Beat the Streets Detroit

Board of Directors

Mark Churella Sr

President Mark Churella

Churella was raised in Farmington, Michigan. As a student at Farmington High School, he was selected as a High School All-American in wrestling in 1975 and won was a state champion three years. He has been inducted into the Farmington High School Sports Hall of Fame.  Churella attended the University of Michigan where he was a member of the Michigan Wolverines wrestling team from 1976 to 1979. As a wrestler at Michigan, Churella compiled a record of 132–13; his .910 winning percentage is the second highest in University of Michigan wrestling history. He won the NCAA national championship in 1977 and 1978 and as a senior in 1979.  His freshman year, he placed third in the tournament. Churella was selected four times as a collegiate wrestling All-American and was also named the most outstanding participant in the 1978 NCAA Division I wrestling championships. Churella also received the 1979 Big Ten Medal of Honor for proficiency in scholarship, athletics and community service. When he graduated from the University of Michigan in 1979, Churella was the school’s all-time record-holder in career wins, single-season wins and career falls.  Churella’s collegiate success foreshadowed his qualification for the 1980 Summer Olympics, but the US’ boycott of the event prevented the opportunity.  After graduating from Michigan, Churella served as the head wrestling coach at UNLV from 1979 to 1984. While holding that position, Churella established the Las Vegas Collegiate Invitational Tournament, later renamed the Cliff Keen Invitational. After UNLV discontinued its wrestling program, Churella returned to the University of Michigan as an assistant coach from 1985 to 1987. Churella later went into the insurance services business and became the president and CEO of FDI Group, in Novi, Michigan. Three of his sons, Mark, Jr., Ryan and Josh were wrestlers at the University of Michigan. Churella returned to the program as an assistant coach from 2007 to 2008.  Son Josh Churella joined the Michigan Wolverines wrestling coaching staff in 2012. Churella was inducted into the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor in 1996 and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1999.[12][13] He was also a charter member of the Michigan Wrestling Hall of Fame.[2] In 2012, he received the Bob Ufer Award for outstanding service to the University of Michigan Athletic Department.  Churella is married and has 3 sons and X grandchildren.

Mike Cox

Vice President Mike Cox

Cox graduated from Detroit Catholic Central High School in 1980. He served in the United States Marine Corps from 1980 to 1983. He graduated from the University of Michigan in 1986 and earned his J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School in 1989. He worked for the Oakland County Prosecutors’ office from 1989 to 1990, then the Wayne County office from 1990 to 2002, before being elected Attorney General. Cox successfully ran for re-election in 2006, after receiving the Republican party nomination at the August Michigan Republican Party Convention. Cox left office in 2010 due to term limit. In 2011 he joined the Detroit law firm, Dykema Gosset and in 2012 Cox recently left Dykema Gosset to start The Mike Cox Law Firm. Mike is married and has 4 children and 2 grandchildren. Both of his boys wrestled while attending Detroit Catholic Central and his eldest daughter and youngest son both have served their country in the Marine Corps and Navy respectively.
Mindy Herrmann

Board Member Mindy Herrmann

Mindy Herrmann serves as the Executive Director for Beat the Streets Detroit. She is a United States Naval Academy graduate where she rowed Varsity Crew for 4 years. After graduation, she served as an officer in the Marine Corps for 28 years and is a graduate of the Marine Corps Command and Staff College. Mindy and her husband Fred have 2 daughters; Annelie, a 2018 Harvard College graduate who is in her first year at the University of Michigan Medical School and Emma, who is a senior and a cross country team captain at Williams College. Mindy is a true believer in what wrestling can do for a child. “We can agree that all sports are good,” she says, “but nothing can develop grit, self-reliance, tenacity and a solid work ethic like the sport of wrestling.” Mindy relays that one of her biggest goals for the 2019-2020 season is to develop more partnerships throughout the community to better help kids achieve each individual’s full potential – not just from an athletic perspective but also academically and from a life-skills perspective as well. “We love wrestling, to be sure… but ultimately we love this sport for what it does for a kid after he or she steps off the mat.”

Secretary Mark Churella, Jr.

Churella was raised in Novi, MI and attended Novi High School where he was a 3-sport athlete (Soccer, Wrestling & Baseball). Churella attended the University of Michigan and was a member of the Wolverines wrestling team from 1998 – 2002. After graduating from Michigan with a Bachelor of Arts Degree, he joined the family insurance business of FDI Group in 2003. Churella has served in various roles within FDI Group and currently is the EVP/COO of George B. Ford Agency, Inc. and VP of FDI Group respectively. Churella is married with 2 children.
Michael E. Wagner

Board Member Michael E. Wagner

Michael E. Wagner is a lifelong resident of Michigan in Detroit. He currently serves as a judge for the 36th District Court in Michigan where he was appointed in 2011. Prior to that, Judge Wagner worked in the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office for nearly 2 decades. In addition to serving his community, Judge Wagner also served his country as a United States Marine, retiring in 2008 at the rank of Colonel. He received his law degree from Wayne State University Law School, his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan, and he is a proud graduate of Mumford High School. Wagner has spent a lifetime serving others and is especially committed to the local youth and making wrestling a mainstream sport in Detroit. Wagner says, “as both a judge and a kid who grew up in Detroit, I know firsthand the value of having access to sports in the city. I am committed to bringing wrestling to Detroit. Wrestling is a sport that does not present the economic hardship on family members as many of the more mainstream sports, but does provide the same character building blocks that come with challenge, commitment, perseverance, teamwork and accomplishment. Wrestling is safe, and this is a comprehensive program that targets and develops character, responsibility, self-esteem and other wonderful attributes. This program is intended to provide young people in Detroit and other less affluent communities with the same opportunities and access to this sport as the rest of Michigan and the country. Also, it is important to note that this sport does not discriminate against the girls and young ladies! Everyone can wrestle, irrespective of size and shape…and all are welcome!

Board Member Ryan Churella

Coming soon!

Beat the Streets Detroit

Director of Programming

Robert Embree

Director of Programming

Robert Embree

Since 2013, Coach Embree has served as the Head Coach of the Warren Lincoln competitive component of the Beat the Streets Detroit youth wrestling program. He also leads the Michigan USA Regional Training Center of Warren as the Director

Beat the Streets Detroit

Regional Club Directors

Andre Foster​

Central Region: Andre Foster, Dream Team Performance

Bio Coming Soon

Glenn Washington

West Region: Glenn Washington, Silverbacks

Bio Coming Soon

Mike Futtrell

Southwest Region: Mike Futtrell, No Mercy

(coming soon).

Beat the Streets Detroit

High School Head Coaches

Mike Torriero

Michael Torriero, Cass Technical High School

Bio Coming Soon

Beat the Streets Detroit

Louis Reyes, Cesar Chavez

Bio Coming Soon

Jose Ramirez

Jose Ramirez, Detroit Cristo Rey High School

Coach Jose Ramirez is a graduate of Eastern Michigan University where he earned a degree in education, he later attended Wayne State University and earned a master’s degree in administration. He is currently the Dean of School Climate and Culture at the Academy of the Americas located in Southwest Detroit.

Coach Ramirez will lead Detroit Cristo Rey High School in their inaugural season this winter as a varsity sport. He previous coached at the University of Detroit Jesuit High School, Grosse Pointe South High School and ran a youth wrestling club called Detroit Wrestling Academy. His passion for wrestling started late as he didn’t start wrestling until his junior year of high school, “I fell in love with the sport immediately and excelled in a short period of time, I had the opportunity to continue my wrestling career at Eastern Michigan University where we won the MAC Conference Championship In 1996. Wrestling has provided so many opportunities in my life, I would not be where I am now without wrestling. That is why I feel so strongly about the work we are doing through Detroit Beat the Streets. We are teaching more than just wrestling, we are creating opportunities and transforming lives through this great sport. Together we will help the kids of Detroit, Beat the Streets!”

Cameron Rush

Cameron Rush, Hamtramck High School

Bio Coming Soon

Jake Brock

Jake Brock, Mumford High School

Coach Jake Brock grew up in Southfield and Detroit and started wrestling in 10th grade at Southfield High School. He was the captain of his team both his junior and senior years and earned recognition as the team’s “Most Valuable Player” in the 12th grade. That year he also wrestled in the state championship and went 5-1 at the Virginia Beach National Duals post season. Coach Brock is an electrician working throughout the metro Detroit area and as a member of the IBEW local 58 Union. The most important thing he wants to accomplish with his work with kids in the Beat the Streets Detroit program is to inspire our wrestlers to have a post high school plan. Regardless of whether they pursue college or a skilled trade such as plumbing, carpentry, HVAC, millwright, electrical and the like, Coach Jake wants them to have a goal (or two) and be equipped with the skills necessary to accomplish their goals. Says Coach Brock, “I want our kids to use the name of our program – ‘BEAT THE STREETS” – as a call to action. I literally want them to ‘beat’ the lure of the streets and most definitely don’t want them to fall victim to a negative inner-city lifestyle.” Coach Brock believes that if our wrestlers use the tangible and peripheral skills they gain while wrestling, not only will they be successful, but they will also be motivated to give back to those younger kids who will follow. Along with every member of the Beat the Streets team, Jake believes in the unique power of wrestling to change lives for the better. Says Brock, “I want to see wrestling at EVERY high school in Detroit Public Schools (not just Mumford). Detroit needs their own conference because there is just an overwhelming amount of talented and athletic kids who currently don’t have the opportunity to participate outside of Beat the Streets Detroit.
Jake Vincent

Jake Vincent, University of Detroit Jesuit High School

Bio coming soon

Rich Sivak

Rich Sivak, Voyageur Academy

Coach Rich started wrestling in 8th grade for DeWitt’s MyWay team and quickly fell in love with the sport of wrestling, regularly splitting time between practices at Bath and DeWitt.  He is a 2017 graduate from Central Michigan University where he served as an assistant Track and Field and Cross-Country coach at Shepherd Middle School during 3 of his 4 college years.  Before that, coach Rich was a 2013 graduate from Bath High School and wrestled on the combined Bath/Laingsburg and Bath/Lansing Catholic Wrestling Teams.  He placed 2nd in the CMAC 2 of his 4 years.  Coach Leesivak posted an overall record of 81 wins and 69 losses.

Coach Leesivak holds a Bachelor of Science degree is in Computer Science.  He is a Cyber Security Analyst at Ford Motor Company and hobbyist programmer.  The 2021-22 season will be Coach Rich’s first season as the Head Coach at Voyageur College Prep and his second season with the team.
Will Rewitzer

Will Rewitzer, Warren Lincoln

Coach Will Rewitzer grew up in Warren and graduated from Warren Lincoln High School. He attended classes at both Oakland Community College and Michigan State University. He started wrestling at age 5 and proudly can claim that he has not taken a season off since. In high school, Coach Rewitzer was a 3x all state wrestling earning 8th, 4th, and 1st place in the State Championship. Coach Rewitzer has been with the Beat the Streets program since 2014. He says, “BTSD has been wonderful for our community. The program has allowed us to reach many young individuals who sometimes have had no one else to turn to at various rough periods in their lives. Through BTSD, we are able to teach students the fundamentals of a sport which offers the opportunity to excel at one’s own pace. We also are able to impress upon our students the importance of education and we provide assistance through tutoring, food assistance or really, any other help they need.” Coach Rewitzer is very proud of the “addendum services” Beat the Streets Detroit offers. “We teach kids proper nutrition values, and expose them to various STEM-related opportunities they may not otherwise have known existed. BTSD has allowed us to reach out to those individuals in our community who absolutely need us the most.” Coach Rewitzer knows that with the help of BTSD, their coaching staff gets the pleasure of watching each and every kid who participates in the program walk across stage and graduate high school. “I am very proud of our 100% graduation rate within our program,” he says.
Beat the Streets Detroit

Zachary Carr, Denby High School

Bio Coming Soon

Beat the Streets Detroit

Club Coaches

Beat the Streets Detroit

David Bellomy, Silverback Wrestling Club

Bio Coming Soon

Jennifer Berry

Jennifer Berry-Elliot, Silverback Wrestling Club

Bio Coming Soon

Beat the Streets Detroit

Antonio Cargill, Silverback Wrestling Club

Bio Coming Soon

Larue Frazier

Larue Frazier, Silverback Wrestling Club

Bio Coming Soon

Ira Harris

Ira Harris, DREam Team Performance

Bio Coming Soon

Antonio Harrison

Antonio Harrison, Silverback Wrestling Club

Bio Coming Soon

Angel Oyolo

Angel Oyolo, Silverback Wrestling Club

Bio Coming Soon

Chris Ray

Chris Ray, Warren Lincoln Wrestling Club

Coach Chris Ray will tell you that he started his adolescent life on the wrong path, making a lot of decisions that could have negatively shaped his future. In the 10th grade, he made the decision to get himself back on track. He began to purposefully distance himself from those who were headed in the wrong direction. In the 11th grade, he went into the wrestling room and there met other challenges. He had problems with authority figures yelling and telling him what to do; struggled with being grabbed by other boys and being thrown down, and the thought of wearing a singlet was, as he puts it, “a hard no.”

After quitting the team, one of the assistant coaches took over as the head coach and began an aggressive campaign to recruit Coach Ray back. It worked! Once he came back, the coach made a focused effort to speak Coach Ray’s language and also made the effort to understand the culture he was raised in. That coach saw his struggles to separate himself from the previous company he kept and helped him to increase that distance. Coach Ray became loyal to that coach and the coach prepared him to lead. Coach Ray’s commitment to the sport paid off. In his short high school wrestling career, Coach Ray became an All-State Wrestler and got his picture in the school’s “Hall of Fame.” His team rallied behind him and pushed him to increase his grades above a 3.0 cumulative GPA. Coach Ray was voted Senior Class President, and Homecoming King – outcomes that directly resulted from his initial decision to step onto a wrestling mat.

After graduating from High School, Coach Ray felt an obligation to give back to others, as others had done for him. “I want to be the coach who inspires kids to reach their full potential,” says Coach Ray. To that end, he coached wrestling at his former high school as the Assistant Coach for 4 years and as the Head Coach for 6. During that time, teaching wrestling important, but secondary to teaching wrestlers the life skills which had helped him tremendously – how to be humble, to plan, to set goals, work hard and make better decisions. “In wrestling,” Coach Ray says, “we try to give kids the freedom to make decisions, while simultaneously helping to them to think about the effects and consequences of their decision(s) before they make them. Only a sport thought of as “a physical game of chess,” can do this so well.”

Coach Ray is extremely proud that within his program, kids who were already young fathers learned to better prioritize their lives, kids who were gang-affiliated, learned to question the decisions they made before making them, kids who came from homes where they were the provider for their younger siblings, learned how to better manage their time. Multiple All-State wrestlers were produced, and many of his wrestlers while in Saginaw turned into collegiate athletes and ultimately into productive citizens.

Coach Ray moved to Warren in 2016 and found Beat the Streets Detroit. He is thrilled to serve the same type of children he was involved with back at his home in Saginaw. Coach Ray says that “wrestling is a ladder for success in life, and I want to teach kids to climb it!”

Jessica Riddle

Jessica Riddle, Silverback Wrestling Club

Bio Coming Soon

Beat the Streets Detroit

Lovell Washington, Silverback Wrestling Club

Bio Coming Soon

Beat the Streets Detroit

Garfield Woodbury, Silverback Wrestling Club

Bio Coming Soon

Beat the Streets Detroit

Assistant High School Coaches

Sam Bailiff

Sam Bailiff, U of D Wrestling

Bio coming soon

Beat the Streets Detroit

Anthony Kreucher, Detroit Cristo Rey

Coach Tony Kreucher is a coach for Beat the Streets Detroit at the Detroit Cristo Rey location.  He attended Hope College and has been a high school teacher for 6 years.  He began wrestling as a freshman in high school for the renowned Mike Rodriguez at Detroit Catholic Central.  Previously, he has coached at Catholic Central, Divine Child, and Canton High School; the 19-20 season will be the first season that Detroit Cristo Rey will have a varsity wrestling team.  Anthony uses wrestling to teach athletes a mindset of perseverance and determination that they can apply in many other areas of their life.  Starting a new program can be difficult but, “once you’ve been a wrestler, everything else in life is easy.”
Beat the Streets Detroit

Jacquan Moore, Mumford

Bio Coming Soon

Beat the Streets Detroit

Dan Wagner, Mumford

Coach Dan Wagner is a graduate of Central Michigan University and will commence the inaugural wrestling season for Osborn High School in the fall of 2021.

More information coming soon

Support BTS Detroit.

Beat the Streets Detroit exists to positively affect the lives of Detroit area youth through the sport of wrestling. All of our comprehensive services are made possible through generous donations and partnerships with individuals, charitable foundations and companies who want to make a great impact within Detroit. By investing in Beat the Streets Detroit, you invest in the future of this great city. We are currently in several Detroit area neighborhoods supporting over 150 students.

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