# Don Tricker

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**Donald Francis Tricker** is a former player and coach of the [New Zealand national softball team](/source/Black_Socks) (Black Sox) and former senior advisor of high performance coaching at the New Zealand Academy of Sport. He served as high performance manager for New Zealand Rugby from 2010 to 2018, when he joined the San Diego Padres as director of player health and performance.

## Family background

Tricker's grandfather was one of the country's leading softball umpires and played a key role in introducing the game to the Wellington region.[1]

## Sporting career

### Player

Tricker played softball for [Porirua](/source/Porirua) until he was 22 then moved to [Poneke Kilbirnie](/source/Poneke_Kilbirnie), claiming regional and national titles with both clubs,[1] and played for the Black Sox on and off between 1986 and 1991.[2]

### Coach

Tricker began his softball coaching career at Poneke Kilbirnie in 1996, while he was still playing, and was named Black Sock coach two years later.[1] He coached the team to two world championship wins in 2000 and three consecutive world titles.[3] He retired as national coach in 2004, being replaced by [Eddie Kohlhase](/source/Eddie_Kohlhase).[4]

In 2002, after six years in the [information technology](/source/Information_technology) sector, Tricker was appointed as senior advisor of high performance coaching at the New Zealand Academy of Sport, a unit of [Sport and Recreation New Zealand](/source/Sport_and_Recreation_New_Zealand).[5] Tricker and [Auckland](/source/Auckland) lawyer Mike Heron prepared a report into the [All Blacks](/source/All_Blacks) early [World Cup](/source/2007_Rugby_World_Cup) exit.[6] In 2010 the [New Zealand Rugby Union](/source/New_Zealand_Rugby_Union) has appointed Tricker as the High Performance Manager.[7]

In 2018, he joined Major League Baseball's San Diego Padres as director of player health and performance.[8]

## Honours and awards

Tricker was named coach of the year at the 2000 [Halberg Awards](/source/Halberg_Awards), after leading the team to a world series victory in South Africa[5] In the [2004 Queen's Birthday Honours](/source/2004_Birthday_Honours_(New_Zealand)), he was appointed an [Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit](/source/Officer_of_the_New_Zealand_Order_of_Merit), for services to softball.[9]

## References

1. Julie Ash (Oct 27, 2001). ["Softball: Seriously good coach shares the funny side"](http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=224719). *New Zealand Herald*

1. Julie Ash (Jul 16, 2004). ["Softball: Tricker picks his successor"](http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=3578615). *New Zealand Herald*

1. ["Our top ten sports stars"](http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=9003784). *New Zealand Herald*. Dec 18, 2004.

1. ["Black Sox reappoint coach"](http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10612799). *New Zealand Herald*. Dec 1, 2009.

1. ["Softball: Tricker appointed to Academy of Sport"](http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=889708). *New Zealand Herald*. Feb 11, 2002.

1. Mike Houlahan (Apr 18, 2008). ["We're sorry, NZRU chairman tells fans"](http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10504785). *New Zealand Herald*

1. ["Softball man gets All Black job"](https://web.archive.org/web/20110715212653/http://www.rugbyrugby.com/news/story_91110070259.php). Rugby Rugby. September 2010. Archived from [the original](http://www.rugbyrugby.com/news/story_91110070259.php) on 15 July 2011. Retrieved 20 February 2011.

1. Tony Smith (Jan 27, 2019). ["From the All Blacks to Baseball's Major Leagues"](https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/110175443/from-the-all-blacks-to-baseballs-major-leagues--don-trickers-sporting-journey). *Stuff*

1. ["Queen's Birthday honours list 2004"](https://dpmc.govt.nz/publications/queens-birthday-honours-list-2004). Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 7 June 2004. Retrieved 30 May 2020.

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