boston youth wrestling: 2015-2016 program guide
TRANSCRIPT
THE MAT IS JUST
THE BEGINNING. Two years ago, Boston Youth
Wrestling was established to
use the sport of wrestling as a
vehicle to promote youth de-
velopment in inner-city Boston
and the Greater Boston Area.
Our goal is to inspire personal,
academic, and athletic success
through wrestling, in order to
help our communities’ youth
cultivate the skills that can put
them on the path towards suc-
cess. In the 2014-2015 season,
we served 200 youth who are
gaining valuable skills. In three
years, we plan to expand our
programs and services to reach
450 youth in 24 program sites.
We invite you to take a look
and learn more about what
makes BYW one of the most
effective and dynamic new
youth development programs
in Boston.
PROGRAM GUIDE
The purpose of youth sports is to provide experiences for
future life activities by introducing the concepts and skills that
can be learned through a variety of sports available in the U.S.,
and wrestling, the oldest sport, is no different. The skills learned
in wrestling are easily transferrable to the classroom, and col-
lege-preparedness is a major focus of the sport, and not pipeline
dreams, like professional sports. Young people are ready for
more programmatic interventions in Boston, and wrestling
provides a tremendous opportunity for our city’s youth.
WHY WRESTLING?
WHAT WE OFFER
QUALITY PARTNERSHIPS
FOR SCHOOLS SELF-ESTEEM BIG GOALS FOR STUDENTS
SUCCESSFUL TRANSITIONS TO
HIGH SCHOOL
Our Junior League program runs throughout the school year,
with three distinct seasons (fall, winter, and spring). Our
League will serve 220 students in 15 school and community
based programs across Boston and Chelsea. In addition, this
year we will select 2-3 middle schools in which to pilot our
middle-school-to-high-school transition program, at two of
our community center sites and one of our middle school sites.
PROGRAM
OUR TEAM
COACHES NETWORK ACADEMIC COORDINATOR
BYW is currently available in thirteen schools and
two community centers in Boston and Chelsea
that are desperately in need of constructive after
school activities. BYW engages these young men
and women not just in wrestling, but in a system
that promotes their holistic development into
healthy adults.
ALUMNI LEADERS
PLUS:
VOLUNTEERS
BOARD MEMBERS
INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERS
PARTNERS
HIGHER EDUCATION We are expanding official partnerships with local colleges
and universities this year as well.
“Teamwork. My team taught me to respect others and work as a
team. In practice, we had to work as a team to get things
done. Respect: if you respect others they will respect you back.
The meaning of winning and losing. Winning is a good thing but
it can also be bad. If you win all the time you can't learn from
the mistakes you make. If you lose, you can learn from your mis-
takes for next time.” – Clayton Rodrigues, 6th Grade, Lila G.
Frederick School (Dorchester, MA)
In order for Boston Youth Wrestling to succeed in its mission of expanding wres-tling opportunities to the students of Boston Public Schools while providing critical academic support, mentorship, health education, and other youth devel-opment services, we have developed a multitude of partnerships to mutually support our collective work in serving public school students.
Harvard University Wrestling partners with BYW to offer wrestling clinics
and trainings, mentorships, workshops, and camp scholarships on Harvard's
campus during the summer. In addition, Harvard's coaches assist BYW with
professional development opportunities for coaches and staff.
THE REALITY
MEASURING SUCCESS
Overall support for youth sports activities and programs is in decline nationwide.
Sports programs are cost-effective, while such programs only make up to 1 to 3%
of school budgets, they engage up to 70% of students.
Students who play sports are 8x more likely to remain active later in life, while
non-athletes are 60% more likely to be overweight than athletes.
Youth that have a relationship with a mentor, like a coach, are 46% less likely to
start using drugs and 27% less likely to start drinking alcohol.
The program serves a tremendous need not currently being met within the City of Boston. Our specific focus on youth in neighborhoods like Roxbury, Dorchester and Mattapan means that we serve to help them “wrestle with their circumstances,” specifically those related to crime, poverty, lack of access to education, and obesity. Our students live in the neighborhoods where 81% of Boston’s homicides take place.
In Roxbury, 40% of Latino youth and 35% of Black youth live in poverty. Only 60% of Black males graduate from high school, only 52% enroll in college, and only 23% of those who enroll in college receive a degree. Only 53% of Latino males graduate from HS, 51% of high school grads enroll in college, and 19% of those young men enroll receive a degree. But, we believe and have begun to document evidence that our program participants can overcome these challenges because of the unique ways in which wrestling unlocks their tremendous potential.
SCHOOL ATTENDANCE DISCIPLINE REFERRALS G.P.A. OVER TIME HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION
What we track to determine if our students are on track.
JOIN THE CIRCLE Stay up–to-date on all things
Boston Youth Wrestling
CONTACT
617-942-1312
PROGRAM & NEWS
www.bostonwrestling.org
@boswrestling
@bostonwrestling
facebook.com/bostonwrestling
SUPPORT OUR CAPITAL CAMPAIGN
www.youcaring.com
Search “boston wrestling”