Vincent Borelli Masterclass & Workshop

Each year, we honor the late Vincent Borelli, longtime coach of Long Branch High School who passed away in 2005, with a special event. The proceeds from this tournament help fund the scholarships that are presented to our State Champions each year. One of our member schools volunteers to host this tevent each year, but the tournament is run directly by the League.

To learn about Vinnie, visit this blog written seven years following his death in 2005.  Mr. Borelli was in his 33rd year of teaching in the Long Branch Public Schools as a speech and theatre educator.  He coached his students to the following achievements; 27 District Champions and 17 State Champions in Forensics and Speech. His students also were named Speech and Forensic State Team Champions in 1984, 1990 and 1996. Mr. Borelli received the “Outstanding Teacher of Speech and Theatre Award” in 1998 by the Speech and Theatre Association of New Jersey, and earned the “Teacher of the Year” in 1988 and 2000 representing Long Branch High School and the Long Branch Public School’s as “District Teacher of the Year.” He was also the winner of the Speech and Theatre’s “Distinguished Achievement Award” in 1990. The NAACP honored Mr. Borelli in 1993 with the “NAACP Freedom Award”. He was voted the “Outstanding Teacher of the Speech Arts” by the New Jersey Forensic League in 1999. In May 2000, he won his fourth Governor’s Award in Arts Education as the “Outstanding Educator of the Year” by the Very Special Arts Education of the Year in 2002. He was awarded the Monmouth County Arts Educator of the Year in 2003. He served the National Speech and Debate Association as co-chair of the Impromptu Speaking tabroom at the national championships.  The auditorium at Long Branch High School was named the Vincent J. Borelli Auditorium in his honor.

Michelle Begley, LBHS Class of 1982, recalled a bus beeping outside her house at 6:30 in the morning on a Saturday and then hearing the booming voice of Borelli yelling at her to get out of bed and get ready for the forensics tournament. “I was trying desperately to blow off that tournament,” said Begley. “At the end of the day I was always glad he dragged me out kicking and screaming.”