TAMPA, Fla. — The presence of five assistant coaches who once competed at Alonso makes any workout more than a practice. It makes it a great example of paying it forward.

“This is Raven royalty here,” head coach Roger Mills said.

These former Alonso track and field stars are literally queens at their alma mater for simply doing one thing — they came back.

These women are volunteering their time. And that level of dedication and commitment speaks volumes.

“Tells you that there was a great experience here for them at Alonso,” Mills said. “And in the end, we’re responsible for their experience.”

It’s been 10 years since Quatasia Fantroy graduated from Alonso as a state champion. She won the triple jump title her senior year. And she learned a lot about herself on the track there, lessons she said she hopes the current student-athletes get to learn.

“How determined I am, I was,” Fantroy said. “How determined I am still. Competitive, always been a competitor.”

That Fantroy and so many of her fellow Ravens alumni have returned sends a huge message to the current Alonso track and field team.

“I’m hoping that they recognize that their job is not done just when they’re finished competing,” Mills said. “That you have an obligation to the school, to the community, to set an example and come back.”

How do you repay a program that meant so much to you and helped shape your future? These Alonso alumni are doing it by simply showing up to practices and to meets. They’re paying it forward, so hopefully one day the current generation will do the same.

“It’s really a proud moment for Alonso that these ladies have come back and are opting to contribute and give back to the school that obviously meant so much to them and to the program,” Mills said. “They send a message to everyone else that your job is not done with Alonso when you graduate from Alonso. Come on back and give something back.”