From the Bay 2 the Mat: Nutrition to Takedowns
This past weekend, Beat the Streets Bay Area wrapped up the final clinic in our free youth wrestling clinic series, ‘From the Bay to the Mat’ at Stanford University’s wrestling training center, in collaboration with the Cardinal Wrestling Club. We welcomed 28 high school athletes for an exciting day of learning, skill development, and training alongside Chris Ayres, the Matt Gentry Head Wrestling Coach, and Stanford wrestlers Aden Valencia and Daniel Cardenas.
Ayres has been Stanford’s head wrestling coach since 2023, is a four-time Ivy League Coach of the Year, spent 17 seasons leading Princeton, and was an All-American wrestler at Lehigh University. Valencia is a sophomore at Stanford, a 2026 149-pound Division I NCAA national champion, two-time ACC Wrestler of the Week, and 2024 France Grand Prix champion. Cardenas is a Division I NCAA All-American, two-time NCAA qualifier, and the 2023 Pac-12 Newcomer of the Year and 157-pound champion.
The clinic kicked off with a sports nutrition workshop led by guest speaker Jessica Griffith, a sports dietitian and eating disorder specialist with the University of Southern California’s athletic teams, who covered the importance of proper fueling and hydration for athletes. This presentation provided valuable information to help our wrestlers support their performance and recovery.
Following the workshop, athletes took to the mats with Valencia and Cardenas, who demonstrated a variety of techniques and setups. The clinicians focused on snap-downs, including inside collar tie setups into snap-down go-behinds and breakdowns. Athletes also worked on transitioning from snap-down setups into offensive attacks, including high crotches, outside single legs, and high crotches transitioning into double-leg finishes.
The clinicians also covered top and bottom wrestling, emphasizing techniques for escaping from the bottom position, building a strong base, and improving overall positioning and control.
Students also heard from Stanford Head Wrestling Coach Chris Ayres, who shared his journey as a coach and the path that led him to Stanford. A first-generation college graduate, Ayres previously coached at Princeton for 17 years and shared that he still finds it hard to believe he now leads Stanford’s wrestling program. He encouraged young athletes to consider the opportunities wrestling can offer, both athletically and educationally.
Overall, it was a great way to wrap up our From the Bay to the Mat clinic series! Our athletes learned from high-level collegiate coaches and wrestlers, gained valuable sports nutrition knowledge, and continued developing their wrestling skills.
Huge thanks to Cardinal Wrestling Club, Stanford University, Jessica Griffith, Aden Valencia, and Daniel Cardenas for helping make this clinic possible and providing such a memorable experience for our young athletes!
