BTS testimonial

This comes in from Jason D., who flew in from Texas with fiancee Lina and friend Josh (from Alaska) to take part in the first annual Beat the Streets fundraiser.

"To the competition hardened and unbelievably strong, in body and mind, athletes of Steve's Club:

Honestly, I can't think of a better way to have spent a Saturday than Crossfitting and competing with such a wonderful group of athletes and young adults. From the bottom of my heart I thank you for welcoming Josh, Lina, and myself into your gym and allowing us to participate in what will no doubt be the first of what will become a yearly Crossfit fiesta for growing numbers of out-of-town participants. To know that you'll be stomping out hundreds, if not thousands, of box jumps on a box with our names on it is an honor not easily surpassed. In addition I would like to express my appreciation for your unending support during the competition. There's no way I would have been able to finish that last rediculously slow shoulder press without you screaming right along with me. Contrary to the supposition that I'm a "lumberjack from the Northwest," I actually sit behind a computer most of the day which does nothing to prepare the back, legs, or skin of the hands for 1000 meters of running, and 25 deadlifts, cleans, presses, and burpees. Which brings me to my last articulation of gratitude: and that would be for keeping the laughter to an inaudible minimum when I bailed on the second to last clean and fell flat on my back. I'm not sure my ego could've handled all the finger pointing and laughter that the scene no doubt warranted.

But seriously, thank you. Josh, Lina, and myself will be wearing our shirts with pride knowing first hand the strength of community and commitment that they represent.

Stay in touch and at the very least we will see you next year!"

Jason

The Unofficial BTS Video.

2009 Beat the Streets from steve liberati on Vimeo.

Collage of Beat the Streets by Jose Moreno "The Visual Journalist"

Successful First Annual Fundraiser!

What a spectacular day! Thank you so much to all the participates, spectators and volunteers for making our first annual fundraiser a very special and memorable day for everyone involved. Also a big thank you to CrossFit Flood, CrossFit Invictus, CrossFit Flood, CrossFit South Brooklyn, The Ron Jaworski Family, United Way of Camden County, Jason/Josh, and the many other individuals that generously donated to the cause. This is real change my friends. Thanks for allowing the opportunity to make Steve's Club a place for the kids to "get away from it all" and experience the strong sense of community, teaching methods, and valuable life lessons instiled by the greatest fitness program on Earth...CrossFit.

Weightlifters raise funds for youth gym

Beat the Streets on Facebook

"Thank you so much for including us in the first annual Beat the Streets Fundraiser. We are honored to be helping your organization. I hope the event was as successful as you had hoped it would be. We're excited to play a bigger role next year. Keep up the good work brother." -CJ Martin, CrossFit Invictus

Beat the Streets Press Release

Fitness Competition Raising Funds
To Help Camden Kids to Beat the Streets

(Pennsauken)—Jose Henriquez is a tight-bodied point guard who grew up playing basketball on the dangerous streets of Camden City. He stands at 5’6” and weighs 163 pounds and is 18 years old. Just 2 years ago, he was 120 pounds. An intense fitness program he participates in at local workout facility Steve’s Club allowed him to gain 43 pounds of muscle, speed and agility on the basketball court. But more importantly—Steve’s Club has helped Henriquez to Beat the Streets.

Steve's Club is a non-profit organization giving young people from Camden the training, mentoring and coaching they need to be successful on the athletic field and in life. On Saturday, May 9, the Beat the Streets athletic competition will be held at 2:00 pm at Steve’s Club to raise funds to continue helping the children of Camden stay positive and safe. The event will consist of a partner-completed workout competition in which the students and local athletes will perform a variety of exercises and one team will be named a winner.

“The kids and many local athletes have been training for months for the competition,” said Steve Liberati, Executive Director and personal trainer at Steve’s Club, who services nearly 50 kids from Camden weekly. “Participants will raise funds to support the work of Steve’s Club. This gives them ownership in our organization and in their future. Our mission is to provide a place for these kids to get away from it all. We provide fitness that is fun, challenging and highly effective.”

Henriquez sees a difference in his game—both on and off the court.

“My coach is really happy with my progress,” he said. “I run faster, I jump higher and I’m a better athlete and a stronger person. I have always loved working out, but this place is different. Steve’s Club is paradise to kids like me.”

Steve’s Club is a paradise three years young. The brainchild of Liberati, an elite athlete, nutrition expert and certified personal trainer, the Club is a safe haven in Camden—often cited as the most dangerous city in the country. A former exterminator with his father’s pest control business, Liberati saw first-hand the perils facing these kids as he serviced homes in Camden. He began inviting some of the children he met on the streets to train with him outside at Cooper River Park.

Today, Steve’s Club is located on Route 38 in Pennsauken just before the Camden City limits. Liberati has a van he rolls around Camden in collecting his athletes. Others hop a ride or walk to his facility. Most train 5-6 days a week.

“Steve is like an uncle to me,” Jose said. “His Club gets us off the streets. He pulls us aside from time to time, making sure we are doing the right thing. I’m not scared to be out there on the streets, but it’s not worth it to risk my life. I have too much going for me.”

Dreaming of owning his own business in collision repair, Henriquez is two months shy of graduating from Camden County Vocational School. He’s committed to maintaining a high level of fitness and inspiring his peers.

Rick Gonzalez, 18, is a classmate and good buddy of Henriquez’s. One hot day last July, they were hanging out, and Gonzalez expressed interest in losing weight. Henriquez seized the opportunity and brought Gonzalez to Steve’s Club that afternoon.

“I never worked out a day in my life,” said Gonzalez, a self-proclaimed television and snacking junkie. “But Steve’s Club changed who I am inside. I am a better person now. I am an athlete.”
Gonzalez is also participating in the Beat the Streets competition. And while is goal is very different than Henriquez’s—he simply wants to finish—the end result is much the same.

“There is nothing on the streets but shooting and ganging, and that was never for me,” said Gonzalez. “So I stayed home on the couch and ate. I was overweight and unhealthy.” Since joining Steve’s Club, Rick has lost 35 pounds and 5 inches. He would like to lose another 30 before the end of the year. He trains 6 days a week and is following a diet plan laid out by Liberati.

“I have changed the way I feel better about myself,” said Gonzalez. “I’m well on my way to being in shape. It’s much more mental than physical. I encourage people to support Steve’s Club, because he is changing our lives,” said Gonzalez.

“My kids need a chance for self-improvement and empowerment,” said Liberati. “They need an escape path from the prison of everyday life and a support network to share ideas and experiences. Our Club is for those kids who want more than the streets.”
Henriquez and Gonzalez want more—and thanks to Steve’s Club, hard work and determination—they are well on their way to getting it.

For more information about Steve’s Club and the Beat the Streets fundraiser, visit http://www.stevesclub.org or call Erin Levengood at 856-625-7610.

Fundraiser Letter for sponsors

Steve’s Club, A NJ Non-Profit Organization
7007 Route 38 Pennsauken, NJ 08109
(609) 828-0070
www.stevesclub.org
Tax I.D. #26-0557920

Dear ,

The Beat the Streets fundraiser will help raise money for Steve’s Club to provide young athletes from Camden, NJ with a box gym they can proudly call their very own CrossFit gym. The first annual Beat the Streets event will be held on Saturday May 9th, 2009 at 2:00 p.m. and includes 10 rounds of 1 deadlift, 1 clean, 1 press,1 burpee and a 200 meter run done for time with a partner.

This event requires a tremendous commitment from participants, who not only prepare for months to have the physical and mental capacity to complete this event, but also must also raise funds to help support the cause.

This year my partner and I, are planning to complete the workout within 35 minutes! I've made this commitment and need your help to meet my goal of at least $100, so that I can participate.
There are many organizations out there fundraising for worthy causes, but I hope that you will donate to Steve’s Club and help them give their members a sense of community, support, hope, and coaching to help strengthen the youth of our youth.

Please take this opportunity to support the Beat the Streets fundraiser and Steve’s Club. Your donation will do so much to help the young boys and girls of Camden, NJ.

Sincerely,



P.S. If you want to find out more about the Beat the Streets event, please give me a call or log onto their website at www.stevesclub.org.

The Official Beat the Steets Workout

Complete the following as a team of 2, alternating back and forth between partners each round.

10 rounds per team for time.

One round equals 5 sets of:

1 Deadlift
1 Clean
1 Shoulder Press
1 Burpee

Each round is finished with a 200m run.

In order for Partner B to start, Partner A must finish the run and tap Partner B.


Class A (Standard Men): Deadlift 305lbs, Clean 115lbs, Shoulder Press 115lbs
Class B (Modified Men): Deadlift 220lbs, Clean 95lbs, Shoulder Press 95lbs
Class C (Standard Women): Deadlift 153lbs, Clean 60lbs, Shoulder Press 60lbs
Class D (Modified Women): Deadlift 107lbs, Clean 45lbs, Shoulder Press 45 lbs


The workout begins with Partner A completing 5 sets of the movements and then doing a 200m run. When Partner A returns they tap Partner B who completes 5 sets of the movements and then does a 200m run. The same bar is used for the Clean and the Shoulder Press. Continue alternating until your team has completed 10 Rounds. At the end, each partner should have completed a total of 25 Deadlifts, 25 Cleans, 25 Shoulder Press, 25 Burpees and 5 x 200m run.

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF STEVE'S CLUB AND CROSSFIT TRIBE: A TALE OF TWO TRIBES

Guest Post by Erin Davidson, trainer/coach at Steve's Club.

Sometimes I really wonder what everyone hurling down Rt. 70 must think.

Here we are: set down in this little building, flipping our tires, sprinting around the tattoo parlor next door, and chucking olympic plates left and right. We have one building, two rooms and two doors; CrossFit Tribe on the left, and Steve's Club on the right. Hour by hour athletes of all ages, sizes, and abilities proudly walk through our doorways and every afternoon a throng of kids of similar variance descends upon us.

There are days when I myself hardly believe all that goes on here.

Today I arrive for the 930am CrossFit Tribe session. It is a holiday and so the Steve's Club kids will be around our facility to help create their new side of the building. As I pull in, Mere - eager for a break from the eighth grade - is leaning against the windows and parking a neon green bike. A few minutes later Ant and Rick arrive. They've walked here.

I open the door, flip on the lights and the day begins. Throughout the day more kids and Tribe members trickle in and tackle the WOD. Steve's Club peers around to see how the Tribe is doing and the Tribe waltzes through to watch the kids at work.

Mark Jackson, a relentlessly helpful Tribe member, stoops on the ground sending horse stall mats into full submission with a utility knife. He talks shop with the kids. He does what he can here in the same way that he does what he can during a WOD. He's had some lingering shoulder problems and simply subs where needed, no questions asked.

Chris, a Steve's Club athlete, also does what he can. Rehabbing a series of herniated disks in his back, I have seen Chris go from a complete inability to hinge at the hip (instead favoring risky l-spine flexion) to being able to perform a healthy kipping pullup. I have seen Chris explain functional anatomy to a fellow member in a way that would rival the wits of most typical globo gym personal trainers.

The day is waning and the Steve's Club kids haven't trained yet. Pat, a Tribe member and competitive MMA fighter, shows up early to get in some strength work before the WOD. As he warms up the kids pick his brain, talk to him about their own battles, ask him how much he lifts. It's an exchange of unspoken respect on both sides.

A few more kids enter the arena.

Justin, a 14 year old wrestler who I haven't seen since last summer, shows up looking like a completely different person. His season is done and his dreams of the Games have begun. He chews bubblegum during strength lifts and understands what it means to come to full extension in a squat, deadlift, and press...even when fatigued.

Courtney, our Amazon and a sprinter, walks in with a new piercing and sore legs. Steve gently chastizes her for not being around yesterday. Some of these kids seem to change overnight - we don't really like them to miss a day.

The exchange continues as a few more Tribe members show up early and watch from the doorway while Steve begins to explain the workout of the day. The room is loud, full of potential, and the tangible energy of a song Pat is playing over the speakers. Off the signal goes: "3, 2, 1, GO!" and the kids practically surge their way through the WOD.

The funny thing about any kind of project like Steve's Club is that usually the gains are hardly ever measurable. You work at a cause with hope that what you are doing is more 3 steps forward than 2 steps back, but you can never be too sure that what you're doing is causing any kind of change at all. Sometimes things get so crazy that you're not even sure what it is you're trying to do in the first place.

CrossFit changes this.

There are totals to be had, times to be slivered. There is measurable work to be done.

And it is work of the highest order, the highest discipline. There are kids walking around Camden now with their hearts set on the valor it takes to complete a better CrossFit Total. There are kids in Camden who were set speechless by a Tribe member who cleaned an intimidating amount of weight and who will cheer me on when they see me being clobbered by "Helen".

And now, thanks to a few very faithful sponsors (most of whom have not even met anyone from Steve's Club), all these young CrossFitters have a place to call home.

Of course, home is no small thing. I won't betray the confidence and humility of Tribe members or Steve's Club athletes in telling you all of the incredible obstacles they surmount every day they walk through our doors, but I will say that there is bravery here. Life is not always, and usually never, what we expect.

Strength prepares us for the unexpected. Endurance prepares us for the journey through it.

Life is intense. It is random. It favors the functional. At times, it is slightly ridiculous.

In short, it is CrossFit.

And these are the things I know people on Rt. 70 just don't have any idea about.

Beat the Streets

"Success in life comes not from holding a good hand, but in playing a poor hand well."
- Denis Waitley

This is so clearly the driving force of CrossFit.

Whatever your size, athletic history, or motivation - there is a fitness to be found here that thrives off of the basic idea that life is not fair. If you are light, you must pull heavier. If you are heavy, you must do ring dips anyway. Regardless of our individual situations we must all learn to do the best with what we have and in whatever situation we are presented with ("increased work capacity over broad time and modal domains").

As it happens this is also the message of Steve's Club, a CrossFit-affiliated non-profit organization devoted to sharing this message with the youth of Camden, NJ. Camden, a city where a third of the population is under 18, has recently and consistently been named "the most dangerous city in America". The mission of Steve's Club is to provide a safe place for this third of the population to call home.

For the past few years Steve's Club has gone from being sled sprints in the park, deadlifting in a borrowed space, attempting not to drop weights on tile floors, to sharing a small space and consolidated hours with CrossFit Tribe of Cherry Hill. Through the faithful and selfless donations of multiple affiliates thus far, Steve's Club has finally been able to rent out a facility directly adjacent to Camden. Many of the athletes are able to bike or walk from their houses to train here.

As Steve's Club continues to grow, the operating expenses required to sustain such growth also increases. It is with gratitude and hope that we now ask for your participation in keeping Steve's Club open to the city of Camden.

The goal of this fundraiser is to find 12 affiliates that are willing and able to donate $3,000 each to support a year's worth of the rent, utilities, and equipment necessary to provide these young athletes with a box gym they can proudly call their very own CrossFit gym.

We are beyond grateful for the support the CrossFit community has sent our way and firmly believe and hope that Steve's Club will continue to serve as an example of the true effect of the discipline of CrossFit style training on all of its athletes: fortitude of body, mind, and heart.

For an inside perspective on the move into the new box, please view www.stevesclub.org.