HUDSON, Fla. — When Diquan Hibbert decided to give wrestling a try about a year ago, it wasn't because he thought it would be easy.
"What is about it that made you think you can do it?" he was asked.
"That it's hard," Hibbert replied.
"You like that it's hard?"
"It's very hard. I like challenges."
Hibbert said learning to overcome those challenges has helped him develop confidence that carries over into everyday life.
"So it's hard in here, so it makes it easier to deal with out there," he said.
That's exactly the type of lesson coaches hope every child takes away from the Beat the Streets Tampa Bay summer wrestling camp at Fivay High School.
Coach Patrick Spano said wrestling teaches qualities that extend far beyond competition.
"What are the qualities of wrestling that have helped you in life?" he was asked.
"Perseverance. Resilience. Grit," Spano said.
Beat the Streets Tampa Bay is part of a national nonprofit movement that uses wrestling as a tool to mentor young people while opening doors through education, leadership and opportunity.
For camper Leonny Conception, the program has become about much more than learning wrestling techniques.
"The coaches, they are the greatest people I have ever met," Conception said. "They just keep pushing me. Not only on the mat, in school, academically. They keep pushing us to go to college and help us go to college."
The support extends beyond the wrestling room. Coaches provide academic guidance, teach life skills and even help campers overcome transportation barriers by picking them up and driving them to practice.
"If you've worked in an inner-city school like that, you know a lot of times kids are walking home, or they don't have rides, and that's a big barrier to entry for them, just getting there," Spano said. "I picked three of them up this morning, and I'll be dropping them all off on the way home."
The camp is held in partnership with the University of South Florida wrestling program, giving young athletes the opportunity to learn from college coaches and wrestlers while exposing them to higher education.
Over the years, Beat the Streets has introduced thousands of young people to wrestling, with some participants earning the opportunity to compete in New York City's Times Square.
But at Fivay High School, success isn't measured only by wins and losses.
"They just keep pushing you, wanting you to get better off and on the mat," Conception said.
The program relies on donations, and leaders tell me it's in dire need of funding. You can learn more at btstampabay.org
Share Your Story with Erik
For more than 15 years, Erik Waxler has called Pasco County home. He’s dedicated to helping his neighbors from New Port Richey to Dade City solve problems and celebrating those who help others. Share your ideas and tips with Erik below.
.
'It's either eat or pay bills': Florida families desperate for answers after losing SNAP benefits to fraud
Florida families are losing hundreds of dollars in SNAP benefits to fraud, with multiple victims in the Tampa Bay area saying unauthorized charges on their accounts are being traced to the same California address — and the state is offering no way to get that money back.
