Beat the Streets Chicago wrestler Demetria Griffin holds her victory board from the 2024 Illinois Kids Wrestling Federation Finals. (Kevin Beese/Chronicle Media photos)

Demetria Griffin had moments when she wanted to leave the wrestling mat forever, but something inside her wouldn’t allow it.

“I wanted to give up, but I knew I had so much passion for this sport that I needed to continue,” said the eighth-grader at Edward Everest STEM Elementary School in Chicago.

Her parents and her wrestling coaches at Beat the Streets Chicago urged her to stick with it. Griffin did and wound up being a state champion because of it.

She was the 2024 girls champion in the Illinois Kids Wrestling Federation Finals.

“I’m here (at Beat the Streets) because I love wrestling. It makes me happy,” Griffin said. “I love seeing my coaches every day and seeing my friends, and getting better.”

Griffin, who has been wrestling for three years, said she enjoys competitions, especially meets that don’t have female divisions and she squares off against boys.

She went to Beat the Streets’ Midway location to watch her cousin Monica, who wrestles in college.

“I came one day to watch my cousin, and I ended up wrestling,” Griffin said. “After that, I never stopped.”

Griffin, who wants to earn a high school state wrestling title, said she doesn’t get anxious before competitions.

“I don’t get nervous,” the eighth-grader said. “I am going to go out there and try my best. If I lose, I lose. If I win, I win.”

She said youth with an interest in wrestling should give the sport a try.

“You might have your moments of crying and feeling like you want to quit and give up, but the more you keep going, you learn that you’ll eventually start to get better,” she said.

One way youth can get a taste of wrestling is through the Chicago Public Schools’ SCORE Wrestling

Program, a free six-week session that introduces students in grades 5-8 to the fundamentals of wrestling, with 28 practice sites across the city, regional tournaments and a City Championship.

Beat the Streets leaders Samantha Barrientos and Patrick Martinez stand in front of the Beat the Streets mats at the nonprofit’s Midway location.

“We’re the only outside program CPS trusts with wrestling,” said Patrick Martinez, wrestling coordinator for Beat the Streets Chicago. “We have 28 locations for fifth- through eighth-graders. For a lot of them it is their first time being involved in the sport.

“We aim to make it a healthy and fun introduction to the sport with the idea of retention and get them hooked to further levels of programming for the rest of their careers.”

Martinez, a two-time All-American who made three national teams, said some of Beat the Streets’ most at-need and at-risk wrestlers came from the CPS SCORE Program.

“We’re able to identify kids in need and pull them in farther,” he said.

Martinez said Beat the Streets programs provide not only wrestling instruction but educational enrichment for students as well.

“At the end of the day we’re here to provide opportunities, resources and education for the youth of Chicago, particularly ones who do not always have the resources,” Martinez said.

Beat the Streets offers seven locations throughout the city. The nonprofit’s leaders said they use wrestling as a vehicle to build character and change the lives of Chicago youth.

The year-round wrestling and enrichment programming serves more than 3,000 kids annually.

Martinez, a Southern California native, said wrestling is a sport for everyone.

“Unlike basketball, football and other sports which to be great at, you have to have a certain body type, in wrestling we take them all — short, tall, big, small,” he said. “It doesn’t matter. There’s a weight class for everybody.

“You’re competing against people at your own size and at your own skill level, especially in the SCORE program where it’s strictly geared toward beginners.”

Beat the Streets Chicago head coach Larry Early III (wearing stocking hat) demonstrates a wrestling move as students look on at BTSC’s Midway location. Beat the Streets provides instruction for Chicago Public Schools’ SCORE program, which offers an introduction to wrestling for fifth- through eighth-graders.

Beat the Streets head coach Larry Early III said the nonprofit’s program molds young student-athletes.

“We are making sure they are doing everything they possibly can in school, hard work on the mat and off the mat, staying on top of their academics,” Early said.

Early got involved with the program when his former wrestling coach at Oak Park and River Forest High School, Mike Powell, who is executive director of Beat the Streets, reached out to him.

“We offer enrichment, making sure they are doing all their homework. We offer tutoring,” Early said. “We’re just trying to reach all the kids who might be in a difficult situation. Even kids who aren’t in difficult situations, we are trying to better them on and off the mat as much as we possibly can.

Martinez said parents should give the SCORE Program a shot.

“If there are youth out there who want a positive environment to be in, an environment to be in that’s going to push them, that’s going to challenge them and they’re up for that, being involved in CPS SCORE wrestling is a first step.”

Visit www.btschicago.org/cpsscore to register for the SCORE Program. Practices start Feb. 10. Get information on Beat the Streets at www.btschiccago.org.

kbeese@chronicleillinois.com