718-488-3496, tbarthol@liu.edu

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ABOUT COACH BARTHOLOMEW

Tracey Bartholomew has led her team up the ladder of the Northeast Conference. Rung-by-rung and step-by-step, she had guided the Blackbirds to success in each of her previous six years at the helm. All but one step remains as the squad is poised in 2006 to capture its first conference title.

Last fall, Bartholomew guided the Blackbirds to a program-best 13 wins, an 8-0 ledger at home and the finals of the NEC Tournament. The squad dropped a hard-fought 1-0 decision to Central Connecticut State, leaving a bitter taste and a strong hunger.

“This team came and brought everything they had into the finals against Central, leaving it all on the field,” the seventh-year coach said of last year’s NEC finals. “There were no great words after the game except telling the underclassman, we will be back.”

The latest berth in the NEC tourney was the third postseason trip under Bartholomew. In addition, she led the 2004 team to an appearance in the finals of the ECAC Tournament. The team’s growing respect in the region is not only due to winning but can also be attributed to the respect Bartholomew has earned.

It is largely through Bartholomew’s congeniality that the program continues to flourish in multiple ways. Whether giving it their all during a game, enjoying themselves at practice or simply hanging out, this group of student-athletes have served as perfect role models for others on the Brooklyn campus due in large part to their mentor.

“I believe in creating a positive and challenging learning environment that encourages them to succeed on and off the field,” Bartholomew said. “It’s important to set goals, be accountable and to work as a team to have discipline and perseverance.”

Not only has LIU shone on the field, but also academically each and every year. This includes a 3.46 GPA last year, a new high under Bartholomew. The program garnered a 3.38 GPA at the conclusion of the 2004 season and had a 3.34 GPA in 2000 (fifth in the country), 3.33 in 2002 (12th) and 3.21 in 2001.

Bartholomew has served as a member of the National Soccer Coaches Athletic Association (NSCAA) Northeast Region Ranking Committee since 2002. She also was on the NCAA Northeast Region Ranking Committee from 2003-04. She has been an advanced personal trainer with the National Council on Strength and Fitness since the summer of 2004.

A native of Hilton, N.Y., Bartholomew arrived at LIU following a successful five-year run as an assistant coach at Colgate. During that span, the Red Raiders captured five Patriot League titles and earned three trips to the NCAA Tournament. She was responsible for all aspects of the program, including recruiting, game strategy and running practice.

Bartholomew spent her summers working as an instructor at soccer camps for young adults and college-bound players of both genders. She was the assistant director of Colgate’s Soccer Fit Academy for five years, and also has been a head coach at the U.S. Military Soccer Camp, the Syracuse University Soccer Camp and a staff member at the University of Rochester Soccer School.

For eight years, Bartholomew was under the tutelage of some of the premier goalkeeper coaches in the nation, including Matt Clark, Bernie Watt, Joanie Schokow and former U.S. national team coach Tony DiCicco.

Prior to her experience at Colgate, Bartholomew was a four-year letterwinner and one of the top Division III goalkeepers in the nation at the University of Rochester. The Yellow Jackets appeared in four NCAA Tournaments with her in goal, including a run to the 1991 NCAA final in which she notched two postseason shutouts. Bartholomew graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology and a 3.71 GPA. She also was a member of the school’s basketball team.

The successful coach and mentor added to her academic resume in 2005, earning a Master’s of Science in Exercise Physiology from LIU. She received the Dean’s Award with a 4.0 GPA and serves as an adjunct professor in the Health Sciences Department.