From One Community to Another

The Philadelphia wrestling network exists among a strong community of people reaching well beyond the city limits. The truth behind this statement was on quiet display last week in West Chester, Pennsylvania, a town that sits about 45 minutes from Center City.

Rob Beighley, the head wrestling coach at West Chester Henderson High School, and his wrestlers had a dilemma on their hands. The team and booster club had an overflow of t-shirts they had planned on selling at a tournament. The kids and parents were hoping to raise funds for their program. With the current state of event restrictions, they realized they would not get an opportunity to sell the shirts.

Coach Beighley reached out to former Henderson wrestling parents, Michael Nichter and Michael Medrow. Medrow and Nichter are on the board of the Wrestlers in Business Network, Philadelphia Chapter. Medrow is chairman of the events committee and Nichter is chairman of the membership committee. Both of their children wrestled for Beighley at West Chester Henderson. Beighley asked if they knew of any clubs, teams, or programs in the area who would benefit from a t-shirt donation.

Without hesitation, the two connected with fellow WIBN board member, Dan Altomare. Altomare is also the Director of Wrestling for Beat The Streets Philadelphia.

Beat the Streets Philadelphia (BTSP) is a sports-based youth development non-profit that is committed to fostering the holistic growth of student-athletes living in at-risk under-served communities. BTSP implements mentoring, academic support, and wrestling programs throughout the greater Philadelphia region as vehicles to “Positively Alter Life’s Trajectory.”

Altomare connected the Henderson contingent with BTSP Senior Director, Ben Reiter. Reiter was interested, and thankful for the donation consideration. He’d gladly take the gear off their hands and distribute it throughout his programs in the city.

When the news got back to West Chester, the kids on the team took things a step further. Seeing the opportunity to make a difference, they set up empty boxes at practice to collect other gear that wasn’t being used and could be donated. Several boxes of wrestling shoes, headgear, singlets, and other clothing were collected.

Last week, Nichter and Medrow met Beighley to collect the gear and the t-shirts. They then met with Reiter to give him several boxes of new and slightly used gear for BTSP. Although separated by some distance, one community was able to help another through the Philly Wrestling network.

“Wrestling is a tight knit community,” says Medrow. “In the Philadelphia region, we at WIBN are here to help facilitate networking and to help make connections. We did that today. It feels good to help one another. As my friend, Kevin McGuigan, says, ‘We are Philly Wrestling!’ and this is what it’s all about.”