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Gaston County, NC (WNN) - For over 50 years, Doris Cope was known for teaching in the classroom and on the sports fields of Gaston County, NC. She left a lasting impact on many students as a teacher and coach. From the late 1960s to 2016, Cope's steady dedication helped her past students, who say she taught them about leading, staying focused, and working together.
Long before Cope ever set foot in a real classroom, she was already teaching. Born in Stanley, North Carolina, in 1934, Cope grew up on a dirt road outside the town. Her father ran a grocery store before opening a clothing store in Stanley, while her mother assisted on weekends.
It was in the family barn where Cope first became a "teacher". "That's all I ever knew was teaching," she recalls. "When I was young, I had a cousin who was older than me, and we were playing on the steps in the house, and she wanted to be the teacher, but I ended up being the teacher."
This continued as she grew up. Cope transformed the loft of her family's barn into her own school. Her "students" consisted of her brother, her cousin, a neighbor boy, and a little boy who, years later, would become her husband, Bill Cope. "Those were my students," she said.
Teaching wasn't just something Cope stumbled into—it was something she had been preparing for.
Cope graduated from Lenoir-Rhyne University with degrees in social studies and physical education. Her journey into professional teaching began at Luther Ridge summer camp, where she worked as a counselor for a year. By then, she had married Bill Cope, a Marine Corps veteran, and the couple's life together would be shaped by service—his to country, hers to education.
When Bill's military service took them near Wilmington, Cope taught seventh grade at Dixon School. It was her first time teaching in a real classroom. She discovered she had a gift for connecting with students at that critical middle school age. However, the Copes had ties to the Cherryville area through their church, and when Bill's service ended, they looked for jobs closer to home.
The pastor at the local Lutheran church and his wife played a pivotal role in Cope's career at the time. They said, "Come up and we'll try to find you a job. And they did," Cope remembers. In 1968, she landed a job teaching physical education and social studies in Cherryville, marking the beginning of a nearly five-decade career in Gaston County schools.
Cope's teaching career took her through multiple schools. After her time in Cherryville, she moved to Dallas High School, where she continued teaching physical education and social studies. When William C. Friday High School opened, she taught there for some time. One day, Cope's high school principal became the principal at North Gaston High School. In 1971, he called and asked her to teach at the school. She ultimately taught there until her retirement in 2016.
Doris Cope shaking hands with her high school principal.
Doris Cope's Book
At North Gaston, Cope really made her mark. Her civics classes were so engaging that students loved them. Former student Sadie Broome spoke about those eighth-grade days. "It was the Vietnam War, and she just had all this valuable information, and we just hung on, would hang on the edge of our seats." Cope had a gift for bringing history and government to life, helping her students understand why their country is important and how it would impact them as they grew up.
Cope didn't initially aim to be a coach; it was more about necessity and the trust a principal had in her skills. "I think the principal just said, 'It's yours, and you'll have to handle it,'" Cope said.
From that day on, Cope began her coaching journey, which would impact the lives of many young women. She coached volleyball, basketball, softball, and track—each sport requiring its own set of skills and training methods. "I kind of knew what I was getting into," she admitted.
Her coaching journey started in the late 1960s and early 1970s, a time when women had limited chances in sports. Title IX, a federal law that ensures both genders equal opportunities in school athletics, was not passed until 1972, and even after that, progress was slow. During Cope's coaching days, women's sports were often short on uniforms, funding, and recognition.
"We always struggled. You know, we didn't get uniforms or stuff like the guys did," Broome remembers from her days as a student-athlete at Gardner-Webb College. But Cope was determined to create every chance she could for her athletes.
What Cope managed with so few resources was excellent. Her teams stuck together and showed a lot of determination, competing strongly and grabbing championship titles. Even more impressive than the number of trophies was seeing what her athletes achieved after leaving her programs.
Doris Cope holding one of her trophies.
Doris Cope's Book
"The biggest accomplishments, I guess, were all the girls that I had were really good. They were very dedicated," Cope reflects. "So whatever sport we were playing, they were 100% into that. And it was just a fun time working with a bunch of young girls who are still very much friends today."
Cope did not just expect effort on the court. Her teams operated like real teams where players supported each other both in school and in sports. "When a player struggled with grades—and playing eligibility hung in the balance—her teammates would rally around her, offering tutoring and encouragement. We all worked together," Broome said, explaining how important that kind of support was for students who might have quit school without sports to keep them focused.
One of Cope's most important accomplishments was helping her players receive college scholarships. In an era when athletic scholarships for women were rare, Cope worked tirelessly to help her athletes secure funding for college sports. "Women did not get scholarships in sports," Broome emphasizes. "And that was one of the huge things that she did for those wonderful female athletes."
Cope's impact helped more than she realized. "Not only did they go to college on scholarships and achieve a lot in athletics, but they have become leaders in their adult lives," Broome notes. "The way that she has inspired all of us women to go on and do important things in our communities and all over the country, I just think it's amazing."
Broome believes Cope's influence reached well past sports like basketball and softball. "The thing that Doris did for me, other than being a fabulous civics teacher... it was the coaching," she explains. Broome had struggled with health issues throughout her childhood, battling illnesses that had limited her activities. But Cope saw something in her—"a spark," as Broome describes it.
"My health really improved, and I developed friendships, and it was through the coaching," Broome says. The intramural sports program at Cherryville, although teams played each other rather than other schools, provided girls like Broome with opportunities they wouldn't have had otherwise. "It was all about leadership and being part of the team. And you sacrifice things for the team, and you played hard, and if you were tired, well, you just, you know, you sucked it up and you played hard."
The lessons went beyond physical fitness and competition. "It wasn't just athleticism," Broome emphasizes. "She really downplayed the part that she was a major athlete herself. But it wasn't just the athleticism; it was leadership. And she would try to instill that, and she would put us in charge of different things and give us different roles and responsibilities."
Those lessons stuck. Broome went to Gardner-Webb specifically to major in physical education because of Cope. When it came time for student teaching, she had only one request: "I want to be at North Gaston Senior High School in Dallas. I want to be with Doris Cope." Gardner-Webb made it happen.
But Cope had expectations. "She said, 'Oh, you're not just going to come in the fall. You're going to have to come before that because we start our sports early," Broome recalls with a laugh. The extra commitment was worth it. "I got all those wonderful opportunities," Broome says. "She was the reason I became a teacher. And teaching is a huge part of my life, has been for over 40 years, and I just don't think I would have had that if it hadn't been for Doris."
Cope's influence reached far beyond her own classroom walls. When students acted up or showed disrespect in other teachers' classes, those teachers knew what to do. "They would go get Mrs. Cope to be the one who rendered the paddling," Broome remembers. The threat alone—"I'm going to go get Ms. Cope"—was often enough to gain control.
Back then, times were different. Corporal punishment wasn't only allowed, but also seen as normal. Cope handled the paddle with the same skill she used while coaching. Students could tell she meant what she said. Her discipline wasn't harsh for no reason—it came from a genuine concern to teach kids about limits and respect. It worked well back then.
Cope's most unforgettable moment of quick thinking had nothing to do with enforcing rules. One day at track practice, a student suffered a horrible accident sliding underneath a fence. Broome remembers, The barbed chain link fence or whatever had ripped her up, and she was bleeding pretty badly."
Without hesitation, Cope pulled off her own shirt and used it to cover the injured girl's wounds, stopping the bleeding and giving first aid right away. "She didn't pause to think about herself; she thought about what needed to be done," Broome says. It became a story that former students still tell at reunions: the coach who gave the shirt off her back to help a student in need.
Cope has a huge book filled with years of newspaper articles, photos, and thank-you notes. Cope kept every newspaper article written about her sports teams, every team picture, and each championship memory.
Pieces of news articles about sports teams that Doris Cope has coached in her career.
Doris Cope's Book
Even more valuable than winning tournaments are the personal notes hidden inside the pages. There are thank-you letters from students and peers, cards mailed long after graduation, and wedding photos from past athletes who asked their coach to join their special day. This goes to show that Cope formed special bonds with former students that extended beyond lessons and sports.
Cope retired from North Gaston in 2016 after teaching there for 45 years. She was 82 years old when she stepped away. However, retirement didn't mean she slowed down; she shifted her focus.
She's continued to teach Bible study classes at her church. She also helped with Cub Scouts, lending a hand to support her husband, Bill's, long-time work with Boy Scouts, by getting involved with the younger kids. Additionally, she works at The Wood Shed in Stanley, NC, where many still recognize her. Eventually, Cope decided to return to East Gaston High School to work as a substitute teacher, demonstrating that she couldn't step away from the education field.
Broome recalls how she invited Cope to join her in teaching sessions. She watched her former mentor, now in her eighties, still leading a classroom with the same energy and presence that had fascinated eighth graders years ago.
Cope's influence shows up during class reunions. Most teachers are often forgotten as life moves on and priorities shift, but Cope stays a key figure in the lives of her past students.
"Regularly she brings us all back together," Broome explains. The reunions span decades—students from the 1960s mingling with those from the 1970s, 1980s, and beyond, all gathered to celebrate their shared connection to one teacher. "We just had a big reunion recently for a little birthday that Doris had, but everybody comes from, you know, back in the 60s, the 70s, you know, all the way up."
At a 40-year reunion at North Gaston, the school showed old films during halftime at a basketball game. "We look back and we were dressed very, very differently," Broome laughs, remembering the fashions of the 1970s.
Back then, dress codes had stricter rules. Teachers were required to wear professional attire that distinguished them from students. No one could bring water or food into classrooms, etc. But as fashion changes and rules evolve. The bond between Cope and her former students remains constant. "She's the teacher that they bring back," Broome notes. "And even in Cherryville, they bring her back after all these years to class reunions."
For years, Broome and other former students have been working to get Cope inducted into the Gaston County Sports Hall of Fame. "I have really been trying to get Doris a little acknowledgment in the Gaston County Sports Hall of Fame, because I certainly think with her contributions and what she's done for women in sports, back when it wasn't being done, is just commendable," Broome explains.
It's recognition that many believe is long overdue. Cope pioneered opportunities for female athletes at a time when such opportunities barely existed. She fought for scholarships when women's athletic scholarships were rare. She built championship teams with limited resources. And perhaps most importantly, she taught young women to be leaders, to work together, to push through adversity—lessons that served them far beyond the basketball court or softball field.
The Hall of Fame campaign continues, with former students making their case for a coach and teacher whose impact can't be measured solely by wins and losses, but is instead counted in changed lives, opened doors, and opportunities created where none existed before.
When asked to reflect on her long career, Cope's response is simple and heartfelt: "I just enjoyed my teaching career very much and had a lot of wonderful students and great athletes. I've just been very blessed."
Cope's views on education remain relevant today. She's a strong advocate for trade programs, remembering the carpentry and automotive classes at North Gaston that gave students who might have dropped out a reason to stay and a path to future success. "We probably need to have more trade programs. We had them at one time, and we've completely done away with them. And we do need to bring those back again because they were very important."
She worries about the four-period day that many high schools have adopted, feeling that the 90-minute blocks are too long to maintain student attention and limit the range of classes students can take. "It was hard. It was very hard because trying to keep their attention with what you were doing," she reflects. She believes students need exposure to a variety of subjects and activities—such as band, chorus, and vocational programs—to discover their talents and interests, rather than being forced to choose a pathway too early.
Through it all, Cope believes that structure matters, students need boundaries and guidance, relationships are at the heart of teaching, and that every child has value and potential. "I think students want you to set those limits because they need that. They need to feel safe. They need to feel comforted. They need to feel like somebody is in charge," she said.
Cope's story represents a lifelong dedication to education in Gaston County. She symbolizes a group of teachers who viewed their profession as a mission. They spent their whole careers working in public schools and did not define success by test results or awards. Instead, they saw it through the lives they changed and the futures they helped build.
At 91, Cope keeps busy in her community. She still works at The Wood Shed, stays engaged in her church, and keeps in touch with students from six decades of teaching. The young girl who once pretended to teach in a barn loft never gave it up. Instead, she shared lessons across multiple generations.
The Woodshed restaurant located in Stanley, NC.
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Broome sees Cope as an example of how powerful teaching can be. It can uplift, motivate, and change lives. "She was the reason I became a teacher," Broome shares. Cope's influence didn't stop there, though. Broome herself taught for more than 40 years, passing on the knowledge she had learned. As a result, Cope's impact grew. Her students went on to become teachers, reaching a wider range of learners. They became coaches, guiding more athletes. They became leaders, improving their communities.
Cope didn't spend 50 years in Gaston County just teaching lessons. She shaped it, changed it, and left it better than she found it. Which is all a teacher could ever ask for.
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