In this case, you should be paying attention to the man behind the drapes, the man pulling the levers. The Emerald City is Los Angeles and the Wizard is Andrew F. Barth. The new Beat The Streets LA initiative is led by an all star board of directors including Barth.

Now living in Los Angeles Barth graduated summa cum laude with a degree in economics from Columbia College in 1983 and earned his masters in business administration from the Columbia Business School in 1985. After graduating from the Columbia Business School in 1985, Barth moved to Los Angeles to work for The Capital Group as a financial analyst. Today, he is Chairman of the Capital Guardian Trust Company.

Barth has generously supported Columbia University wrestling including providing an Endowed Head Coaching position. This was the first endowed head coaching position for college wrestling in the country.

Beat The Streets LA is modeled after the popular program that started years ago in New York City that now serves thousands of kids.

This program is a non-profit corporation that strives to cultivate and support youth development opportunities in under served communities in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. Through wrestling BTS- LA hopes to foster and encourage a desire for excellence, respect for peers, fair play, leadership, and perseverance.

With community engagement and investment, Beat the Streets - LA will provide support and direction for youth programs, enhancing young men and women's lives in school, sports and the community.

More people are coming back to wrestling, giving their time, investing in the future of our country because good people like Andrew Barth are leading by example. He is the Wizard of the Emerald City and yes it is Los Angeles!

About Beat The Streets LA: http://beatthestreets-la.org/

About After School All Stars: http://afterschoolallstars.org/