwork, physical fitness and nutrition, and life-long learning. The goal of fostering strong, well-rounded student-athletes is delivered through coaching, after-school programs, life skills workshops, and summer camps. More information can be found at www.btsny.org.

About USA Wrestling

USA Wrestling is the National Governing Body for the Sport of Wrestling in the United States and, as such, is its representative to the United States Olympic Committee and United World Wrestling, the international wrestling federation. Simply, USA Wrestling is the central organization that coordinates amateur wrestling programs in the nation and works to create interest and participation in these programs. It has over 220,000 members across the nation, boys and girls, men and women of all ages, representing all levels of the sport. Its president is James Ravannack, and its Executive Director is Rich Bender. More information can be found at TheMat.com

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USA Junior stars Fix, McKee, Hall and Valencia to wrestle Iranians at Beat the Streets “United In The Square,” in Times Square on May 19

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UWW Junior National champs Daton Fix, Mitchell McKee, Mark Hall & Zahid Valencia face Iranian freestyle opponents in first international age-group bouts in Times Square

NEW YORK, May 11, 2016 – The four Junior match-ups between the United States and Iran in freestyle wrestling have been finalized for the 2016 Beat the Streets international competition, which returns to New York City’s Times Square on Thursday, May 19.

This will feature talented stars from the USA and Iran in the UWW Junior age-group level, which is between 17-20 years old. It will be historic, as the first international age-group matches featured in a Beat the Streets event in Times Square.

All four of the U.S. wrestlers competing in Times Square were champions at their weight classes at the recent UWW Junior Nationals held in Las Vegas, Nev., April 29-30. This includes one college wrestling star and three of the nation’s best high school talents.

Daton Fix of Sand Springs, Okla. will face Kheyrollah Ghahramani of Iran at 55 kg/121 lbs. Fix was a bronze medalist at the 2015 UWW Cadet World Championships, and has been a UWW Junior Nationals champion for the last two years. Fix won a silver medal at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games, and was a 2013 Cadet Nationals champion in both styles. Ghahramani was a 2013 Cadet World bronze medalist and a 2012 Asian Cadet silver medalist.

Mitchell McKee of Hanover, Minn. will battle Peiman Biabani of Iran at 60 kg/132 lbs. McKee won the 2016 UWW Junior Nationals in freestyle and was second at the 2015 UWW Junior Nationals. At the 2015 Junior Nationals in Fargo, N.D., McKee won a gold medal in Greco-Roman and a silver medal in freestyle. He was a 2014 Junior Nationals freestyle champion. McKee has signed with the University of Minnesota. Biabani was a 2015 Asian Junior champion and won a gold medal at the Senior-level Dan Kolov Tournament in Bulgaria this year.

Mark Hall of Apple Valley, Minn. has drawn Ahmad Bazrighaleh of Iran at 74 kg/163 lbs. Hall was a 2014 UWW Cadet World champion and was ninth in the 2015 UWW Junior World Championships. As a high school senior, he had an impressive 2-2 record at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. He was a 2013 USA Wrestling Cadet Triple Crown winner, earning national titles in folkstyle, Greco-Roman and freestyle the same year. Hall was the 2015 USA Today High School Wrestler of the Year, and won the 2016 Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Hall, a six-time Minnesota state high school champion, has signed with Penn State University. Bazrighaleh was a 2014 Asian Cadet bronze medalist and was ninth at the 2014 Cadet World Championships.

Zahid Valencia of Bellflower, Calif. will go up against Mojtaba Goleij of Iran at 84 kg/185 lbs. Valencia is a freshman at Arizona State University, where he took a redshirt year this season. Valencia was 10th at the 2015 UWW Junior World Championships, and won the UWW Junior Nationals for the second straight year. Valencia won the 2012 and 2013 Cadet Nationals in freestyle and the 2013 Cadet Nationals in Greco-Roman. He was the 2015 ASICS High School Wrestler of the Year and won the 2015 Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Goleij was a 2015 Junior World champion, and won a bronze medal at the 2014 Asian Junior Championships.

These four Junior matches will be added to the Main Event, which features five U.S. Olympic Team members facing top international opponents.

2012 Olympic champion, three-time World champion and 2016 Olympian Jordan Burroughs at 74 kg and 2016 Olympian and two-time NCAA champion J’Den Cox at 86 kg will face opponents from Iran. 2016 Olympian and three-time World champion Adeline Gray and 2016 Olympian and 2015 World champion Helen Maroulis will battle Canadian stars in women’s freestyle.  Two-time World bronze medalist and 2016 Olympian Andy Bisek will battle an Olympic and World champion from Korea at 75 kg in Greco-Roman.

The entire competition will be broadcast live on Flowrestling.

Billed as “United in the Square,” this will be the second time that Iran has been featured as part of the Beat the Streets Gala competition. In 2013, the event dubbed “The Rumble on the Rails,” was hosted in historic Grand Central Terminal and featured dual meets between Team USA, Russia and Iran.

The world-class competition has been hosted in Times Square four previous times. In 2011, the United States defeated World Champion Russia, 5-2, the first sports event ever held in historic Times Square. In 2012, another U.S. vs. Russia dual meet was held in Times Square, along with the U.S. Olympic Team Wrestle-off for the 60 kg/132 lbs. position on the U.S. Olympic Team in men’s freestyle. In 2014, Team USA defeated a World All-Star Team in Times Square, 8-3. In 2015, “Salsa in the Square” featured a meeting between Team USA and Team Cuba in the three Olympic styles, held shortly after the historic change in USA and Cuban political relations.
This will be the seventh straight year in which a major international-style wrestling competition will be hosted as part of the Beat the Streets Gala activities. In 2010, an all-star challenge featuring top U.S. wrestlers was held on the USS Intrepid, an aircraft carrier docked on the west side of Manhattan.

Top Beat the Streets youth wrestlers will take the mat showcasing their skills in exhibition matches beginning at 3:45 p.m. to start the evening. A new feature to be held is the PSAL Girls Freestyle Dual Meet Championships finals, featuring the two top New York City girl’s freestyle wrestling high school teams from the spring girl’s freestyle season. Then it’s Team USA vs. Iran and other guests at 6 p.m., followed by the Beat the Streets Gala Celebration.

The Beat the Streets competition requires a ticket for reserved seating in Times Square, but is an outdoor event. Pedestrians and non-ticket holders are encouraged to watch. Admission tickets may be bought in advance atwww.btsny.org or 212.245.6570. A ticket is required for the Gala Celebration at the PlayStation Theater. More details are available at http://www.btsny.org/gala. The Gala Celebration will follow the wrestling competition.

This unique and electrifying annual event helps Beat the Streets (BTS) raise significant funds to further its mission. Whether it’s providing a safe, constructive outlet for our urban youth, fighting childhood obesity, empowering women, or uniting entire nations, wrestling teaches persistence, dedication, and the value of working hard to achieve one’s goals, creates opportunities for personal and universal growth. BTS currently serve over 3,000 student-athletes every year.

“United In The Square,” Beat the Streets Matchups
In New York City, May 19, 2016
Men’s freestyle 74 kg/163 lbs. – Jordan Burroughs (USA) vs. Pehman Yarahmadi (Iran)
Men’s freestyle 86 kg/189 lbs. – J’Den Cox (USA) vs. Meisam Mostafa Joukar (Iran)
Greco-Roman 75 kg/165 lbs. – Andy Bisek (USA) vs. Kim Hyeon-Woo (Korea)
Women’s 53 kg/116.5 lbs. – Helen Maroulis (USA) vs. Samantha Stewart (Canada)
Women’s 75 kg/165 lbs.– Adeline Gray (USA) vs. Justina Di Stasio (Canada)
Junior men’s freestyle 55 kg/121 lbs. – Daton Fix (USA) vs. Kheyrollah Ghahramani (Iran)
Junior men’s freestyle 60 kg/132 lbs. – Mitchell McKee (USA) vs. Peiman Biabani (Iran)
Junior men’s freestyle 74 kg/163 lbs. – Mark Hall (USA) vs. Ahmad Bazrighaleh (Iran)
Junior men’s freestyle 84 kg/185 lbs. – Zahid Valencia (USA) vs. Mojtaba Goleij (Iran)
Note: Event will be broadcast by Flowrestling
Wrestling Schedule
3:45 p.m. – Beat the Streets Youth Exhibition Matches between 42nd and 43rd Streets
4:45 p.m. – New York City Girl’s Freestyle Dual Meet Championships Finals between 42nd and 43rd Streets
6:30 p.m. – World Class Wrestling: Team USA vs. Team Iran, Team Canada and Team Korea between 42nd and 43rd Streets
Followed by Gala Celebration

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Beat the Streets Announces Man of the Year Award for Kyle Snyder and Lifetime Achievement Award for Ray Lewis among 2016 Gala Award Winners

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National and local wrestlers and coaches to be honored at 2016 “United in the Square” Gala Celebration in Times Square on Thursday May 19

NEW YORK, May 10, 2016 – Beat the Streets is pleased to announce that it will be presenting its 2016 Man of the Year award to champion international wrestler Kyle Snyder and its Lifetime Achievement Award to former NFL star Ray Lewis at its annual Gala celebration in Times Square on Thursday, May 19.

Kyle Snyder became the youngest American to win a Senior World title when he captured the 97 kg gold medal at the 2015 World Wrestling Championships in Las Vegas at age 19. Snyder came out of Olympic redshirt and won the 2016 NCAA Wrestling Championships in Madison Square Garden as a sophomore for Ohio State, defeating two-time NCAA champion Nick Gwiazdowski of NC State in a classic heavyweight finals. In April, Snyder defeated 2012 Olympic champion Jake Varner in the finals of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials to earn a spot on the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team at the age of 20. In 2014, Snyder was selected to represent Team USA as the youngest-ever member of the Beat the Streets All-Star team.

Ray Lewis is the former linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens, two-time Super Bowl Champion, and 2000’s Super Bowl MVP. He was an All-American linebacker and a wrestling star at Kathleen High School in Lakeland, Florida. He has received numerous awards and honors throughout his 17-year career with the Ravens, becoming the team’s all-time career leader in tackles. Lewis will be the Honorary Coach of the USA team at United in the Square.

Beat the Streets will also be awarding a number of New York City wrestlers and coaches in recognition of their achievements in the past year:

Junior League Girls Wrestler of the Year: Chloe Cabrera, MS 129, Bronx
Cabrera is a three-year middle-school wrestler who has stood out every season. Her accomplishments include her three times as Junior League Champion and being a member of the National Junior Honor Society for the past two years. She attends clinics at Beat the Streets and travels in the spring with Head Girls Coach Jacque Davis to out-of-state tournaments. As one of her supporters puts it, “she is always trying to better herself as a wrestler and has a bright future.”

Junior League Boys Wrestler of the Year: Jayden Cardenas, MS 582, Brooklyn
Cardenas is from MS 582 Upper Ten Eyck and has been wrestling for five years. He was the NYC City Champion and USA Wrestling Kids State Champion this year. Cardenas credits his family, coach, and supporters with giving him the drive to stay committed to the sport. He aspires to compete on his high school team and eventually wrestle in the Olympics, winning many more gold medals.

Female Student-Athlete of the Year: Dennielle Phillip, Wingate Educational Campus, Brooklyn
Phillip has been wrestling for almost three years and already made quite an impact. She placed first at the Mohawk Valley tournament and also won the coveted PSAL Yankee Award. Phillip says that wrestling has opened many doors for her and helped her to become a more confident person. She plans to continue wrestling in college and pursue her studies in criminal justice.

Male Student-Athlete of the Year: Evan McFarland, Tottenville High School, Staten Island
McFarland is an Eagle Scout and captain of his wrestling team at Tottenville High School. He is a member of the National Honors Society and involved in numerous volunteering activities, including Habitat for Humanity and the March of Dimes walk. “‘Resilient’ might be the best word to describe Evan,” said his Coach, John Cichon. “Leadership, character, dedication, and time management are some of Evan’s best qualities that he shares unknowingly with everyone he comes in contact with.” He hopes to become an engineer to best make a positive change in the world.

GRIT Award: Rachel Koltsov, The Bronx High School of Science
Koltsov is the captain of the Bronx Science Blended and female wrestling team and has been a member of the team for four years – dating back to when it was an all-boys team. She was instrumental in the team’s victory at the PSAL Blended Wrestling Championship. From her three years wrestling, she finds that the sport has helped teach her a great deal of discipline and responsibility. Koltsov is known for being a hard worker and having an outstanding, personable character. She plans to continue wrestling in college while pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering.

LADY LIBERTY Award: Aileen Gonzalez, Brooklyn Technical High School
As a NYC high school boys coach said of this Brooklyn Tech veteran, “I’m glad my boys do not have to wrestle her next year.” Gonzalez won the Girls City Championship and placed fourth in Boys City Championship. Gonzalez likes to be pushed to the limit and aspires – after winning the team city championships – to attend and graduate college. The Lady Liberty Award is specifically given to a senior NYC female wrestler who has stood as a beacon of opportunity and promise, representing all that is strong and proud about the city’s women’s wrestling culture.

ATLAS Award and Become Your Own Dream Scholarship: Leonard Merkin, Poly Prep Country Day School, Brooklyn
Merkin has made his mark at Poly Prep Country Day School by becoming a four-time NYS Private School Champion. The Atlas Award is given to a senior NYC wrestler who has picked up wrestling on his back and carried it into new territory, set new standards, and advanced the legacy of Beat the Streets. He has received All-American honors and will soon be wrestling for Princeton. Merkin is also the winner of the Become Your Own Dream Scholarship, which is given annually to a New York City student-athlete who has overcome obstacles, felt hardship, and plans to continue wrestling in college.

Junior League Coach of the Year: Michael Wurmbrand, MS 582, Brooklyn
Wurmbrand is the head coach of MS 582 Upper Ten Eyck and has been involved in the sport for ten years. He’s committed to wrestling because it shows clear transformations in students’ behavior, attitude, and leadership with their teammates and in the classroom. Wurmbrand has done a good job maintaining a sizable team at a small school and looks forward to future changes now that he’s able to start training younger student-athletes in elementary school.

High School Assistant Coach of the Year: Anthony Mirra, Tottenville High School, Staten Island
Mirra has been actively involved in Tottenville’s wrestling program since he was a student-athlete himself. He admits the sport for helping to make kids tougher mentally, emotionally and physically. As the lightweight coach, Mirra has helped to produce at least one Mayor’s Cup champion and at least one city champion every year. This past season, he saw six individuals crowned at the city championships and represent Tottenville at the state tournament in Albany, which has never been done by a large school’s team before. As one supporter said of Mirra, “his dedication does not end when practice ends…he is the coach that wrestlers confide in when they are struggling.”

Girls High School Coach of the Year: Theodore Cook, Harry S. Truman High School, Bronx
A veteran of wrestling with over twenty years of experience, Cook has inspired a number of students with his coaching abilities. He’s widely respected for pushing his girls on the team that he started out of their comfort zones and daring them to try their hardest. “He is not afraid to go above and beyond to make sure his team reaches their full potential,” said one student. Another writes: “I can honestly said Coach Cook is probably the most trustworthy and reliable person I know.” Several of his supporters praise him as a father figure who helps lift everyone’s spirits and inspires the girls with life lessons.

Boys High School Coach of the Year: Peter Cardone, William Cullen Bryant High School, Queens
Coach Cardone has made the most of having a dedicated wrestling room at WC Bryant High School and turned a program on the brink into city champions. Cardone’s leadership, with the help of coaches Joe Goetz and Joseph Weinstein, grew his team from fifteen wrestlers to fifty-five. Cardone has overseen numerous accomplishments during his time with the school, including the NYC Freshman and Sophomore Title and becoming undefeated Region 4 Division Champions. “He has changed the lives of many wrestlers in the school by being with them through both good and hard times as a friend and a coach.”

Volunteer of the Year: David Prado
Prado has been involved in wrestling since he was in elementary school and attended Arizona State on an athletic scholarship. He is committed to the sport because it has given him so much success and opportunity throughout his life that he seeks to “pay it forward” to other kids whenever possible. He shows tireless dedication to the cause of Beat the Streets, volunteering at practices several days a week.

The Beat the Streets gala is an annual fundraiser that raises money to support New York City student-athletes, having previously been hosted in such iconic locations as Times Square and Grand Central Terminal. The gala helps provide wrestling equipment and opportunities to 3,000 kids across the five boroughs every year. This year’s celebration, “United in the Square,” will see some of America’s top wrestlers, including Jordan Burroughs and Adeline Gray, going up against world-class competition from Iran, Canada, and South Korea. The gala begins at 3:45 PM on Thursday, May 19 with exhibition matches featuring young wrestlers from NYC before the world class wrestling matches begin at 6:00 PM. Tickets for seating in Times Square and attendance at the post-match reception are available on the Beat the Streets website. The event will be streaming live on FloWrestling.

About Beat the Streets
The mission of Beat the Streets is to develop the full human and athletic potential of the urban youth and to strengthen the culture of New York City wrestling. BTSW works directly with the New York City Department of Education in a public-private partnership to help New York City’s student-athletes achieve their personal and athletic goals. Through the operation of wrestling programs in middle and high schools in the five boroughs, BTSW and the DOE provide a safe, positive atmosphere in which disadvantaged and at-risk youth can learn the essential life skills of physical fitness, teamwork, and self-empowerment. The goal of fostering strong, dedicated, and optimistic kids is delivered through coaching, after-school programs, and summer camps. More information can be found at www.btsny.org.

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Beat The Streets New York Announces Partnership With FloSports To Live Stream All Matches From Times Square

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‘Salsa in the Square’ event to feature Team USA and Cuban National Team wrestlers in annual fundraiser

NEW YORK (May 12, 2015)– Beat the Streets New York (BTSNY) Executive Director, Jim Fallis announced today that BTSNY and FloSports will partner to live stream all the matches on May 21, in Times Square, as part of the annual fundraising Gala. This year’s event, “Salsa in the Square,” will feature Olympic wrestlers from Team USA and the Cuban national team. Prior to the Olympic matches, BTS youth will compete in match ups in freestyle, women’s freestyle and Greco.

“This is an historic partnership in that it is the first time that we will have a media partner that will stream all the matches and work hand in hand in the marketing of our event,” said Fallis. “As we grow and continue to provide more kids in New York City with the opportunity to beat the streets through wrestling, bringing our message to a larger audience will be critical. This partnership is a huge step in doing that and taking our event to the next level. I want to thank FloSports and all the people that made this possible and we look forward to the thousands of fans that will be able to enjoy live streaming of over 30 matches during the day.”

“We’re really excited to work with Beat the Streets New York to live stream this high-profile wrestling event,” FloSports CEO Martin Floreani said. “It’s a fantastic opportunity to highlight some really talented wrestlers and also to raise awareness for a non-profit that is doing excellent work with youth.”

Broadcasting will begin at 3:45 p.m. ET on Thursday, May 21 on FloWrestling.com, with matches that will highlight wrestlers from Beat the Streets New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore. There will be five matches featuring girls and wrestlers from five different states.
During the Cuba vs USA match, BTSNY will present their annual outstanding awards to student athletes from the BTS program.

The lineup for the main event will be released shortly.

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ABOUT FLOSPORTS
FloSports, an innovative sports media and events company based in Austin, Texas, changes the way athletes and fans interact with their passion in sports. Focused on untapped sports markets historically neglected by traditional media, FloSports brings together fragmented communities and provides them the platform to connect with the sports they love through live streaming of premier events, original video programming, weekly studio shows, branded entertainment, and event creation and execution. FloSports is dedicated to growing and elevating these communities that share a deep commitment to the sports that matter to them at FloTrack.com, FloWrestling.com and Gymnastike.com

ABOUT BEAT THE STREETS
The mission of Beat the Streets is to develop the full human and athletic potential of the urban youth and to strengthen the culture of New York City wrestling. BTSW works directly with the New York City Department of Education in a public-private partnership to help New York City’s student-athletes achieve their personal and athletic goals. Through the operation of wrestling programs in middle and high schools in the five boroughs, BTSW and the DOE provide a safe, positive atmosphere in which disadvantaged and at-risk youth can learn the essential life skills of physical fitness, teamwork, and self-empowerment. The goal of fostering strong, dedicated, and optimistic kids is delivered through coaching, after-school programs, and mentoring. More information can be found at www.btsny.org.