2005 Conference USA Coach-of-the-Year Tracey Kee begins her 22nd year as a part of the East Carolina softball program: four as a standout player (1987-90), six as an assistant (1991-96), and is now in her 11th year as head coach (1997-present), during which she has built a model program for student-athletes. Through the years, Kee's teams have been recognized for their outstanding academic achievements, community involvement and success on the playing field. Off the field, Kee takes pride in the fact that her teams excel academically while making significant contributions to the community. Nationally, Kee's teams continually rank near the top in GPA, having compiled the nation's 20th-highest average in 2007. Her players also spend endless hours participating in community service events. ECU softball players embody the ideal student-athlete and the values instilled in them are passed from one team to the next. "I feel it's important for our student- athletes to give back to the community. Hopefully upon graduation we are sending well-rounded young ladies into their respective professions." Kee's teams have won 40 or more games nine of the past 11 seasons and have tallied at least 50 in four of her seasons as head coach. In 2000, Kee directed the Pirates to a school record 60 wins, just the 13th time in NCAA history that a team had reached that mark. In the fall of 2007, CSTV listed East Carolina as the eighth-winningest program in the NCAA as the Pirates have recorded 967 victories in just 22 seasons. Kee has been part of 843 of those wins. A testament to her coaching is the fact that several of her players have received conference, regional and national recognition. One look in the record books will show Kee's players sitting atop nearly every statistical category. Perhaps Kee's greatest attribute as a coach is her development of players. She is a teacher first and foremost, and her players are fundamentally sound and have a great understanding of the game. The five years she spent as an elementary school physical educator have helped her grow as a coach by learning to organize and plan efficient and effective practices. "I know how important it is for athletes to feel comfortable and confident with their abilities and decisions," said Kee. "Therefore, my primary focus in practice is to put them in those situations they would face in competition." Paramount to Kee's success is the dedication she demands from each player. Her philosophy of "get better each day," breeds intense intra-squad competition which results in an elevated level of play from all members of the team. "The players are pushed mentally and physically day-in and day-out," Kee said. "We have tough practices to prepare us for intense competition and challenges we will face both on and off the field." Her style of coaching is that of a disciplinarian, teacher and motivator. Her attention to detail is impeccable and her competitive drive unmatched. All of these characteristics result in focused and driven players come time to step on the field and quit is not part of their vocabulary. "All I ask from our kids is that they lay it on the line and give me everything they have until the last out, win or lose," said Kee. On the field, Kee preaches consistency in the box through discipline and her defense is one that is steady and reliable. "We like to manufacture runs and be aggressive on the base paths. Our thought process with a runner on second base is score. We'll do whatever it takes to push that run across." In 1997, Kee's first as a head coach, ECU made the transition from playing as an independent to competing in the Big South Conference. Her inaugural season began on a high note and set the precedent for the success her teams would have in the years that followed. The '97 team won a then-school record 49 games and Kee was rewarded as the Big South Conference Coach of the Year. Each of the three years that ECU competed in the Big South, Kee led the team to three regular season championships and one tournament championship. In 1999, the Pirates made their first ever NCAA appearance in Tucson, Ariz., and Kee again established a new school record for wins with 50. At the end of the season, Isonette Polonius was named a third-team Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-American, adding to her second-team honors from 1998. Kee would also have the privilege of coaching another two-time second-team All-America selection in Keisha Shepperson, who won that honor in 2000 and 2001. ECU outgrew the Big South and became a member of the Southern Athletic Softball Alliance (SASA) for the 2000 and 2001 seasons. SASA was comprised of five Atlantic Coast Conference teams and ECU. Despite a higher level of competition, Kee did not disappoint. In just four seasons as a head coach, Kee was the third fastest coach in Division I to reach the 200 wins mark. In 2001, the Pirates again eclipsed the 50-win plateau with 51. Unable to participate in the SASA post-season tournaments, ECU went on to claim back-toback ECAC Championships. A move to Conference USA in 2002 would give Kee little trouble, despite entering a conference with perennial NCAA tournament teams DePaul, Southern Miss, and South Florida. ECU's debut season in the highly touted C-USA was nothing short of extraordinary, as the team made it to post-season play after finishing the regular season among the top six teams in the standings. Kee was a standout student-athlete for ECU in the late 80's. As a four-year starter, two-time captain, most Outstanding Defensive Player, and recipient of the Texas Gulf Outstanding Female Scholar-Athlete Award, Kee's expectations of her players are the same as there were for herself as a student-athlete: give 100 percent both on the field and in the classroom. A Richmond, Va., native, Kee has been in Greenville since 1986. During her playing career with the Pirates, Kee was a mainstay at catcher and third base. She graduated cum laude in May of 1990 in physical education and in 1995 she earned her master's degree from ECU in exercise and sport science with a concentration in athletic administration. She dedicated five years to teaching physical education at St. Peter's Catholic School in Greenville. Kee finally hung up her own cleats in the summer of '96 after garnering three USSSA All-World accolades in slow-pitch. She is the daughter of Jean Alford and has three sisters, two of whom played softball at ECU. |
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