ITHACA, N.Y. – In the summer of 2019, George Valesente '66 announced his retirement after 41 seasons at the helm of Ithaca College Baseball. Beyond guiding the Bombers to a pair of national championships and 1,136 wins over his coaching career, Valesente has shaped and developed countless young men during formative years with a combination of high-level professionalism, meticulous attention to detail and the utmost character.
For all that Coach Valesente has bestowed upon his players, the athletics department, Ithaca College and the community, three grateful alumni are paying tribute to the Hall of Fame coach with the establishment of the George Valesente '66 Endowed Baseball Fund.
Steve Guinan '86, Gregg Kidd '84 and Dave Feldman '56 have stepped to the plate to make funding possible for this endowment, and in doing so hope it inspires others to support Bombers baseball in honor of Coach Valesente.
"Ithaca Baseball has always been a sign of excellence," Guinan recently noted on a video call from his office outside Philadelphia. "Competitiveness, unrelenting, preparation, discipline, character, excellence—these are the words that come to mind when I think about Coach Valesente and the baseball program. In establishing this fund, we really want to support enhancements for students in this incredibly competitive environment and maintain the level of excellence that Coach has sustained for years."
An endowment fund will allow the baseball program to draw interest annually to support program enhancements necessary to remain highly competitive. One vital component of maintaining a championship-level baseball program in the Northeast is the ability to travel during spring break to warmer climates to play top competition. Second-year head coach David Valesente is keenly aware of these challenges and immensely appreciative of this fund's creation in his father's honor.
"It means a great deal to me and to our program," the former four-time scholar-athlete at Saint Joseph's University remarked in a recent interview. "Knowing that this will positively impact our program on many levels, is all that my father could ever ask for. The legacy he created at Ithaca College is admirable and amongst the best in the country. We are certainly honored and humbled to be continuing the Bomber tradition and our pursuit of excellence."
In addition to providing program enhancements to keep the Bombers at the forefront of performance, Valesente highlighted what support for the baseball program allows the school to offer students.
"As it continues to progress, the Endowment will allow us to purchase cutting-edge equipment for player development and have team travel opportunities."
Another former Bomber who made this endowment possible is Gregg Kidd. Kidd says he was moved to support this initiative because of what playing baseball for Coach Valesente meant to him.
"The lessons learned from playing baseball under Coach have helped well beyond being a student at Ithaca College," Kidd said in a recent phone interview. "Coach followed a very regimented routine, and we didn't always like it, but as I've gone through my life, I've found that sticking with it and working through hard situations makes you a better person in the end."
Kidd also acknowledged the rising cost of a college education and noted the importance of athletics during that time in a young person's life.
"I know the cost of college is very expensive and if there are kids out there similar to me, I know how important a baseball program can be to their life, so I am happy to be a part of making that experience possible."
In speaking with Coach Valesente, it was evident he was humbled by the show of support from former players Guinan and Kidd and long-time friend, Dave Feldman.
"It's truly an honor and I couldn't be happier that this endowment can be established to support the program," Valesente remarked. "All of the years I was there, we had to fundraise a lot for travel and other things, so having this fund to support the program will keep it going in the right direction."
A friend of Valesente's for over 50 years, Feldman warmly recalls seeing the Hall of Fame coach in his playing days and why he has decided to get behind this effort.
"He was a great pitcher and a great basketball player at Ithaca College, and I enjoyed watching him play," Feldman said recently. "He's just a super guy with a terrific wife, and I'm happy to contribute to the fund in his honor."
Associate Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, Susan Bassett '79, is thrilled to have this initiative take flight in honor of such an iconic Bomber coach and ambassador of Ithaca College excellence.
"The establishment of the George Valesente '66 Endowed Baseball Fund connects the history and tradition of excellence of our storied baseball program and shows gratitude for our legendary coach's leadership with a commitment to future generations of Bomber baseball players," Bassett said. "We are incredibly grateful to Steve Guinan '86, Gregg Kidd '84 and Dave Feldman '56 for their generous contributions to create this endowment. Their confidence and commitment is inspirational and will propel the Bombers to continued success. We invite other baseball alumni and friends of the program to support the endowment."
Those interested in helping Ithaca College sustain excellence within the baseball program in honor of Coach George Valesente may contact Megan Panek (mpanek@ithaca.edu) or Susan Bassett (sbassett@ithaca.edu) for more information.