Philadelphia, Pa – The Pennsylvania Regional Training Center(PRTC), an official USA Wrestling Olympic Training Center, is ten months into a two year campaign to raise $1 million for the growing 501c3 non-profit organization. With an increase in support of their mission to enrich lives locally and globally through the sport of wrestling, they are more than halfway to their goal.

“We are blessed with the opportunity to fully fund our senior level athletes as they pursue World and Olympic Championships,” says PRTC Executive Director and Head Coach Brandon Slay. “At the PRTC, our senior athletes are professionals. They compete at the highest levels of our sport. We provide training, health care, and salaries that allow them to focus on their goals in wrestling. More importantly, our athletes spend a lot of time outside the training facilities volunteering as coaches, clinicians, and mentors in the community.”

Executive Director and Head Coach Brandon Slay coaching Senior Athlete Jordan Burroughs

The PRTC is partnered with Drexel University, The University of Pennsylvania, and Beat the Streets Philly(BTSP). The two universities train together weekly with the PRTC. All three organizations work together to mentor and coach the kids of Beat the Streets Philly.

BTSP is a sports based youth development non-profit that is committed to fostering the holistic growth of student-athletes living in at-risk underserved communities. The PRTC, along with Drexel and Penn, volunteer their time to mentor the young student-athletes of BTSP.

Penn and Drexel student-athletes at Beat the Streets event.

CJ Composto, a student-athlete at Penn, volunteers much of his free time to Beat the Streets. “The lessons I learn from the senior athletes, especially from my coach Mark Hall, are invaluable,” says Composto. “I use them when working with the athletes I mentor at Beat the Streets.”

The PRTC is at the forefront of the Philadelphia Wrestling Ecosystem which includes the two universities and the youth development program. A “Philly professional sports team” as Slay calls it, the PRTC hopes to continue their mission while preparing for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games and beyond.

“The Ambassador Campaign is a fundraising effort to help further expand our impact,” says Slay. “Our goal is to raise an additional $1,000,000 over the next 5 years for the PRTC. We chose the title “Ambassador Campaign” as a tribute to Benjamin Franklin and what he represented as a treasured American icon.”

“The additional income from the Ambassador Campaign will help us continue to support our senior athletes with training, housing, sustainable income, injury prevention care, and healthcare insurance coverage. With increased funding, we will be able to expand our reach in helping to develop future leaders through developmental training, community outreach, and coaching initiatives.”

Click here to learn more about the Ambassador Campaign including how to donate to the PRTC.

Photo by Aaron Morekin

Story by Kevin McGuigan