Making history, again: York to be herself in new Centrals role

Tracy York is no stranger to making history. 

She did it in 2001 when she became the first female head coach of a senior men’s team, which was the Woodville Warriors at the time in the Australian Basketball Association. 

She made history again when the league was rebranded to the Premier League, taking the reins of North Adelaide’s men’s team in 2008. 

Now, 20 years since she first led Woodville’s men, she has been appointed the head coach of the Central Districts’ men’s team in NBL1 Central next year. 

In between these roles, York has been an assistant coach at the Adelaide 36ers, a technical director of basketball in Singapore, a head coach of the Southern Tigers’ women’s team, part of the coaching staff for various Australian junior teams and head coach of two WNBL teams in the Adelaide Lightning and Bendigo Spirit, with the latter being who she currently coaches. 

Usually, York would be abroad in the off-season, travelling with Australian U15-U18 teams but with the COVID-19 pandemic putting international travel on hold, she took a different direction this off-season. 

While many know York as a coach, she is also a Mum to 20-year-old Paige, who currently plays for West Adelaide in the NBL1 Central. 

Spending the off-season in Adelaide, she was a frequent spectator in the stands at Bearcats games, when she was soon first approached by the Central Districts. 

“One night when I was at the game pretty early with Paige in the stands and the Central Districts said they were just looking for someone that is interested in mentoring and giving some guidance,” York reflects. 

“We basically caught up not long after that and they said I could do that role until I leave, working with their coaches and their players. 

“On the girls’ side, they've been outstanding and really receptive.” 

While she has spent the majority of the 2021 season mentoring the Lions’ female players, she knew on NBL1 Central Grand Final Day that it was men she wanted to continue the coaching journey in South Australia. 

York will still be involved with many girls and women in the program, having signed on as the club’s Junior Director of Coaching as well. 

She will also continue her current role as head coach of the Bendigo Spirit in the WNBL, looking to capitalise on a roster stacked with NBL1 talent, including Eltham’s Anneli Maley, East Perth’s Mary Goulding, Perry Lakes’ Megan McKay and Bendigo Braves duo Cassidy McLean and Piper Dunlop. 

York says the new format of state league basketball under the NBL1 banner has been great for the exposure of such athletes. 

“I think it's been really, really good because, you know, I'd be watching my daughter but also scouring through the statistics all over Australia,” she says.

“I can follow players like Mary Goulding who’s playing for us at East Perth and Anneli Maley who’s playing for us at Eltham.

“New South Wales is coming in under that banner next year and I think just having all those leagues linked, accessible and promoted is great. 

“The promotion of the game is there for both men's and women's leagues.” 

York is also pleased with the direction of the Central Districts and looks forward to adding her own flair to her dual role in 2022. 

“They're actually a really good group,” she says. 

“I've been working my way through contacting a lot of the players. 

“They're very competitive, they only missed out by one game from making the five and they definitely want to keep being competitive. 

“The coach stepped down and so obviously, they were on the hunt for a new coach and the stars aligned for me. 

“I think I’m a good fit for them as well. 

“We're obviously looking at who we keep on and who might be recruited, but they've been very receptive of me with that.

“My plan is just to be me, to coach normally, to win, to be professional and to bring that experience from the NBL and WNBL.”

While York continues to be a trailblazer in the sport, she hopes that more women can follow in her footsteps sooner rather than later. 

“It's kind of disappointing because it was me that was the first (female head coach) 20 years ago, but literally, we've only had maybe a couple of women since then, it's still not the numbers we want,” she says. 

“Hopefully I can be that role model to say that you can coach men and you can coach women. 

“Essentially, the Xs and Os are not much different at all, it's really about communication and player management. 

“The men play above the ring and the women play the purer form of the game but apart from that, players are receptive, whether it's a male coach or a female coach.” 

In York’s words, “if you can’t see it, you can’t be it”.