Up2Us Sports coaches are leaders in the field of sports-based youth development (SBYD), but they often don't receive the recognition they deserve. Coaches' Corner is our way to show our appreciation for our incredible coaches who make positive change in their communities every day!

This month, we spoke with Keith Bodden, a coach at Beat the Streets New England.

When Keith Bodden first became an Up2Us Sports coach three years ago, he coached at an organization known as Boston Youth Wrestling, a youth development organization that provided wrestling training, wrestling competitions, academic support, and college and career exploration services to students in Boston Public Schools. Today, Boston Youth Wrestling has joined forces with other wrestling programs in the area to become Beat the Streets New England, the regional chapter of the national nonprofit Beat the Streets.

Despite the organizational changes, one thing has remained constant over the past three years: Keith’s presence as a coach and mentor for young student-athletes in the Boston area, where he has lived his entire life. And while Keith has always been passionate about wrestling, he also knew he wanted to do more and share his passion for the sport with the community he grew up in. “What made me decide to be an Up2Us Sports coach is that I wanted the experience working with kids and teaching them how to wrestle,” Keith said.

As a coach, Keith taught wrestling to students at several sites throughout Boston. While coaching, he prioritized teaching his students how to learn from challenges. “I do my best to push our kids to break past their fear of failure,” he said. “I want to give them the courage to learn from their losses and to be motivated to challenge themselves beyond the wrestling mat and into life.”

In addition to coaching, Keith also attends school, so his time with both Beat the Streets New England and Up2Us Sports has been quite busy. “It's all a blur when you're on the go, not enough time to stop and think,” Keith admitted while reflecting on his coaching experience. In spite of all the busyness, however, Keith has been an incredibly dedicated member of the Up2Us Sports team. We cannot thank Keith enough for everything he has done for not one but three service terms!

“Keith has been a tremendous part of our program and we are super fortunate to have worked with him over the last few years,” Kevin Kimiadi, Up2Us Sports Northeast Program Director, said. “[His] love and passion for coaching is unmatched and he has shown an endless amount of dedication and commitment to serving the youth at Beat the Streets New England (formerly Boston Youth Wrestling). We can all aspire to be a coach like Keith!”

Keith has been serving as Up2Us Sports coach since February 2019 at Beat the Streets New England in Boston thanks to support from AmeriCorps.