Beat the Streets Philadelphia Podcast BTS Philly

In this episode, we speak with UPenn wrestler CJ Composto who achieved All-American status this March at the NCAA tournament. CJ is a regular at the mentoring center and speaks about how serving others lifts yourself up. It's impressive that he is able to balance Division 1 athletics and Ivy League Academics, while still finding time to help the student-athletes at Beat the Streets! 

In this episode of the podcast we get the chance to speak with Regina Johnson who is not only a BTS parent, but she serves as the Athletic Director at Matin Luther King High School which is a BTS partner. Regina brings a fresh new perspective to the podcast and so many lessons from the BTS community. She has been an invaluable partner and we are so grateful for everything she does to serve the student-athletes of Philadelphia!

On this episode of the podcast, we get the chance to speak with Dan Altomare, the Director of Program Operations for BTS Philly. Dan has a deep and thorough knowledge of BTS programming from many different levels and is an invaluable member of the staff.
Dan’s journey with BTS Philly began in 2015 when he was getting a degree in Sports and Recreation Management from Temple University. As part of his degree, he got an internship with BTS Philly. He thought it would just be a temporary assignment, but was drawn to the mission and satisfaction of working with the student athletes
“I think something that's just really unique about Beat the Streets,” said Dan. “That feeling like you really are a part of something bigger than yourself. And the feeling that the work I was doing was important, which not everybody gets to feel, especially not as an intern. There are a lot of interns out there that are grabbing cups of coffee and not really doing anything super meaningful. But I felt like I was making a difference in kids’ lives. And I was lucky to be able to do that.”
The following year, Dan returned as a volunteer at the Mentoring Center. He was planning on returning to school, but then a staff position opened up and he jumped at the opportunity.
Dan talks about the many lessons he learned from mentors within the BTS community like former Executive Director Chris Hanlon and PAL coach Ed Schneider, both of whom have been featured on this podcast.
Dan is now the Director of Program Operations, a role where he coordinates daily with all of the constituents of the BTS community. He works directly with the coaches and organizes the programming at Beat the Streets 30 programs around Greater Philadelphia. 
Executive Director James Mangan praised Dan’s ability to organize these various programs under the BTS umbrella. “He builds adaptable systems. He's very thoughtful in how we construct programming. He's great at engaging the different stakeholders in the planning process.”
In this episode, Dan reviews the Spring Schedule for BTS Philly. See the full schedule at btsphilly.org

In this episode of the podcast, we speak with BTSP alum Aboubakare Diaby about his experiences in wrestling, Beat the Streets, and mentorship. Aboubakare currently wrestles at Drexel University where he studies Mechanical Engineering. He talks about the importance of mentorship in achieving his goals and gives much credit to his mentor, former podcast guest Ousmane Diara. Aboubakare plays an important role in the BTS community and we are proud of everything he has accomplished on and off the mat. And we look forward to what the future brings in his story!

In this podcast episode, we speak with former Beat the Streets Philadelphia (BTSP) Executive Director Chris Hanlon. So much of the impact that BTSP can achieve today is due to his stewardship from a fledgling organization to a presence that currently serves 1,000 youth at 30 wrestling programs in the Greater Philadelphia area. Chris embodies the Beat the Streets spirit on so many levels. He is passionate about not only wrestling but positively altering life's trajectory.

Today we are joined by Ed Schneider who has helped influence thousands of young wrestlers over the years and helped positively alter life's trajectory. Ed was a coach of the Police Athletic Leave in Philadelphia, which in many ways sowed the seeds for the work that BTS continues today. And he has been involved in so many aspects of BTS from its very beginning!