Q A NCAA Champion

Matt Valenti is a two-time NCAA national champion (133 pounds in 2006 and 2007) and three-time All-American for the University of Pennsylvania. He was also a three-time EIWA champion and twice named EIWA Wrestler of the Year. He is still the University of Pennsylvania’s all-time wins leader with 137.

He went on to advance to the U.S. Olympic Team trials semifinals and U.S. World Team trials semifinals. Today, he serves as the University of Pennsylvania's associate athletic director for student development after spending two years as the assistant administrative director and recruiter.

In his current role, Valenti oversees student development, admissions and financial aid, and several varsity sport programs. We talked with Valenti about his tips for youth and high school wrestlers and their parents, his experiences and memories at the NCAA championships, and more. 

USA Wrestling: The NCAA championships are fast approaching. What type of memories does this bring back for you?

Valenti: The intensity, passion and excitement of the wrestling fans at the NCAA championships. I’ve been fortunate to attend countless other sporting events over the course of my administrative career and I can honestly say that the NCAA wrestling championships are as unique and fun as any event out there.

USA Wrestling: You had quite a bit of success throughout your career. What was it like winning not one, but two NCAA championships?

Valenti: Winning the NCAA championships was a surreal experience and even today it still feels like a dream. I think it’s especially difficult to win an NCAA title having to balance the academic and athletic workload of an Ivy League school. I tip my hat to the Ivy wrestlers that have any number of NCAA titles. It takes a special kind of dedication and commitment. NCAA titles are not easy to come by so I commend every NCAA champion, whether they win one or four titles.

USA Wrestling: You were an All-American at 125 (finishing fifth in 2004) but moved up to 133 your final two seasons of college wrestling. Do you think it’s important for today’s youth or high school wrestler to focus on wrestling a more natural weight?

Valenti: My first year I was a solid 125-pounder, but my sophomore year I started to grow out of the weight. I think moving up to 133 was a wise move as it allowed my body to develop and allowed me to develop my strength. I am an advocate for finding the right weight class. If weight loss is part of the equation, it needs to be done the right way—diet and proper nutrition, not cutting weight. At the youth level, no one should be losing weight. That’s one of the quickest ways to burn out our future NCAA champions.

USA Wrestling: When you see wrestlers out there competing, and see the tough losses or big wins at the NCAA tournament. What’s it like knowing how some of the guys feel experiencing highs and lows?

Valenti: The NCAA tournament is the ultimate emotional roller coaster. Having been in it four times, the “blood round” of the NCAA tournament still gives me chills. So many dreams are made and so many dreams are crushed in just a few minutes of time. You’re in the NCAA finals or you’re “just” an All-American. You’re an All-American or you’re “just” an NCAA qualifier. There’s so much on the line in that one match. It’s an incredible experience.

USA Wrestling: Before you competed in college, you were competing in youth and high school wrestling in New Jersey. What were some of your best memories of your youth or high school wrestling career?

Valenti: I grew up in a small-town program. My dad was my youth coach and he did it the right way—he made wrestling fun. I’ll never forget my days at Stillwater-Fredon Youth Wrestling (Newton, NJ). That program should be a model for all youth teams in the country. I also had the opportunity to train and compete alongside my brothers Andy and Derek which was so much fun (until they both started to beat me).

Our high school team at Kittatinny Regional High School (Sussex County/Newton, NJ) was the end of the era of wrestlers being loyal to their hometown. We were all so proud to be a top team in New Jersey as a homegrown program—no recruiting, no “all-star” teams—just a bunch of local guys with a lot of fight, big hearts and royal blue tights.

USA Wrestling: You were also a Junior Nationals freestyle champion. How much did competing in freestyle wrestling in the offseason help you develop as a complete wrestler?

Valenti: I didn’t compete in freestyle until I was a freshman in high school, but I was immediately hooked once I started. I’m a big believer in freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling because it develops a slightly different kind of body awareness. Plus, it’s always good to know how to throw and how not to get thrown. 

USA Wrestling: What advice do you have for youth wrestlers or parents of youth wrestlers competing today?

Valenti: Don’t worry about winning every tournament under the sun. Taking some losses is absolutely okay. Don’t worry about weight classes or losing weight. Forget all the flashy, fancy technique and focus on the fundamentals.

Parents—don’t try to live vicariously through your son or daughter. Let them develop their own character and self-pride. This sport is humbling in its own right. Your kids don’t need you to pile on. Find good coaches and trust them fully. Most importantly, let this sport be fun. Wrestling is too unforgiving to be a chore or a necessity.

USA Wrestling: What advice do you have for wrestlers who aspire to compete in college wrestling?

Valenti: Wrestling is only half of the equation. Granted, I’m a geek and went to an Ivy League school, yet all too often I see high school wrestlers limit their options by forgetting about academics. You don’t have to be the valedictorian of your class, but stepping up in school only opens doors in the future. You would never half-commit to being good at wrestling. Why would you half commit to being a good student?

USA Wrestling: After college, you competed internationally. What was it like competing against some of the best wrestlers not only in the U.S., but world, while striving to make the U.S. national team?

Valenti: I was so blessed and fortunate to be able to pursue my Olympic dreams even if they didn’t pan out as I’d hoped. More than anything I appreciate the camaraderie that developed with all of the senior-level guys that I trained with over the years. Coleman Scott beat me in the 2012 Olympic Trials, but I will never forget watching him win that bronze medal in London. I was screaming at my computer screen and crying tears of joy at seeing a friend accomplish his dreams.

USA Wrestling: Do you have any other advice for today’s athletes?

Valenti: I’m a huge believer in the sport of wrestling and in the people that this sport cultivates. Wins and losses are the outcome, but never lose sight of the lessons that are taught in the process. The best coaches I have ever been around spent as much time teaching those lessons as they did technique. We aren’t just developing young wrestlers. We’re developing young men and women and teaching things that can never be taught in a classroom. This is what makes sports, and this sport in particular, so special.