Homewood nonprofit aims to inspire, empower children through sports
“Hard work pays off!”
That's the motto of Homewood Community Sports, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to empower youths from Pittsburgh's East End neighborhoods through football, wrestling, cheerleading, track and field, and fencing.
The Westinghouse Youth Wrestling program, for example, is led by Inner City Excel president and coach Justin Perkins and Homewood Community Sports president Mubarik Ismaeli.
The tough-talking, no-nonsense Perkins has more than a decade of coaching experience in wrestling and has trained several state title holders, including Te'Shan Campbell, a University of Pittsburgh freshman and the 2015 PIAA State Wrestling Champion at 170 pounds and 2015 WPIAL champion.
Bringing wrestling to city youths was a lifelong goal, says Perkins, a former Westinghouse wrestler.
Ismaeli, a Pitt graduate who supervises a mental health facility, also has more than a decade of coaching experience. He believes that sports can help black youths in particular avoid street crimes that would lead them to jail or a mental health facility.
The coach, he says, sometimes has more influence over a child than a parent or teacher. Coaches can reinforce directives from parents and teachers — and provide solutions to problems by keeping kids active.
Sports can become an accountability tool for student athletes, Ismaeli says.
And that's the ultimate goal of Homewood Community Sports.
Sidney Davis is a Tribune-Review photographer. Reach him at sdavis@tribweb.com.
