Powell Announces BTSC Book Push

By Mike Powell | March 15, 2020

In light of extended closings of youth programs as Chicago works to contain spread of COVID-19, Mike Powell, Executive Director of Beat the Streets Chicago, today began a series of “work from home” challenges for our student athletes.  These challenges will be shared through email and social media.

Today Powell challenges students to limit screen time, pick up a book and read.  To promote reading, Powell will send a free book to any BTSC who wants one.

Powell’s full email is below.

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SENT VIA EMAIL

“Coach Powell says…”

Sunday, March 15, 2020

Beat the Streets Chicago is dedicated to supporting our families and student-athletes. We want to keep our people engaged and challenged despite the significant necessary changes to our daily routines right now. 

In the coming days, expect a series of physical and mental challenges put forth through social media. It is our sincere belief that during this difficult time we can continue to build ourselves and perhaps even improve in many areas. We implore our student-athletes to limit screen time and, instead, go “old school” and pick up a book and some iron (or body weight if you lack iron).  Start putting in work. “Work from home” means all of us! 

To our wrestlers:  

Mental challenge #1  

READ!

Below you will find a list of recommended books we have compiled in the past couple days (admittedly, through text and social media). We are offering TO SEND A BOOK TO ANY BTSC STUDENT-ATHLETE FOR FREE. Finish your first book, send a request for a 2nd, 3rd, and on. Simply look at this list, or choose one of your own, and reply to this email with:

Title of the book you want: 

Your Full Name:

Your Address: 

We’ll have a book shipped to your home.  On us. It’s that important to us that you keep reading!

Recommended for our younger kids:

  • The Tales of Despereaux 
  • The Spiderwick Chronicles
  • A Series of Unfortunate Events
  • The Percy Jackson Series
  • Rick Riordan Series (over 20 books, choose any) 
  • Diary of a Wimpy Kid 
  • Amulet 
  • The Harry Potter Series
  • How to Train a Dragon 
  • The Chronicles of Narnia
  • The Invention of Hugo Cabret 
  • The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane 
  • Savvy 
  • The Borrowers
  • The Penderwicks 
  • The Giver 
  • From the Mixed Up Files of Basil E. Frankweiler 
  • The Mysterious Benedict Society 
  • Salt in His Shoes
  • Jackie Robinson: Strong Inside and Out 

For our older crew: 

  • King of the World (Story of Muhammad Ali) 
  • Grace, Gold, and Glory
  • Buccaneers of America 
  • Pirate Hunters 
  • Relentless, From Good to Great to Unstoppable
  • I Never Had it Made: An Autobiography of Jackie Robinson 
  • Grit 
  • Clemente 
  • No Summit out of Sight, The True Story of the Youngest Person to Climb the Seven Summits 
  • To Be Popular of Smart: The Black Peer Group
  • Jack Strong: A Story of Life After Life 
  • A Wrestling Life: The Inspiring Story of Dan Gable 
  • The Things They Carried
  • The Power of One 
  • Lord of the Flies 
  • Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson 
  • Unbroken: An Olympian’s Journey from Airman to Castaway to Captive 
  • Failing Forward: Turning Mistakes in Stepping Stones 
  • 21: The Story of Roberto Clemente 
  • When I was the Greatest 
  • Exit West
  • All-American Boys 
  • Jason Reynolds “Track Series” 
  • Behind the Eyes
  • Ready Player One
  • The Heart of a Champion: Inspiring Stories of Challenge and Triumph 
  • The Eye of Minds
  • A Gentleman in Moscow 
  • Crossover 
  • Outliers: the Story of Success
  • The Living – dystopian; So Cal
  • Repossessed 
  • The Long Run 
  • City of Thieves 
  • More Happy Than Not
  • 212 The Extra Degree 
  • Orphan Train – girl is orphan and meets older woman who was orphan
  • How it Went Down – kid killed by cop told from a bunch of different perspectives 
  • Can’t Hurt Me
  • Extreme Ownership 
  • Long Walk to Water
  • Refugee
  • The Hard Hat: 21 Ways to be a Great Teammate 
  • The Hate You Give
  • Underground Railroad
  • A Man’s Search for Meaning
  • Four Days to Glory 
  • Into Thin Air 
  • Unstoppable 
  • American Victory 
  • There’s a Girl in my Hammerlock 
  • Carry On 
  • Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman 
  • Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West 
  • Make Your Bed 

Accountability.  Gratitude. Grit.  Integrity. Excellence.

These are the values we live on the mat, in our communities, and even when you have to stay home.  Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for more daily challenges to keep your skills sharp in the days ahead.

Stay safe, stay strong and stay committed.   Reach out if there is ANYTHING you need.

~ Coach Powell

To request a book, email Coach Powell.

 

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