Dianna L. Brown
Bronx Journal Staff Reporter
Two blocks south of the Grand Concourse, there is a lot of
excitement going on inside a converted warehouse in the Mott Haven section
of the Bronx, New York. Shrill sounds of a whistle and loud cheers are
heard above the noise outside a gymnasium.
In the entryway of this newly renovated building, frames of famous
basketball players adorn the walls. You get the sense that some of the
best college and professional athletes have played here.
The $2.5 million dollar building, which was converted from an
industrial factory, is located at 478 Gerard Avenue, Bronx, New York near
149th Street. It is home to the Gauchos, one of the most famous youth
basketball teams in New York City. One member, Shagari Alleyne a
sixteen-year old student of Rice High School who stands a full 7 foot, 2
inches and plays center says, "The competitions and physical
toughness build my self-esteem." And Alleyne will tell you that it
pays dividends, too. Shagari’s brother, a former Gaucho, got into the
Naval Academy where he graduated with top honors.
The Gauchos club was founded 30 years ago by Lou D’Almeida. Born in
Argentina, he came to this country and graduated from Yale University. D’Almeida
initially converted this building, which is situated in a block of
abandoned and active warehouses ,into a gymnasium, a facility to offer
opportunities for urban kids through basketball tournaments and academic
tutoring. And, says Fred Neal, a volunteer coach for over twenty years
with the Gauchos, "Parents volunteer and help with the tutoring after
school."
D’Almeida’s teams have attracted talents from all over New York
City and his teams have played tournaments in places as far away as
Hawaii, Israel and France. Usually twelve players per team travel in the
summer due to school commitments of the children during the winter, spring
and fall months. However, traveling is done on some weekends during the
regular school semesters.
The organization has a list of former players that could fill a
basketball hall of fame. Former Gauchos who have enjoyed successful
basketball careers have included Willis Reed of the New York Knicks;
Kareem Abdul Jabbar of the Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks; Kenny
Anderson of the Boston Celtics; Jamal Thomas of the Cleveland Cavaliers;
and Jamal Mashburn of the Miami Heat. The Gauchos have left an impression
on the city, too. Dick Milhaven, an architect with the Port Authority who
played against the Gauchos in the ‘60s recalls how Kareem Abdul Jabbar
could dominate a game. "Lou Alcindor, as he was called years ago,
floated in the air long before Michael Jordan," he laughs.
The combination of athletic and academic training helps members of the
Gauchos attend high schools and colleges that might otherwise not be
available to them. Russell Robinson, a 6’1" eight grade student at
Thurgood Marshall says he likes being a Gaucho because, "We get to
meet new friends and face competition."
That’s not all. M.D. Mazique, a seventeen-year old 6’4" guard
from Haiti who attends North Eastern Academy, a Seventh Day Adventist
school says his brother, M.C. who is 24, has gone on to to play
professionally in Europe and now plays for a club in Croatia. Mazique
hopes to follow in his brother’s footsteps.
The club puts more emphasis on academic skills than you’d expect. In
fact, Gauchos who have done well in school get to post their report cards
on a wall opposite the photos of famous Gauchos.
Paul Brown, Director of the Gauchos for many years says, "It’s a
good incentive to post the grades, and when players perform poorly in
their academics, they are not allowed to play." As Richard Burks, a
volunteer coach since 1996 for the Gauchos explains, "If a player
gets a "C" grade and goes to Evander Childs High School in the
Bronx, he may not get penalized because he may be doing the best that he
can in that type of school. However, a player who goes to The Bronx School
of Science and gets C’s, he will get penalized because the player is
obviously not doing his best academically."
Being a coach in the Gauchos organization can be equally demanding.
Burks says he was lured into the group by a friend. "I love this job
but it is very demanding since I have a full-time position as a sales
manager for Sunoco," he adds.
There are some kids, however, who feel the sports organization is too
high-pressured. Tyler Wright, a shy 16-year-old student at St. Agnes High
School in New York City, played for the Gauchos for half a season. He
feels the focus of the coaches for the Gauchos is to produce champions in
a factory atmosphere, although he is willing to admit, "Maybe I wasn’t
always trying to do my best."
MANY TEAMS IN ORANGE AND BLACK
Players on the Gaucho teams are between the ages of eight and 19. There
are usually five teams of 15 players with three of them acting as
substitutes. The youngest players are between nine and 10 years of age and
are called "SuperBiddies." The next team is called
"Biddies" and their age group is 11 to 12 years old. The 13 and
14 year-olds are groups as "Midgets." The "Juniors"
make up the 15 to 16 year olds and finally, the 17 to 18 year olds are
called the "Seniors." Most of the teams play twice a week on
designated days. For instance, the "Midgets" practice on Tuesday
and Thursday only from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. However, the "Super
Biddies" because of their age practice only on Saturdays from 1:00
p.m. to 3:00 p.m. The teams’ uniform colors are orange, black and white
with a picture of a bull logo on the front of the jersey.
Fred Neal says he and other coaches have
criteria they use when examining local kids who want to try out for a
spot. "What we are looking for in a player is a hard worker. We check
the report cards of the children," he says. "We teach respect
and discipline."
Recently, former players are taking a greater
role with activities at the club. Stephon Marbury, a player with the New
Jersey Nets who runs a basketball camp in the Poconos visits the Gauchos
gym regularly to sign autographs and provide scholarships for some of the
players. Felipe Lopez who now plays for St. John’s University also has a
camp and regularly visits the Bronx gym.
The Gauchos are part of an organization
called The Amateur Athletic Union ("AAU"). AAU is one of the
largest, non-profit, volunteer, sports organizations in the United States.
It is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur
sports and physical fitness programs for both men and women.
The Gauchos receive money from Bronx Borough
President Fernando Ferrer’s office. In 1990, more than $300,000 had been
issued to them at his request. Budget cuts by Mayor Rudolph Giuliani,
however, have slashed funding for the Gauchos and other youth programs
throughout New York City. In a 1995 interview, D’Almeida said he would
increase his private fund-raising efforts to make up the difference.
These days with sneaker companies providing
links to AAU, high schools, colleges and professionals, many youngsters
are identified and tracked before they reach middle school. Gerard Papa,
coach of the Flames of Brooklyn, an AAU team says, "Groupings are now
by grade rather than age." Since college recruitment begins earlier
and earlier in a young athlete’s career, youngsters – especially
minority kids - tend to start emphasizing sports skills over schooling at
an earlier age than before, Papa says.
However, the Gauchos seem to be more
concerned with the academics of their players as well as their basketball
prowess. There is a tutoring program during the week after school to
assist the youngsters with their homework.
Discipline and anger management are also
taught. D’Almeida realized how important basketball is to the minority
community. He combined sports and academics in the hopes of not only
producing stars on the basketball court but in the classroom as well.
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