TOM YORK Manager Australian Men’s Team
1996 ATLANTA OLYMPIC GAMES
Tom York was born on 23 September 1946 in a very small town called Dzierzoniuw, Poland. The town was controlled by Germany prior to World War Two. His parents survived the atrocities of the War and were introduced by a mutual friend shortly after they were liberated in May 1945.Both his parents lost their immediate family and upon getting married they we relocated by the Polish Government to Dzierzoniuw.Whilst his parents enjoyed a relatively good life in Poland, the Polish Government was encouraging Jewish people to leave Poland and in 1960 his family immigrated to Australia. The trip, via Camps in Vienna and Genoa and a six week boat voyage, took them six months before the arrived in Sydney.
The Jewish Sydney Community provided assistance to his parents as they had no money, did not speak a word of English and had two young sons to look after. Tom was enrolled at South Sydney Boys High School in Maroubra. “That where I had my first contact with the great game of basketball,” recalls Tom.
Tom adds, “Basketball has been responsible for my career in accountancy. It was because I was a treasurer for the Maccabi Basketball Club whilst still at school that I ended up working for the Taxation Office and being “forced” to study accountancy and qualify as an accountant.
He started playing basketball in 1961 as a 15 year old with the Sydney Maccabi Basketball Club. Tom soon found that he had a talent for administration in a professional sense but also in sporting sense. He went on to hold every administrative position on the Club’s Committee from President, Treasurer, Secretary and Publicity Officer. He also worked for the Club as a coach of junior and senior teams in local, interstate and international competitions.
The Maccabi Basketball Club participated in the Sydney Eastern Suburbs Association competitions and it was not long before Tom’s administrative talents were recognised and he was asked to join the Sydney Association Committee under long term president Barry Collins. Tom coached and managed Sydney Association junior representative teams. He was instrumental in forming a junior boys’ competition in 1974. Tom recalls, “I approached local schools and community clubs and we started with the Under 14 boys. I had to coach some of the teams, referee the games and raise funds to get the competition going.” From a group of eight teams, the junior competition grew from strength to strength especially when the City of Sydney and Eastern Suburbs Associations merged.
Tom was soon involved in administration for the new merged Sydney Association. He served on the Sydney executive for several years, was Publicity Officer and organizer of the Sydney Championships, Manager of the Sydney YMCA team and editor of the Sydney Association weekly newsletter. He worked for the Sydney Association from 1973 to 1980.
From 1972 to 1989 Tom served on the Board and Committees for the NSW Basketball Association. He served on the executive for ten years in the roles of Treasurer, Publicity Officer and Registrar. He also acted as a NSW Selector, Assistant Coach, and Manager of NSW senior and junior teams at Australian Championships. He was a member of the NSW Junior Committee and organised and ran junior boys basketball camps at Narrabeen Fitness Centre.
In the book “History of Basketball in NSW from 1938 to 1988” it states that, “Tom York is one of a distinguished group of current administrators whose energy, dedication and ideas have projected Basketball into the status of a major sport”.
Tom was a delegate for the Sydney YMCA Club at the first meeting of the proposed National Basketball League in 1979. He was appointed Treasurer of the NBL and as a member of the NBL Management Committee. Over the next fourteen years he acted as Treasurer (1979-1990), member of the Management Committee (1979-1990), Official Statistician (1983-1986), and inaugural Salary Cap Commissioner (1990-1992). He represented the City of Sydney as delegate to the NBL (1979-1983). He acted as Manager, Promoter and Secretary for the City of Sydney Club through this period.
Tom’s first appointment for Australia was as Head of Delegation for the Australian Women’s Team European Tour in 1990.
In 1993 Tom was appointed as the Manager for the Australian Men’s Basketball Team (Boomers). The Commissioner of National Basketball League Bill Palmer wrote this in his 1993 annual report.“1993 marks the ending of the NBL direct association with Tom York who has at one time or other been Treasurer, Statistician, advisor, executive member or salary cap commissioner of the NBL in a relationship that stretches back to the very first year of the NBL. The NBL owes a large debt of thanks to Tom York. I am pleased to report that he is not lost to the sport as he has been chosen to be the National Team Manager – a very important decision in the scheme of the Australian Basketball and one that will keep him in touch with the NBL.”
“The late Bob Staunton and Dr John Raschke inspired me to pursue a dream to represent Australia in an administrative capacity,” says Tom on learning of his appointment as Manager of the Boomers.
His first commitment as Manager of the Boomers was in 1993 in a series in Australia against the Russian National Team. Also in 1993 the Boomers won the Oceania World Championships Qualification Series, toured to the USA for nine games, and played against the NBL All Star Team.In 1994 Tom managed the Boomers in games against the USA Marathon Oil and the University of George Washington in Australia as well as games against the NBL and CBA All Stars. The major commitment for the Boomers in 1994 was the World Championships in Canada where they finished a highly credible 5th place. At the end of 1994 and the beginning of 1995 Tom managed the Boomers on an 8 match tour of Europe.
In 1995 the Boomers under Tom’s management played the Magic Johnson All Stars, the University of Missouri and the Korean National Team. All of these games were played in Australia. The Boomers won the Oceania Olympic Qualification Series and completed 1995 with a ten match tour to Europe (Portugal/Spain/Holland).
During this period Tom acted as Treasurer for the Organizing Committee for 1994 Women’s World Championships which were held in Australia.
In preparation for the 1996 Olympic Games the Boomers played games against the NBA Legends, Lithuania and Italy in Australia under Tom’s management. In final preparation the Boomers played the USA and Angola in the USA just prior to the Olympic Games.
Tom achieved a lifelong ambition when the Boomers participated in the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. The Boomers played exceptionally well in the Games and secured 4th place, the equal best Olympic result ever for the Men’s Team.
The 1996 Olympic Games were Tom’s final appearances for the Men’s National Team. He had represented Australia on 106 occasions.
“Every year for four years leading up to the Games, I spent over three months away from home, but when I entered the Olympic Village, marched in the Opening Ceremony and sat on the bench when the team played for the Bronze Medal against Lithuania....I knew all my personal sacrifices were worth the amazing experience that the Olympics gave me,” says Tom.
Tom’s love for the Olympic Games continued when he acted as the Manager of the Australian Men’s Handball Team at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.
Away from basketball Tom and his wifeFaye were founding parents of Mount Sinai College, a primary school located in Maroubra, Sydney which was established in 1981. “Faye was the inaugural President and I was the inaugural Treasurer. We raised funds to establish the school with only 14 students, including our daughter Rebecca and later our son Simon. Today the school has over 400 students,” says Tom proudly.
In recognition of his services to basketball Tom was awarded the Prime Minister’s Australian Sports Medal in 2000. He is a Life Member of Sydney Maccabi Basketball Club and is a Member of theNSW MaccabiHall of Fame. Hecontinues to work for Sydney Maccabi Basketball Club.
Tom York was awarded an OAM for services to basketball in 2005.
I was born in Poland in a very small town called Dzierzoniuw which before the Second World War belonged to Germany.
My parents survived the atrocities of the war and were introduced by a mutual friend shortly after they were liberated in May 1945.
Both my parents lost their immediate family and upon getting married they we relocated by the Polish Government to Dzierzoniuw.
Whilst my parents enjoyed a relatively good life in Poland, the Polish Government was encouraging Jewish people to leave Poland and in 1960, my parents together with a very good group of friends immigrated to Australia.
It was a long journey to travel to Sydney.
It was some 6 months from when we left Poland until we arrived in Sydney and that included staying in camps in Vienna (Austria) and Genoa (Italy) where we embarked a ship for a 6 week trip to Sydney.
The Jewish Sydney Community provided assistance to my parents as they had no money, did not speak a word of English and had two young sons to look after.
After spending 6 months in a hostel in Greenwich, my parents moved to Kingsford and I enrolled at South Sydney Boys High in Maroubra where I had my first contact with the great game of basketball.
I immediately fell in love with the game and almost 50 years later I still enjoy playing the game weekly, albeit on a social scale and playing in a number of masters events.
Basketball has been responsible for my career in accountancy. It was because I was a treasurer for the Maccabi Basketball Club whilst still at school that I ended up working for the taxation office and being “forced” to study accountancy and qualify as an accountant.
It was because I was an accountant that I became Treasurer of the NBL when the league was formed in 1979.
Because of my NBL experience I was able to contribute to a number of sporting and non sporting organistations.
In particular I am very proud that my wife Faye & I were founding parents of Mount Sinai College, a primary school located in Maroubra which was established in 1981 with only 14 students, including our daughter Rebecca and later our son Simon.
Faye was the inaugural President and I was the inaugural Treasurer, raising funds to establish the school.
The college now has over 400 students.
My basketball experience enabled me to become team manager for the Australian Men’s Handball Team for the Sydney 2000 Olympics and developing this team over a two year period was something very special.