Beat the Streets Bay Area Hosts First-Ever Annual Coaches & Mentors Training!

This past Saturday, August 23rd, Beat the Streets Bay Area proudly hosted our first-ever Coach and Mentor Training—a powerful day of connection, learning, and leadership development. With over 35 coaches and mentors from the BTSBA community and beyond in attendance, this event also marked the exciting launch of our new partnership with Beat the Streets Los Angeles.

On the Mat with Coach Chris Ayres

We kicked off the morning with an inspiring On the Mat session led by Stanford University’s Division I Head Coach, Chris Ayres. Coach Ayres began with a thought-provoking conversation about what it truly means to be a coach. Drawing from his own journey, he emphasized the importance of mentorship—even through challenging seasons—and how success is measured by the impact and growth with your athletes- not just wins.

Our coaches engaged in a dynamic dialogue, asking meaningful questions and reflecting on how mentorship forms the foundation of effective coaching.

Coaching with Empathy: Positive Coaching Alliance

Following our morning session, we dove into an interactive workshop with JT from Positive Coaching Alliance. Coaches explored the "Why, How, and What" behind their coaching philosophies in a hands-on session that sparked laughter, movement, and thoughtful conversation.

This Coaching with Empathy segment gave coaches tools to stay emotionally connected to their athletes while fostering a positive and growth-focused team environment.

Play, Practice & Positivity with BTSLA

To wrap up the day, Mallory Velte and Carl Fonhofer from Beat the Streets Los Angeles brought the group back to the mats with a fun and engaging session filled with games and drills. Their energy was contagious as they demonstrated ways to keep practices exciting, build team spirit, and create a space where wrestlers want to return again and again.

Coaches left with practical takeaways on how to keep youth athletes engaged, motivated, and smiling throughout the season.

Building a Coaching Community

This training is just the beginning. The energy, commitment, and participation we saw on Saturday show that we’re building more than just coaching skills—we’re building a community.

As we look ahead to future training, events, and seasons, we’re excited to continue strengthening this network of mentors, leaders, and changemakers.

Here’s to the start of a new chapter—for BTSBA and the young athletes we serve!

Beat the Streets Los Angeles Joins Forces with Bay Area!

August 2025

Beat the Streets Los Angeles Expands to Support Bay Area Wrestling Programs

Los Angeles, CA — Beat the Streets Los Angeles is proud to announce it will assume programmatic and operational oversight of Beat the Streets Bay Area, ensuring the continuation and growth of wrestling-based youth development programs across Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose.

This transition comes at an important moment, as Beat the Streets Bay Area looks to strengthen its foundation and prepare for future growth. Under a newly adopted governance structure, Beat the Streets Los Angeles will provide strategic guidance, financial oversight, and program leadership while preserving the local identity and community partnerships of the Bay Area initiative.

“This is both professional and deeply personal for me,” said Yero Washington, Executive Director of Beat the Streets Los Angeles. “I was born in Berkeley and raised in Oakland’s Sobrante Park neighborhood, attending Madison Park Academy—one of the very schools where Beat the Streets Bay Area now runs programs. Wrestling changed the course of my life after a difficult childhood, helping me to become a high school state champion, collegiate All-American, Division I wrestling coach, and advocate for wrestling-based youth development. Bringing stability and growth to Bay Area wrestling programs is a way of giving back to the very community that I grew up in.”

A strong group of former Beat the Streets Bay Area board members will remain actively engaged in fundraising and local advisement, helping ensure that programs stay rooted in the community and responsive to regional needs. This partnership reflects the best of both worlds: a trusted Los Angeles team with over a decade of operational experience, and passionate Bay Area leaders who continue to champion the mission and expand youth impact through wrestling.

“We’re excited to enter this next chapter with Beat the Streets Los Angeles,” said Reggie Lee, Bay Area Board Member and longtime supporter of BTS programs. “This is a strategic alignment that honors our local presence while strengthening our capacity to serve more youth across the region. We’re proud to stay engaged and help guide the mission forward.”

The transition will:

• Strengthen program quality through coaching development and year-round youth engagement opportunities.

• Expand partnerships with schools, universities, and community organizations.

• Support and retain local leaders and coaches who know the community best.

• Build trust and long-term sustainability through consistent investment and collaboration.

“This transition represents two Beat the Streets communities uniting for a stronger future,” said Brian Guerrero, Chair of the Beat the Streets Bay Area Board and founding board member of Beat the Streets Los Angeles. “Our shared commitment has always been to provide opportunities for youth through wrestling, mentorship, and education. By joining forces, we can ensure that Bay Area programs not only continue, but thrive.”

“Beat the Streets has always been about creating opportunities and changing lives,” said Andy Barth, Chairman of Beat the Streets Los Angeles. “This collaboration allows us to extend that mission, bringing together the strengths of both Los Angeles and the Bay Area to serve more young people and build a lasting impact for generations to come.”

Beat the Streets Los Angeles looks forward to working hand-in-hand with Bay Area partners to ensure wrestling remains a powerful vehicle for character development, opportunity, and community connection for youth across Northern California.

About Beat the Streets Los Angeles

Founded in 2012 by philanthropist Andy Barth, Beat the Streets Los Angeles empowers and transforms the lives of youth in underserved communities through the sport of wrestling. The organization combines wrestling training with mentorship, academic support, and leadership development to help young people thrive in all areas of life. Over the past decade, Beat the Streets Los Angeles has served thousands of boys and girls, launched programs like the Coach and Mentor Training, Tomorrow’s Leaders Program, Empowerment Grant Program, and Scholarship Program, and built a growing network of alumni who are returning as mentors, coaches, and leaders for the organization and in their communities.

Media Contact:
Beat the Streets Los Angeles
info@btsla.org