Beckley, McCord honored with A.F. Bridges Award

Dyer County High School's Derek McCord and Dyersburg High School's Amy Beckley were selected to receive the honor in Athletic District 8 for Male Coach of the Year and Female Coach of the Year, respectively.

The A.F. Bridges Award is given to coaches in recognition of high ideals of integrity, ethics, and for the examples of citizenship and sportsmanship.

McCord, in three years at DCHS, has helped to turn the Choctaw basketball team into one of the elite programs in the entire state. Through hard work and with the full support of the community and administration, the Missouri native has put the Choctaw program back on the map.

In three years at the helm of the program, McCord-led squads have amassed 94 wins and a mere 13 losses, earning two trips to the state tournament in Murfreesboro. The Choctaws have won the regular-season district title, as well as the district tournament championship, in each of the last three seasons.

The Choctaws have also won two Region 7 titles and finished runners-up once under McCord, making it to the Final Four on two separate occasions along the way.

After receiving the award, McCord was humbled and also very thankful.

"I've had a tremendous support system. Not only at home with my wife Shelby and my two boys, but also from the administration at Dyer County," said McCord. "The assistant coaches have been great, and we've had a great core group of student athletes to work with that have been awesome. Today I feel very honored and blessed to have been selected for this award."

It's no secret McCord has put the basketball program back on the map after the program suffered for several years. The success has been amazing, but it takes a group effort to have a special team according to McCord.

"It makes it easy to have success when you have total support, and that's what I've had here since day one," he added. "From Peggy Dodds to Lynn Garner to Matt Stafford to David Armstrong, we have a tremendous support system in place. I feel extremely lucky to be able to come to work every day in the situation I'm in."

Beckley has overseen the re-emerge of the DHS track and cross-country teams. In her four seasons as coach of the cross-country team and five overall including track, Beckley's squads have flourished by ending the season at the state tournament.

In cross-country, the Trojan boys have claimed two Region 7 titles and advanced to the final meet of the season in Murfreesboro all four years, finishing third in 2008 and sixth this past season.

In track, Beckley-led squads have made it to the big dance all four years, winning the Region 7 crown every year she's been the coach. The squad finished runners-up in 2007 before being named sectional champs in 2009.

Like McCord, Beckley was humbled and very honored to receive the coveted A.F. Bridges Award for Female Coach of the Year.

"When you think about how many coaches are considered for this award, to be chosen as the one to receive the award really does make me feel kind of special," Beckley said. "There's a lot of people other than myself that could have got it, so I feel very honored to accept it."

Something Beckley has always done is stressed to the athletes on her to squad to show good sportsmanship and be respectful, two things the award stands for.

"We don't taunt and we don't tease. I stress to the kids that to show good sportsmanship is a reflection on our school. When we go to meets we are representing our school, and I would like to think we act the way a good program is supposed to and set a good example," she added. "I think this award is a reflection of how we carry ourselves and I'm proud that others think highly of the job I'm doing."