By By LYDIA GRIMES-Features writer
Football season is just around the corner, and that means football coaches are gearing up for the busiest part of the school year.
But, has anyone ever thought about what life is like for the coach's wife during this time?
It's not easy being the wife of a coach. Just ask Becky Riggs, wife of T.R. Miller Head Coach Jamie Riggs. She is not only the wife of a football coach, but she is also the mother of a football player and a school teacher at Brewton Elementary School.
She is much like other mothers who have to put in a day's work and then go home to prepare dinner for her family, do the laundry, clean the house and take care of any number of other duties. Her family members are always on the run, either going to school or to practice on the field.
For the past 17 years Riggs has been teaching fourth grade at BES "in her little corner," as she puts it. It was not her first choice of a profession, but it is what she believes she was meant to do. She and her husband have spent their whole married life in the education of kids and teens, not only in school but in church as well.
The Riggs attend First Baptist Church where they teach 12th graders in Sunday school. They are also active in other events happening at the church and have gone on mission trips with the class and with their own sons. They teach Children's Church at First Baptist, also.
Becky Riggs grew up the only daughter and youngest child in a military family. The family moved around quite a bit as long as her father was stationed in the States, but when he was sent to Vietnam and elsewhere overseas, the family would stay in Opp. After he retired they settled in Opp and Becky graduated from Opp High School in 1978. She was a very active child and participated in many activities, both church and school related. She was a cheerleader in school and was an active member of her church's youth organizations.
After graduation from high school, Riggs went to Troy State University.
She went back to Opp and did some substitute teaching while also working in an attorney's office.
She did decide to go to school and take some courses to become a court reporter while she was working with the attorney in Opp.
It was about this time that a new coach assistant coach came to Opp High School and she met him.
Jamie Riggs had gone to Opp as an assistant coach but after a season he moved to Brewton as assistant coach under Head Coach Mike Sasser. Becky continued school in Brewton and went to work for Stokes, Jernigan and Stokes as a secretary.
After a short period of time, Jamie went back to Opp, this time as the head coach. Becky took a job as a teacher's aide, which she did for three years.
So, it was back to Troy where she got her master's degree in education. Just as soon as she graduated, Jamie was given the job of head coach at T.R. Miller and they moved back to Brewton. She took a job with Brewton Elementary School as a fourth grade teacher and she has been in the same position for the last 17 years.
Their first son, Mikel, was born in 1988 and in 1992, their second son, Wil, was born. Mikel is a senior at T.R. Miller High School and Wil is in the seventh grade at Brewton Middle School.
Yes, this is a busy time of the year at the Riggs' house. All four are off to school in the morning and Jamie and Mikel stay on for practice in the afternoons. Becky runs home from school in the afternoon to cook a hot meal for them all to enjoy and when Friday rolls around, they will all be on their way to a football game somewhere. It is a busy life but one they all seem to enjoy.
When you see Jamie Riggs running around coaching his team on Friday nights, just remember, somewhere in the stands is his wife and she is biting her nails, waiting for the outcome of the game.