Leading With Purpose: Preparing Coaches to Lead and Inspire
A great season begins with great coaches who are prepared to lead, inspire, and make a lasting impact. This past weekend, more than 66 head, volunteer, and Tomorrow’s Leaders coaches from across Los Angeles County attended Beat the Streets Los Angeles’ annual Coach and Mentor Training. The weekend focused on strengthening coaching practices, building community, and preparing participants to support student-athletes throughout the upcoming 2026-2027 season.
We started bright and early on Saturday morning with a session led by Coach Joseph Thomas (JT), a life coach, mentor, former multi-sport athlete, and certified trainer with more than two decades of experience. Coach JT’s workshop explored how coaches can create positive, supportive environments that help young athletes develop into champions on the mat and beyond. Coaches examined their purpose and leadership styles, practiced effective verbal and nonverbal communication, and discussed how to build a strong team culture.
The workshop emphasized the importance of recognizing the emotions and needs behind challenging behaviors, coaching with empathy, and building trusting relationships. By giving athletes a voice, practicing self-reflection, and meeting young people where they are, coaches can create environments where student-athletes feel supported. Coaches left with practical strategies for managing behavior calmly, strengthening relationships, and using sports to teach meaningful life skills. As Coach JT noted, “Sports [are] not the final destination… they are the training ground for life.”
That preparation for life includes helping athletes develop a healthy relationship with food. Food is an integral part of life. It brings people together, shapes how we celebrate, and connects us to our cultures and traditions. It also plays an essential role in athletic performance. To help bridge the knowledge gap around properly fueling the body for sports, BTSLA invited Jessica Griffith, a sports dietitian and eating disorder specialist who works with the University of Southern California’s athletic teams, to lead the day’s second workshop.
The session explored how nutrition, hydration, recovery, movement, and mindset work together to support athletic performance. Participants learned how to encourage wrestlers to view food as fuel rather than labeling foods as “good” or “bad.” Because wrestling is such a demanding sport, Griffith emphasized the importance of staying properly hydrated, replenishing electrolytes, and recognizing the physical and mental risks associated with dehydration, rapid weight cutting, and low energy availability. Our coaches left with practical strategies to help student-athletes develop healthier, more sustainable habits that support both their performance and long-term well-being.
After lunch, our coaches took to the mat for a session with John Azevedo, a three-time NCAA Division II national champion and one-time Division I champion, former head coach of the Cal Poly Mustangs, and longtime member of the BTSLA community. His session focused on practical tips, strategies, and techniques for planning and running effective practices.
On Sunday, the focus shifted to the structure and logistics of each program. The first session centered on the Coaches’ Team Binder and covered the key processes each program needs to thrive throughout the year. The Team Binder will serve as an essential resource, helping guide our coaches throughout the season.
Before breaking for lunch, Beat the Streets Los Angeles presented its first annual Coach of the Year Award to John Islas. A BTSLA alumnus, Coach Islas grew up in the program and competed on our first BTS National Camp and Duals team in 2022. He later returned to give back as a coach. He led the former Col Leon Washington Park program, currently leads the Lennox Park Program, and assists at both Downtown Academy and Roosevelt Park, all while doing school and competing for East Los Angeles Community College.
Coach Islas was recognized for his outstanding leadership, dedication, and commitment to empowering student-athletes beyond the mat. Reflecting on when he began coaching, he shared, “One of the first things I really thought about when I started coaching wasn’t even making a well-rounded wrestler, but making a well-rounded person.” Thank you, Coach Islas, for the incredible work you have done and your continued commitment to our student-athletes.
Sunday also included an on-the-mat session led by Carl Fronhofer and Mallory Velte. The session focused on concept-based coaching, technical instruction, annual planning, and periodization.
Several special guests joined us throughout the day, including Jon Guevara and James Mangan from Beat the Streets National and Jeff Newman, a member of BTSLA’s Board of Directors. Each offered our coaches words of motivation and encouragement for the upcoming season.
Beat the Streets serves 13,000 young people across 13 accredited chapters nationwide. James Mangan shared that Beat the Streets Los Angeles sets a high standard for quality across the national network, particularly when it comes to its coaches.
Jeff Newman reflected on his experiences with wrestling coaches in high school and college and the impact they continue to have on his life 45 years later. He told our coaches, “And you don’t really know it until you look back after decades... you guys are leading special missions. You have important roles, and it’s a blessing for the athletes to engage with [you].”
The weekend concluded with CPR training, allowing coaches to obtain or renew the certification required for everyone who works with student-athletes on the mat.
By investing in the growth of our coaches and mentors, Beat the Streets Los Angeles is building stronger programs and creating more meaningful experiences for student-athletes. The weekend equipped our coaches with the tools to lead with empathy, promote healthy habits, and foster supportive team environments. As a new season begins, BTSLA’s coaches are prepared to guide the next generation with knowledge, confidence, and purpose, one practice, one match, and one relationship at a time.
