The life of a track star can be described most accurately with one word: busy. Thanks to indoor facilities and out-of-state meets, New York runners often find themselves competing year round in a sport that demands constant training and conditioning.
Such is life for Alaine Tate, a budding 17-year-old track star who is still in high school.
Tate, however, signed her letter of intent to attend Hampton University in Virginia on Friday, March 12. She said the decision to attend Hampton came after visiting the school during an open house. It proved to be a comfortable transition from her home in Richmond Hill.
“When I visited Hampton, I felt totally at home and accepted by the faculty,” she said. “I had a really good time there, and it was just a regular day on campus.”
For Tate, there have not been many regular days at Bayside High School. The pace-setting star has been running the circuit since she was 11, when her mother insisted she find a hobby.
She ran through dance, gymnastics, basketball and tennis before the intensity and individual accolades of track became too great to deny. Track is a sport where, unlike team sports, much of the responsibility to win rests on one person during a particular race. There is no defense backing up an offense; no goalie picking up a crucial save.
“Track is an individual sport,” said Tate’s mother, Darlynn. “When she’s running, it is all about Alaine.”
Winning meet after meet has garnered Tate a modicum of celebrity among her classmates. Students at Bayside recognize Tate for her track exploits, even calling out her name in the hallway.
“I do like being recognized, but it is weird too because a lot of people know my name and I don’t know them,” she said. “But still, it feels good to be known for a good reason.”
With varsity, city and state championships under her belt, there are more than just a few good reasons to know Tate. Her accomplishments in track are the result of focus, determination and a learned aversion to losing.
“Once you start winning, you do not want to lose,” she said. “Losing hurts so I try my hardest to stay on top.”
Tate is willing to do what it takes to stay on top, even if that means missing out on some of the more normal teenager activities. With track being a year-round sport, Tate finds herself spending the majority of her time either at meets or preparing for meets.
While sacrificing friends’ birthdays, trips to the mall or sleepovers is her least favorite part of the deal, Tate does not regret her decision to go after track at full speed.
“You just have to accept it and realize that it will pay off when you graduate,” she said. “It is about being mature.”
Her mother nurtured Alaine’s maturity level to where it is today. Emphasizing the importance of academics, Darlynn constantly reminds Alaine her goals should not be confined to the circular track.
“School is always number one,” said Darlynn. “Effort and focus does not end on the track, you have to keep your academics up.”
Tate has worked hard at holding her school work to a high standard – late night school work is imperative; and some early mornings spent hitting the books are necessary as well.
She will also be starting her college career early, believing that the brain must be kept fresh and limber as if it were another muscle. That is why she plans on joining Hampton’s Bridge program, which begins in July and helps freshmen get a feel for college and avoid crashing under the heightened workload.
“Taking a long break makes competing that much harder because you have to start all over again,” she said. “That is as true for school as it is for running.”
Tate will carry that philosophy with her as she bids farewell to Bayside on route to college and beyond. As for what “beyond” might entail, Tate plans on letting her reality run wild.
“If I train hard enough, I believe I can,” said Tate of her Olympic aspirations. “Sometimes I feel like it is just a dream, but I know that if I work hard enough it can become a reality.”
