2008 SUmmer Camps

> Download the 2008 Summer Camps Poster!
> Read what feedback we have gotten about our 2008 Summer Camps from camp directors, campers, parents, and more!

The following camps have been selected for the 2008 Summer Scholarship Camp Program. Each of these camps will be recommended to the scholarship campers and coaches for their selection and participation.

Beat the Streets Wrestling Inc. will provide Bus Transportation and Supervision with a central pick-up and return to the parents/guardians.

	July 2-6: John Smith Oklahoma State Camp at SUNY Cobleskill, NY Approximately 2 hours from New York City. More Info.
	July 6-10: Rob Koll Cornell University Camp at Ithaca, NY Approximately 4 hours from New York City. More Info.
	July 6-10: Bruce Baumgartner Camp at Edinboro University Approximately 8 hours from New York City. 1.Technique Camp #3- Individuals MS and High School 2. Team Camp- For the high school wrestling teams More Info.
	July 7-10: Brendan Buckley's Columbia Lions Wrestling Camp At Columbia University, New York, NY More Info.
	July 13-17: J. Robinson Camp at Cortland State University Approximately 5 hours from New York City. More Info.
	July 13-17: The Brands Brothers Iowa Wrestling Camp At Binghamton University Approximately 3 hours from New York City. More Info.
	KEN CHERTOW's CAMPS: Various dates and locations June 30-July 3 SUNY-Oneonta Get your team together as soon as the school year ends and head for this great opportunity approximately 3 hours from New York City. July 5-10 Towson University - Baltimore, MD Conveniently located on I-95 approximately 3 hours from New York City. Olympic Silver Medalist Butch Keaser will be our special guest at our Baltimore Camp. July 20-23 Penn State Ramada Inn Conference Center July 27-30 Penn State Ramada Inn Conference Center The hometown the Penn State Nittany Lions is approximately 4 hours from New York City straight down I-80.   The Ramada Inn has both indoor and outdoor pools and is a great set up. The video of the BTS Camp Experience from last summer at Coach Chertow's Camp is at the top of this page. August 3-6 Allentown Days Inn Convention Center August 9-12 Allentown Days Inn Convention Center Less than 2 hours from New York City this great camp facility has an Olympic Size outdoor pool, comfortable hotel rooms, air-conditioned wrestling area, and near-by amusement park. Click here for photos of BTS wrestlers from last summer's Allentown camp!

2007 Summer Camps

Camp Photos

	Rob Koll's Cornell University Camp: Ithaca, NY Photo Gallery 1 Photo Gallery 2
	Bruce Baumgartner's Camp: Edinboro, PA Photo Gallery
	Ken Chertow's Camp: State College, PA Photo Gallery
	Ken Chertow's Camp: Allentown, PA Photo Gallery
	Ken Chertow's Camp: Oneonta, NY Group Photo
	John Smith's Camp: Cobleskill, NY Photo with John Smith
	Greg Strobel's Lehigh Wrestling Camp: Bethlehem, PA No Photos Available

2007 Summer Camp Feedback From BTS Wrestlers, Coaches, and Parents

Dear Mr. Bevilacqua and Mr. Novogratz,

I am writing this letter to thank you for giving me the opportunity to train at Cornell University's 12 day intensive Wrestling program. Sponsoring students may not seem like much, but to me it meant the world.

I really enjoyed the rigorous training I received at camp. I have learned how to do things properly. Training included lessons on dieting, conditioning and wrestling technique. The lessons I have learned at camp will never be forgotten. I know that I have become more than a better wrestler. What I have learned, will help me succeed far beyond the mat. Your efforts have led me to have a greater passion for wrestling.

Currently, I attend Canarsie High School, where wrestling is a sport that is misunderstood and isn't considered as important as other sports. We lack in the guidance and financial support that are necessary to become the truly great team that I know we can be. We have also never had a coach who was well versed in wrestling.

Next year, my friend and I will become the captains/assistant coaches. Everything that I have learned at Camp Cornell will be implemented in our training. Unfortunately, because of our poor last season, we will become a developmental team with less privileges and rankings within the PSAL community. It will be difficult for me to become a top competitor in the City- finals wrestling while at the developmental stage, because I won't get enough competition.

Beside the Beat-The-Streets Program, the only external resource I have is Coach Kris Vagianos of Springfield Gardens High School. He has taken a couple of my team mates and me under his wing. He has taken us to tournaments and trained with us. Although has he has helped us out greatly, we need a coach of our own. I thank you once again for what Beat the Streets has done for me.

Thank you,
Curtis Bernadeau

Dear Al,

II just wanted to thank you and the Mike Novogratz Family Foundation for the once in a lifetime opportunity that you gave to all the wrestlers of PS19. None of our students have ever had an experience like that. They were all shocked when our first night there after arriving late for practice, our entire team was designated for mat duty. That proved to be the first of many learning experiences for our entire team. As would be expected from that point forward they were all prompt and ready for each practice session. On a personal level, I was very impressed with the effort of all of my wrestlers.

The coaching staff was not only knowledgeable but extremely helpful. Several of them gave me their addresses and asked me to keep in touch with them to let them know how my wrestling team is progressing. Two of them who live locally intend to stop by to visit my team during practice this year. I'm sure that I'll see a marked improvement in my team in not only the skill level but also their attitude towards wrestling. Hopefully the program will last for years to come. My entire team is ready to go back to camp next year.

Sincerely,

Ray Novelli

Back from PSU camp and It was very successful. I had the opportunity to spend lots of time with Ken Chertow and he really was positive about our beat the street kids. He praised our new BTS high school coach Greg, and he offered one of our BTS kids IS291 Chuckie Vicenti a summer counselor position for next year. That's 3 camps that BTS really impressed everybody......you should be proud of our kids and our fine coaches. Took some good pictures you might want to use.

Mike C

This is Francisco just letting you know that I deeply appreciate you giving me the opportunity to go to camp. I had a great time and at the same time a great work out. I will admit it was hard but i tried to hang in there and i did. Thanks again and I appreciate it.

- Francisco Decristo

The group from BTS was awesome.  I believe that this program could be the savior of wrestling!

What an awesome experience for these kids..the ability to wrestle!!!!!!  ..and in Edinboro!!!!!!

Your staff was great and the kids were a lot of fun!  So much talent in our country not being taped into!

Hope to see you this summer sometime...perhaps in State College ?!? 

Tim Flynn
Head Wrestling Coach
Edinboro University of PA

 My name is Brian Noonan, my son is Alex Noonan. He attended the beat the streets wrestling camp back in June. He really enjoyed the camp. He spoke very highly of you and your staff. Once again thank you.  

My name is William Wilson.  I wrestle with the Farrell Lions Wrestling Club.  I attended the Camp up at Oneonta at the end of June with a few other wrestlers also from the Farrell Club and Farrell High School .  I wanted to thank you personally and the Michael E. Novogratz Family Foundation for giving me the opportunity.  It was the greatest experience and I learned so much.  The program was more than I ever expected.  I plan to continue to wrestle through high school and college and feel that I will continue to benefit from these type of opportunities and from the instructors who devote so much to the kids and the sport and hope to reciprocate some day.  Thank you again and will see you at the mats!! 

William Wilson, 12 yrs
Farrell Lions Wrestling Club, Staten Island , NY

Now that some of the dust has settled in regards to our camp and Italy , I wanted to follow up with you on the Beat the Street wrestlers that attended the John Smith Camp in NY.  The camp was tremendous success - from both a wrestling and logistical standpoint. A big part of our success was that we had some terrific student athletes at the camp. Four of those student athletes were from your Beat the Streets program. John Smith and I made it a point to visit with each of the four and we were so impressed with their intellect, respect and maturity; not to mention their desire to learn.  We can honestly say it was a pleasure having them a part of the John Smith camp.  Thanks again for advocating our camp throughout the Beat the Street program.  We anticipate some major growth in 2008 and we hope you'll continue to advocate the camp to your wonderful athletes!  I will forward some photos to you in the near future.

Sincerely,

Frank Popolizio
John Smith Wrestling Camp

II would like to thank you for a wonderful experience at Cornell's wrestling camp. While having fun at camp I also learnt lots of wrestling moves. I met new people and had the opportunity to meet professional wrestlers. I also liked being in a new place, away from home, that I have never been to before.

II will do my best to follow through with your workout.

Sincerely,

Robert Gonzalez
Simon Baruch - MS104

Yours Truly,

 Michael Brown 

Words can not express how I felt when you sent me to camp. Thank you very much because it was one of the greatest experiences of my life. We wrestled for 3 sessions a day, 2 hours each session. I learned many moves such as tilts, like the arm bar tilt, and 2 on 1 tilt. I learned how to do leg rides and great breakdowns. I also learned many techniques to takedowns and how to scramble.

The whole Beat-the-Streets team got pranked and ended up soaked in cold water. We all piled up, expecting to be lifted by the "Polish weight-lifting champion," but behind us people poured water on us.

I had a fun time, hanging out in my friend's dorm and having a few great games of dodgeball and tug-a-war. We went swimming and in the end of the trip we had a takedown tournament. Then we went to Treeman State Park . 

Thanks a million,
Jabreal Hasan

Thank you for sending us to the wrestling camp at Cornell. It was an amazing experience, I learned a lot of little things as well as big ones that I think will help me win the city tournament next year. I had a lot of fun and seeing all the great wrestlers from around the state made me want to get better too. Cornell's Coach Koll  inspired me to get really good at wrestling and apply to Cornell senior year. Anyway thanks again for allowing us to attend such a great camp.

Sincerely,
Shayanta Hasnat

Thank you so much for sending me to camp at Cornell university. I learned so much at Cornell. I learned lots of technique which will definitely help me while I wrestle. We learned tilts, stand ups, stacks, how to scramble and more. The camp was also lots of fun.

We went to the pool on Monday. We went to a park on Thursday and swam at the lake and jumped off diving boards. On Thursday there was also a take down tournament. I took first place in the tournament. At the camp, all of the beat the streets people got pranked! They told the beat the streets people to pile up and interlock arms and a guy would lift us. They said the guy would lift us on the count of three, and on three, cold water was poured on us! I got soaked. Thank you for sending me to camp, it was a great experience and I had an awesome time!

Thanks,
Enam Hasan

I went to college up-state in Oneonta (I noticed a wrestling camp up there too!)

I agree.... He deserves the opportunity to get out of the city.  I have to work this summer & right now we don't even have a car.

Thank you again.
M. Opperman (Parent)

II would like to take this opportunity to thank you for sponsoring me for the John Smith Wrestling camp. It was truly a great experience and a very beneficial one. Getting the opportunity to be on the same mat and learn from one of America 's best wrestlers is something I will never forget.

Thank You,
Matt Goldberg

Things went well at the Chertow camp - kids seemed to have a great time and were all excited about the technique they picked up.

Troy Nickerson was a camp worker and Beningo and Hanafee worked out with him in some extra sessions.

Thanks again and keep in touch.

Lou Destefano

Farrell MS and HS Coach