Roseland Location of Program Offers Wrestling and Enrichment

Beat the Streets Roseland began its program this summer, providing access to its wrestling and enrichment program to children on the South side. PHOTO BY JUSTIN HAMES PHOTOGRAPHY.
Beat the Streets Roseland began its program this summer, providing access to its wrestling and enrichment program to children on the South side. PHOTO BY JUSTIN HAMES PHOTOGRAPHY.

Roseland Location of Program Offers Wrestling and Enrichment

By Tia Carol Jones

This summer, Beat the Streets opened its Roseland location, with Jeremy Powell as the wrestling coach and site leader, and a staff that reflects the community the program serves.


Beat the Streets was founded in 1994 as Midlands Youth Foundation, and in 1999, changed its name to Beat the Streets Chicago. In 2021, Beat the Streets opened its Midway facility. The organization offers wrestling and enrichment for students, with the goal to provide kids with the tools and resources to become life champions. The program also aims to instill the values of Accountability, Gratitude, Grit, Integrity and Excellence in the students.


Powell said the Roseland location, which is at 9501 S. Dorchester, had been in the works for a while. He said the location is safe and by it being in an industrial area, parents can easily find parking. He said the young people who participate in the program at Beat the Streets Roseland come from all of the communities that are on the South side.


Powell said having a Roseland location was necessary. He coached at Oak Park for more than a decade. He wanted to provide an alternative to basketball and football and provide access to wrestling, which he believes will benefit the students in the program, as well as their parents. He sees it being able to change people’s lives, by providing a support system.


“It needed to be in these types of communities where I feel like we can have the biggest impact. There’s so much talent here,” Powell said.


Powell himself knows the benefit of participating in wrestling. He started in a wrestling program when he was in the sixth grade. Then, in high school, he started to compete full time. He ended up being a State Qualifier and placing in State. He won National Championships in his junior year while at Lindenwood University. He got into coaching high school wrestling, where he had a lot of success. He has coached more than 15 State Champs and numerous State Qualifiers.


Powell said if it wasn’t for someone supporting him, he wouldn’t have been able to do half the things he did or the opportunities he had. It is why he wants to provide support to the students in the program.


Powell said everyone that hears about the program wants to be a part of it. There are currently 150 children in the program. His goal is to have 300 children in the program. He said the program gives the children what they need to be successful.


“We have a lot of opportunities and it’s not just wrestling; we also have an enrichment program with great mentors,” Powell said.


Precious Moore is one of the after-school program leaders at Beat the Streets Roseland. Moore’s own child was gifted a scholarship to participate in the program. She said wrestling requires dedication, discipline and a strong work ethic, and wrestlers learn to set goals and achieve them. 


“I truly respect Beat the Streets because we look forward to helping in all skills, academically, physically and emotionally,” she said.


The enrichment program focuses on academics. The goal is for the students to understand that the academic aspect of the program is also important. She has seen so much growth from the students who are in the program in a short amount of time.


For more information about Beat the Streets, visit https://www.btschicago.org/wrestling.


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