2024 CPS SCORE! Season Ends With City Championships

The CPS SCORE! wrestling season concluded Saturday with the SCORE! City Championships held at Chicago Military Academy in the Bronzeville Neighborhood.

An event designed to help youth fall in love with the sport, this tournament served as the first real competition for nearly all of the participating wrestlers. In total, 200 new wrestlers from 20+ schools took the mat.

The CPS SCORE! league is an organization that provides intramural sports programming for schools across the City. Beat The Streets Chicago is proud to be the only third party organization to run a SCORE! season. Even if they did not compete in the final tournament, this free 5-week season gave hundreds of CPS students the opportunity to wrestle for the first time. Through CPS SCORE! we are able to access kids from new parts of the City further contributing to Chicago’s growing wrestling community!

 

2024 NCAA Watch Party Raises Over $11,000

Wrestling fans from all over the City joined us this past Saturday at Fatpour Tap Works in Wicker Park to watch the finals of the 2024 NCAA wrestling finals & learn more about our mission. 

With over 175 people in attendance, we are happy to announce that over $11,000 was donated in support of our kids. We remain eternally grateful for the support of our community as even in fun events such as this, lives are changed. Thank you to all who attended!

We still have 12 wrestlers in need of a sponsor! Help supply these remaining wrestlers with a wrestling shoes, headgear, & a USA card for the Summer season. Sponsor a wrestler here

Thank you again to our 2024 watch party sponsors!

Champion Story: Calvin Savage

Author: Patrick Martinez

In the heart of Chicago’s South Side, amidst the hustle and challenges of city life, Calvin Savage was charting a course far removed from what some might expect from a young student at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. College Prep High School. His early years were not illuminated by accolades or straightforward achievements; instead, Calvin’s narrative was deeply entwined with the struggle against neighborhood influences that loomed large, threatening to derail his future before it could truly begin.

The turning point came in 2022, when Calvin’s wrestling coach, seeing beyond the surface, introduced him to Beat the Streets—a program designed not just to teach wrestling but to mentor young individuals, guiding them towards realizing their potential. Despite possessing natural athleticism and deep-seated aspirations, Calvin initially balked at the level of commitment required to effect a real change in his trajectory. The potential was there, glowing faintly beneath the surface, but it was locked behind a door of hesitation and doubt.

As the seasons turned, so too did Calvin’s perspective. By the autumn of 2023, a new determination took hold. Faced with the stark reality of his choices and the paths they were forging, Calvin reached out, seeking the guidance he had once evaded. Here was a proud young man, a student athlete with dreams too vast for the confines of his immediate world, aiming to break free from a cycle that had claimed too many. His goals were clear: to excel academically, to attend Morgan State University—the only HBCU with a Division 1 wrestling team—and to redefine his destiny.

The transformation that followed was nothing short of remarkable. Calvin threw himself into the discipline of wrestling with fervor, his body and mindset undergoing a profound metamorphosis. What emerged was a disciplined athlete, his once uncertain path now marked by the sweat of hard work and the clarity of purpose. His efforts bore fruit during his senior wrestling season, where he shattered personal records and preconceptions alike, clinching the Chicago city championship with an outstanding 33-2 record.

Yet, Calvin’s journey was about more than just personal glory. His acceptance into Morgan State University was a testament to his academic diligence and athletic dedication, a beacon of hope that shone brightly, illuminating a path forward not just for himself but for those who would follow in his footsteps.

As he prepared to step onto the state wrestling tournament mats, confidence and skill his companions, Calvin faced formidable opponents with the same resolve that had carried him this far. His journey through the tournament was a testament to his growth, culminating in a 6th place finish that was as much a victory for his spirit as it was for his athletic prowess.

Calvin Savage’s story transcends the narrative of athletic achievement. It is a vivid illustration of the power of mentorship, community support, wrestling and unwavering personal resolve. With Beat the Streets at his side, Calvin’s future to become a finance major at Morgan State is now in focus, his story a beacon for all those who dare to dream, fight, and overcome.

If able, please consider donating to help Calvin live out his dream of attending Morgan State University this Fall. Visit his gofundme to donate.



Sponsor a Wrestler at the 2024 NCAA Watch Party

At the 2024 NCAA Watch party Saturday, March 23rd at Fatpour Tap Works in Wicker Park you can now sponsor one of our amazing wrestlers!

This $100 donation will provide your sponsored wrestler with wrestling shoes, headgear, & a USA Card for the Summer season. Sponsors will also receive a pin featuring a photo & state card of their chosen wrestler. 

All proceeds benefit our youth programming.

If you haven’t gotten your ticket to the 2024 NCAA Watch Party, do so here

Cannot attend the Watch Party but still want sponsor a wrestler? Do so here

 

Life Champions Academy Celebrates Seniors

This past LCA day we honored our 11 seniors graduating high school this Spring. After nice words from several BTSC mentors & coaches, one by one each senior received a certificate in recognition of their achievements. 

For the last two years we have maintained a 100% “Level Up” percentage, meaning every senior who graduates from high school & our programming has a put-in-place post-secondary path, whether it be college, trades, or military. 

View our 2024 Life Champions Academy senior class below:

Sean Larkin, St. Rita 

Fernando Lopez, Lane Tech 

Evan Coles, Lane Tech 

Robert Zavala, Lane Tech

Kevin Bustillos, Argo 

Calvin Savage, King College Prep 

Journie Wickert-Harris, Lyons Township

Nayeli Rodriguez, Morton 

Santiago Chaparro, Hope Academy

Matt Nguyen, Amundsen 

Chris Osta, Taft

 

Beat The Streets Chicago Places 10 with 3 Champions at IKWF State

Left to right: Coach Boyd, Axel Rodriguez, DJ Griffin, Charlotte Nold

Across 7 locations, Beat The Streets Chicago brought 27 wrestlers to the 2024 IKWF State Championships in Rockford last weekend. In an incredible effort, 10 of our wrestlers placed with 8 finalists & 3 state champions. 

The IKWF State Championships culminates the end of a long season for our youth wrestlers. It is amazing to see their month’s of dedication pay off on the big stage! 

Accolades aside, these wrestlers gained pivotal life experience at a young age. Whether it be learning how to win with humility or lose with integrity, our wrestlers learned something about themselves. Therefore, setting the table for new goals next season. 

Check out the full list of IKWF State Place-Winners below 

Axel “Chucho” Rodriguez – State Champion 

DJ Griffin – State Champion 

Charlotte Nold – State Champion 

Andrew Lehman – State Runner-Up 

Antonio Reyes – State Runner-Up

Elia Barbour – State Runner-Up

Jade Zambrano – State Runner-Up

Belen Vargas – State Runner-up

Obi Willis – 3rd place 

Carola Garden – 6th place

Visit our instagram @btschicago for more photos & video from the weekend.

 

Morgan Turner Wins IHSA Girl’s State Title

 A name that needs no introduction, Morgan Turner was dominant in her path to the 110 lb IHSA State title in Bloomington last February, tech-falling & pinning her way on top of the podium. 

As only a Sophomore, Morgan has already racked up a laundry list of accolades including a Fargo title, a Cadet World Gold Medal, & with a 3rd place finish in 2023 Morgan became the first girl in the history of Illinois to place at the boys state tournament. 

Morgan is also a dedicated member of our Life Champions Academy as is as much as a star off the mat as she Is on the mat. We are proud to have her on our side!

BTSC Wrestler Starts Wrestling Program In Her School

Coach Barrientos & Maggie Zuber at the 2024 IHSA Girls Regional

Thanks to BTSC wrestler Maggie Zuber, Mother McAuley High School is without wrestling no more!

This year, the all-girls catholic high school located on the southwest side of Chicago added a womens wrestling program after efforts from Zuber & BTSC Head Womens Coach, Samantha Barrientos. 

A junior at Mother McAuley, Zuber has been a part of Beat The Streets Chicago for years. A member of the Life Champions Academy, Zuber trains & competes with us in the Spring, Summer, & Fall seasons. However in the Winter, Zuber has been forced to train with our IKWF wrestlers since her school failed to offer wrestling. 

But in September of 2023 this all changed when Zuber fought to get a wrestling program in her school. With the season approaching fast, Zuber was tasked with finding a head coach. 

This is when she approached Coach Barrientos & asked if she could fill the empty coaching position. For Coach Barrientos, the answer was a simple yes, even knowing it added more responsibility on top of her role as Head Women’s Coach at BTSC. 

Without Life Champions like Zuber & mentors like Barrientos, Mother McAuley would not have a program offering new opportunities to girls in the area.