Boston, MA – This summer, Boston Youth Wrestling employed seven high school student-athletes to work as Coaches In Training (CIT). Thanks to funding from the Boston Centers for Youth and Families (BCYF), CITs were able to engage in mentorship and leadership training before putting those new skills to use running wrestling camps in the community at BCYF centers in Mattapan and Roxbury. In addition to their coaching responsibilities, the CITs completed community service hours by cleaning up and revitalizing the BCYF Mattahunt community garden, organized by Empowering Generations of Leaders.

When asked about his time in the CIT program, Ifatayo Onifade, a student-athlete at the John D. O’Bryant School, said, “Coaches in Training helped me develop as a better student by allowing me to develop more abilities, and now I can help other people by spreading my knowledge.”

Meily Dandrade, a teammate of Ifatayo at O’Bryant, and of three female CITs this summer, saw the benefit of participating in the CIT program beyond just the wrestling mat. “I can use the skills I learned in the program for future school presentations and meeting new people…because I have more confidence in myself.”

“I can use my skills I learned in the program for future school presentations and meeting new people…because I have more confidence in myself.”

— Meily Dandrade, 2018 CIT and Student-Athlete at John D. O’Bryant School

To learn more about our CITs, you can read their profiles here.