LANDIS— Everything has always come easily for Tracy Connor. So why should standing in front of a classroom full of kids be a problem?

There she was, introducing herself to her students for the first time last January at Sun Valley High School. There was no doubt who was in control.

But let’s face it. There’s not many 6-foot-2 female anatomy, physiology and physical science teachers out there today.

“They were kinda in awe of my stature,” chuckled Connor yesterday while serving as a counselor for South Rowan girls coach James Greene at his summer basketball camp. “Everybody wanted to know who I was and what I did. When I shared my background, they were amazed. They were like, ‘What else can you tell me? What else can you tell me?’”

What Connor can tell them is that she is ready to give back to a sport that took her places she never even dreamed of.

Connor celebrates her 27th birthday today. That’s 27 years of smiles, contentment and success.

She was destined for stardom while still at Corriher-Lipe Junior High. Even back then, people raved about her personality, her grades, her athleticism.

“I was probably 6-2 when I was in the seventh grade,” she said.

The spotlight increased once she reached South Rowan. Suddenly, she was the best player in the conference and one of the best players in the state.

No one ever scored more points in a three-year period at South (1,465), including the top two single-season scoring totals (542 and 518). Her teams won 73 of 84 games and were 37-5 in league play.

“Hindsight is 20-20,” Connor says. “Looking back, I didn’t realize how much fun it really was. I didn’t realize how good I could be. I was just playing.”

Considering her grades were as impressive as her post play, she became a target of just about every college power in the country.

She chose Wake Forest.

“I think life falls in place and you go where you should,” she said.

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The wins didn’t come, however. Wake barely broke even her freshman year and never reached .500 again.

Everything else seemed to break, though. During her sophomore year, she injured a foot and took a medical redshirt.

Connor shakes her head. “I came back and hurt my right knee. As soon as that healed, I hurt my left knee. Then, my right knee. Then my left knee.

“Mentally, it was tough, unbelievable. Every week I’d ask myself, ‘What’s next?’

“You try to turn it into a positive. You hear all of the success stories of athletes coming back. Well, I kept coming back and kept coming back and kept coming back to the point where I was saying, ‘Please don’t make me run more than a mile.’”

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Connor never lost focus on her real goal — being a college student and getting a degree from Wake Forest. She aspired to be a physician’s assistant.

“Wake Forest is so incredible,” she gushes. “All of the hard work and lessons learned compensated for the losses.”

Despite an injury-prone college career, she was given one last chance on the court. In 1998, she actually was a member of the Utah Starzz in the WNBA, which brings more laughter from the effervescent Connor.

“Yeah, I actually sat the bench in the WNBA!”

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The passion Connor had for basketball as a player is now going in a different direction — as a teacher.

“I’m passionate about the opportunity to help a younger student-athlete,” she said.

She works Greene’s camp the way he does — hard but fun. The kids hang on her every word, looking up at the one-time tower of power.

“It’s the chance you live for — to give back and teach kids who knew you and strive to be like you. It’s a great feeling.”

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Those feelings are why P.A. school was put on hold last year when she went to Sun Valley. A former track star at South — and yes, stardom in that sport that came easily too — she coached the Spartans in that sport.

“I told them on the first day, ‘I need you to do two things. Trust me and listen to me. Why? Been there, done that. That’s what they did and it made it very easy.”

The experience has infected her with coaching fever. Sources say she has been linked to jobs at area schools, and she doesn’t deny any of the rumors.

“I want to coach,” she said. “I just don’t know where or what level.”

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One thing is for sure. Wherever it is, her players won’t be eye level.

“I love being tall,” she smiled. “I do the high heels and the stacked sandals and shoes. I see people looking at me at 6-2 and wonder, ‘Imagine if I was 6-4.’

“I need to do self-esteem classes.”

Whoever gets her to coach their basketball team will surely profit from it.

“You look at some professionals who didn’t make such great coaches and see the not-so-good players who got to sit and watch make great coaches,” she mused. “So you wonder, ‘Oh my gosh, am I going to be a bad coach?’”

Connor shouldn’t have to worry about that. Coaching will probably be like everything she else she has experienced over a wonderful 27 years of life.

It’ll be easy.

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Contact sports editor Ronnie Gallagher at 704-797-4256 or rgallagher@salisburypost.com .