Jack Britt's Tracie Taylor has seen the effects of Title IX since high school playing days
Tracie Taylor’s credentials speak for themselves.
A star basketball and softball player at Southwest Onslow and UNC Pembroke, Taylor went on to become a two-time state champion as a girls basketball coach at Seventy First.
She also spent years as an official before transitioning to her current role as assistant principal and athletics director at Jack Britt.
Taylor, 51, doesn’t like to flaunt her accomplishments, but every now and then someone forces her hand.
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“I just think with all the things that I’ve done, I’ve been in every shoe. I make a decision based on the history of what I went through,” Taylor said.
“Of course, I didn’t coach football or wrestling, but I’m able to see some things to give feedback. I’ve had a couple parents I’ve had to talk to that don’t want to talk to me because I’m a woman. I can tell, but once I talk to them and we get to talking about some things, they relax a little bit and get comfortable. I’m glad I’ve had the opportunity to help from this position.”
Taylor has been pleased with the progress of women sports as the 50th anniversary of Title IX arrives. As a player, coach and administrator, Taylor has seen how the law passed on June 23, 1972, has transformed sports by requiring equal opportunities in athletics for girls and women.
“It’s just celebrated women in sports and is celebrated a lot more now,” Taylor said.
“When I played in the East-West (basketball) game in high school, no one even knew what that was then. Sports have come a long way. … Title IX has leveled the playing field because I think it brings an awareness to female sports that wasn’t there.”
Taylor mentioned Carlie Myrtle, who won a softball state championship in 2018 at Jack Britt before continuing her career at North Carolina, as an example of that growth.
“You can sit at home and watch her play college softball,” Taylor said. “When I played, you could not watch us play. You can now, even the smaller schools.”
A different time
If Twitter had been around when Taylor was putting on a show at Southwest Onslow, her journey likely would have taken a different path.
“The sky would’ve been the limit,” she said.
As a senior in 1987-88, Taylor set the NCHSAA record for points in a single game, when she dropped 60 in an 83-76 overtime win over Dixon.
“The year I played in the East-West game, three of the 10 on the East team were going to UNCP. I think that sports have moved along and it’s a lot more recognized for females now,” Taylor said.
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“I think top players are going to larger schools now a lot more than when they did in the past. Before, we could scrimmage and play some of those (Division I) teams and beat ‘em.”
Taylor had a few Division I offers, but at that time UNCP had several advantages.
“My mother is Native American, so for us she wanted me to go to Pembroke to understand my heritage. Also, it was a full scholarship,” Taylor said.
But Taylor couldn’t help but think about how different things would be if she was playing today.
“Had sports been emphasized for the females like it is now, I wouldn’t have went to UNCP,” Taylor said. “Not that I didn’t love it, I did. Everybody that was a part of the university supported you, but outside of that people didn’t go to girls sports as much.”
Taylor recalls a turning point when she started coaching at Seventy First, where she accumulated a 298-114 record in 15 seasons and won state titles in 2003 and 2004.
“When we would play E.E. Smith, literally, there would be nowhere to sit or nowhere to stand. After our (girls) games were over, people would leave. There wouldn’t be as many people,” she said.
“We’ve had some phenomenal female athletes in this county. I can see now that they go to larger schools more than they did in the past because females are more recognized.”
She left Seventy First in 2015 to become an assistant principal at Jack Britt. Since becoming the school’s athletics director in 2021, Taylor has continued to use her experiences to drive her decisions.
Reflecting on Title IX and how it’s helped women to this point, Taylor is hopeful it will continue to provide opportunities for the next 50 years.
“We’ve got women everywhere and, as time goes on, we just need to let people work in the field that they’re knowledgeable in,” Taylor said.
“You just don’t know what people’s background is and how they grew up. I think that males are knowledgeable, I think that females are knowledgeable. I’d just like to see everybody get an opportunity that they deserve.”
Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Tracie Taylor saw Title IX effects as player, coach, athletic director
