It takes a combination of hard work, fantastic support and natural talent to reach the pinnacle of sport and for the University of York Netball Club to be graced with the presence of an individual who reached these lofty heights is an honour. Tracey Neville may not be a household name to the majority of sports fans, but within the netball world she is a highly commended, respected and recognised figure.
It truly is fantastic for York’s current crop of netballers to be coached, albeit only for a day, by someone who has represented her country in a playing capacity, and now is involved with coaching the national side. By her passing on her experience, enthusiasm and knowledge, the netball club will benefit greatly. UYNC member Charlotte Ferris said: “It’s an honour to have someone of Tracey’s calibre coaching us, and hopefully she’ll have passed on tips which will help us through the season.” Personally I’ve never played netball myself, but it was fantastic to be able to meet and talk to someone who has at the highest level, and Tracey’s passion for the sport struck me immediately.
When asked how she first started playing netball, Tracey Neville responded: “My mum played the sport, and I just first got involved by picking up a spare bib and having a go. It all progressed from there, just by giving it a try.” Yet it is not just netball which the family thrives in, the Neville family is most famed for its football prowess, with Tracey’s brothers Gary and Phil both having represented England on the international stage. As sporting families go, the Neville family has to rank near the top.
Tracey grew up in a family for which sport played such a significant role, and on this matter she commented: “Sport became a way of life, and being engaged in sport became the norm. My family helped massively throughout my career and were so supportive, and I do believe having that support is one of the most important things for all up and coming sportsmen.” For Tracey it’s hard to imagine a life without sport, such a role it has played in her life and after her playing career was ended by injury, “she just ended up becoming a coach”. She added: “I didn’t think about it whilst I was playing, but then it just happened and I’ve enjoyed it.” Over recent years she has established her name as one of the nation’s leading coaches, and in a week’s time will be travelling with the national squad to Australia and New Zealand, to assist them on their forthcoming tour.
Netball is not like football where players earn thousands a week; Tracey, who has a degree in nutrition and sport science, had to hold down another job as a strength and conditioning coach alongside her netballing commitments. Yet those commitments saw her jetting off to far away climes, and Tracey says that it was in Kuala Lumpur where she achieved the highlight of her career, “by winning a Commonwealth bronze medal there in 1998”.
On the issue of the lack of publicity for netball as a professional sport, the University of Chester graduate commented: “Female sport in general tends to be minimalised by the media. It was refreshing to see different sports highlighted during the Olympics, rather than just football all the time.” Tackling this issue is a challenging matter, but according to Tracey the first steps would be “to increase funding, sponsorship, and importantly TV and media coverage.”
Tracey is a great advocate for netball and sport in general, and she encouraged students to get involved with university sport by highlighting the social side of sport. She told Vision: “Sport really boosts your social outlook and your personality. You meet new people and get to go to other universities, whilst feeling part of a team and a sense of belonging as you are representing a group.”
For those talented and determined enough to consider a career in professional sport, Tracey urged them to make the most of the opportunity. She said: “There are important career decisions to make, as you only have the chance to play professional sport once. You can be involved in jobs such as education into your fifties and beyond, but can only play sport for a limited time.” She added: “If you love sport, you have to make the opportunity count.”
Clearly both Tracey and her brothers have done exactly that. All three of them have enjoyed fabulous sporting careers, with Gary and Tracey’s twin brother Phil both representing their club and country at the highest level. When I asked Tracey which of the three of them was the most competitive she replied: “We’re all competitive in that we want to win, such as when we get the scrabble board out, but we’re very supportive of one another. If I had to pick I’d say myself, since there are two of them and I’m the only girl.”
Gary and Phil may be the household names to the general public, but Tracey has been equally successful in her own sport, even if it carries a much lower profile. Yet since retiring she has strived to raise the profile of the sport, and with her enthusiasm is helping to coach a new generation who will hopefully go on to emulate her success. Let’s hope that her touch will rub off on UYNC, and that next time when she comes to do some coaching she brings her brothers along to show the footballers a move or two.