By ROY HESS, Staff Writer
Becky Woods’ coaching and teaching career began in 1985 at Los Fresnos, and 31 years later, she’s entering the Rio Grande Valley Sports Hall of Fame.
Woods and eight other individuals will be enshrined Saturday at the 29th RGV Sports Hall of Fame banquet at Boggus Ford Events Center in Pharr. Tickets to the event are no longer available.
Tom Landry and Bobby Morrow were among the first inductees when the event began in 1988. Now more than 200 individuals who have made an impact sports-wise in South Texas have been inducted. Individuals from the Valley whose accomplishments have come elsewhere also have been recognized.
Woods, a native of Iowa, has coached a number of sports and is best known for her successful volleyball teams, which have won district championships on an almost annual basis in recent years.
In volleyball under Woods, the Lady Falcons have won 11 district titles and advanced to the state playoffs on 21 occasions. Her teams have won bi-district matches 12 times and triumphed in seven area-round contests. She has taken the Lady Falcons to the regional tournament four times, the most recent trip being 2014.
Woods attracted quite a crowd on a Saturday afternoon at the Los Fresnos Fieldhouse last Oct. 17 when she achieved her 600th career coaching victory with a three-game sweep of Harlingen High in a District 32-6A match before a festive full house of fans.
She was named All-Valley Girls Coach of the Year at last Tuesday’s All-Valley Sports Awards Banquet in McAllen.
Woods never intended to have the longevity she’s enjoyed at Los Fresnos. It just worked out that way, she said.
“I’m not one to change things if I like the way they are, and that’s what I would say about Los Fresnos,” she said. “I like the school district, the administration, the teachers, the students, the community and everyone.
“I’ve had my coaching staff with me for a long time, and that’s an important factor,” she added. “They know what to expect from me and I know what to expect from them. It’s all come together.”
Regarding Saturday’s induction ceremony, Woods said she knows it will be an emotional time giving her speech, which is up to “10 pages or so.”
“I’m a little nervous and a little stressed, but people are telling me to just have fun with it, so I will,” Woods said. “It starts with 1985 and goes through 2016. It’ll be fun and funny.”
Last week’s keynote speech at the All-Valley banquet by former Dallas Cowboys receiver Drew Pearson mirrors exactly what she plans to say.
“Drew said, ‘It’s not what we’ve achieved, it’s the road that has led us there,’” Woods said. “That’s what I’ve planned to say all along. I know I’m going to cry.”
Roy Hess covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @HessRgehess