TEACHING A COMMUNITY TO LOVE BASKETBALL

SCOTT CITY, Mo. -- Ten years ago, Derek McCord came to Scott City with a vision: He wanted to develop a successful basketball program.

And while realizing a vision is always a challenge, McCord's task was all the more daunting by the fact that the community's eyes were focused elsewhere.

For years, Scott City was a town where football was the undeniable king. During McCord's stay, football hasn't taken a back seat, but it is now forced to share the spotlight with basketball.

His first task was to get his players to believe. He infused not only the kids, but the parents and the entire community with a change of attitude toward basketball.

Greg Klund played both football and basketball at Scott City and was a senior on McCord's first team in 1991-92. Klund, now an assistant football and baseball coach at Cape Central, remembers the change.

"He brought a youthful, enthusiastic approach to the game," said Klund. "He got us to play hard, and what he was telling us just made sense, so we bought into it."

Realizing the vision

The Rams had only two winning records since 1980 -- 14-12 in 1990, 13-12 in 1991 -- before McCord arrived for the 1991-1992 season.

Some advised McCord against taking the job at the "football school," but McCord said he saw it as a chance to "roll up my sleeves and go to work."

That work has paid huge dividends. Scott City saw a breakthrough in 1994-95, the first 20-win sesaon ever. The Rams reached the district finals five times in the past five years, capturing four championships in 1996, 1997, 1998 and 2000. McCord's career record stands at 211-66.

Living the lesson

The cornerstone of Scott City's success is McCord's tireless work ethic. He expects maximum effort from his players and leads by example.

"The coach works so hard and pushes us so hard in practice," said Ben Sample, a senior starter on this year's team. "We want to work hard for him in the games."

Ricky Keller, a senior starter on this year's squad who dropped 22 pounds over the offseason, credits McCord with motivating him to improve his physical conditioning.

"It's not just a six-month season here," said Keller. "We work 12 months of the year to get better."

During his reign over Scott City basketball, McCord, 36, has instituted a conditioning and weight program, open gym at night and during free periods, summer camps emphasizing individual skill development and participation in an accelerated fitness program for athletes sponsored by St. Francis Medical Center. While all require work and committment from the players, they demand the same from the coach who oversees his players.

"The coaches who win are the ones who are always working, teaching, scouting, attending clinics, looking at tapes, watching college practices, and so on," McCord said. "They are probably outworking the other guy."

Then, with a broad smile creasing his face, McCord said, "I love what I do so much and I feel like if you love what you do, you never really work a day in your life."

Type 'C' blood

Sport has always been a constant in the McCord family, and McCord says "coaching is in my blood."

It at least appears to be in the family genes. His father, Jim McCord, coached basketball at North Pemiscot and his brothers, Mark and Matthew, are also basketball coaches.

After graduating from North Pemiscot County High School in 1983, McCord had options to consider. As valedictorian of his class, he could have gone to the University of Missouri on an academic scholarship or taken offers to play basketball at a couple of junior colleges. Instead, he chose to go to Three Rivers Community College in Poplar Bluff to play baseball and hopefully get a chance to play for a Division I program, which he did at Arkansas State University, where he received his undergraduate degree in 1989.

While at Three Rivers, he took full advantage of a golden opportunity to observe first-hand one of the area's great coaches, Gene Bess, who is on the verge of becoming the all-time winningest coach in national junior college history.

"I felt that was such a good move for me because I was like a sponge, soaking up all I could," said McCord. "I went to every practice and game I could to watch coach Bess."

He often attended the practices with a notepad in hand and in a dirty baseball uniform, having come directly from the baseball field.

Another major element in his continuing basketball education has been his affiliation, as an instructor, with various coaching clinics. He has worked camps for high-profile coaches such as Rick Pitino, recently resigned from the Boston Celtics; Bob Huggins, of the University of Cincinnati; and John Calipari of the University of Memphis.

McCord says, "To be a successful coach, you can never stop learning; you've got to stay hungry for knowledge about the game."

While personnel dictates some strategy changes from year to year, there are certain staples of his coaching philosophy that won't change from season to season, or as long as he's in the coaching profession.

At the top of that list is attitude and effort -- getting his players to compete hard at all times.

Beyond the court

"Coach McCord puts a lot of himself into it and demands a lot of his players. He wants everybody to be successful, not only on the court, but in life," says Lance Amick, ex-Scott City player and currently a volunteer coach at his alma mater.

McCord beams like a proud father when he talks about players who have moved on to play college basketball. Most notably Jon Beck, a '98 graduate and holder of the state single-game record for 3-pointers with 16, who is now playing at Arkansas State.

Three players from last year's squad, Ryan Weatherspoon, Ronald Watson and David Enderle, received scholarships from area schools.

Beyond the immediate goals of competing and winning, McCord has much deeper convictions about the role of sports.

"There are so many life lessons, so much carryover from sports to real life," he said, "handling adversity, handling success, setting goals, realizing goals, dedication, commitment, team unity, and so on. We want our guys to be not only good players, but good students and citizens as well."

DEREK MCCORD

* Age: 36

* Education: Master of science, phys. ed., Memphis State University; bachelor of science, ed.; Arkansas State University; associate of arts, Three Rivers Community College.

* Career: Began coaching career as an assistant varsity basketball coach at Munford High School, Munford, Tenn. (1989-1991).

Head basketball coach at Scott City High School (1991-present).

* Record:Last five years (132-19); highest state finish to date (Class 2A quarterfinalist- 1996 and 2000); four district championships (1996, 1997, 1998, 2000).

Career record: 211-66 (.761 winning percentage).