Nicole Alcindor

V-Tesse Track Club celebrates runners’ achievement at gala

Track Club honors players and coaches at ceremony

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The Baldwin-based V-Tesse Track Club of Long Island held its first gala in Hempstead on June 3 to celebrate five years of achieving the track team’s mission: to expose young athletes to competitive running; promote fitness, sportsmanship, and education; and assist participants with college preparation. 

“The gala celebrated all the time we’ve spent helping our track team athletically, mentally, psychologically, financially and emotionally for the last five years,” said V-Tesse coach Gregory Webb. “We always strive to instill discipline in the children that they can carry even further than the track team, into their lives academically, and in their relationships.”  

At the gala, music played from the DJ booth as about 200 guests watched several members of the track club receive recognition for holding Long Island records and national titles. 

For many members of the club, participating in V-Tesse has provided support in other areas besides

athletics. 

“Sometimes I go to practice with a bad attitude, and Coach will pull me to the side and talk to me to help me feel better,” said 13-year-

old Bashiririggs Junior. 

V-Tesse coach Webb and Emmanuel Doresca and Webb offer advice and listen to their athletes if they ask for guidance or if they need to talk.  

“Everybody goes through things from one time to another, and sometimes kids need advice outside their parents,” Webb said. “When kids come to us with something they need to talk about, we engage them as if we’re their parents, and help them sort it out.” 

“The V-Tesse mission helped me improve mentally and psychologically,” said 15-year-old Malique Williams. “I never really believed in myself, but I became stronger and faster because my team boosted my self-confidence by pushing me to become better.”   

In the fall, Williams will attend Bishop Loughlin High School in Brooklyn, on a $30,000 track scholarship, which he earned after a scout was impressed by his running at a track meet at St. John’s University.  

For other club members, participating on the V-Tesse squad has helped them improve academically. Doresca, who is also a math teacher at Eagle Academy in Queens, works alongside Webb, to provide math tutoring for athletes.  

“When I was having trouble with algebra, Coach Webb helped me improve my grades immediately by tutoring me,” said Deanna Atako, 15. “The V-Tesse mission has helped motivate me to try new things and not give up.”  

Both coaches monitor every athlete’s academics. They look at every report card of each runner to see whether improvement is needed. They also give all club members their own goals— either in academics or athletics, and then they provide disciplinary skills to help them reach their goals.

“Sometimes kids stumble, but when we provide motivation and positive reinforcement by complimenting their achievements, most of the kids meet their goal,” Doresca said.

“My role as coach is to support the children, and to make them better athletes and better students,” Webb said. “We would like all our athletes to have high grade point averages, but we don’t get upset with them when they struggle. Instead, we work with them to bring up their grades.”  

Webb’s son, Asad, takes part in track, which inspires him to do better in his schoolwork. “My coach is my dad, so he helps me in and out of track,” Asad said. “I would like to see the V-Tesse mission inspire not just me, but more of my teammates.” 

At the end of the gala, State Sen. John Brooks presented Doresca and Webb with certificates of recognition for teaching their athletes about track and field, how to compete successfully and how to advance their academic careers. 

“We will never remove a child from the track team, but we remind them that at some point their talent is only going to take them so far, and then they have to work hard to get to that next level,” Webb said. “We try to make sure everybody gets a fair shot, and we strive to make them understand that hard work is sacrifice.”