West Lynn’s Cordy finalist for major award

The West Lynn Pop Warner program has become one of the most successful in the state in recent seasons with numerous trips to the state and New England finals along with several appearances in the Pop Warner Super Bowl at Disney’s Wide World of Sports in Florida.One of the coaches behind that success is Maurice Cordy, who has taken his A team into the national championship game twice, including this past fall. But Cordy is more than just a football coach.He is a friend, mentor and sometimes even a parent-like advisor to some of his players. It’s that success on and off the gridiron that has earned Cordy one of the 75 finalist spots for Positive Coaching Alliance’s Double Goal-Coach Award program.Cordy was one of 2,100 coaches nominated and 25 winners will be announced today. Those winners will receive a trophy, a cash award and recognition on the PCA website and in other media forms. Selected winners also will have a chance to join an on-stage panel discussion at PCA’s National Youth Sports Awards Dinner and Auction on April 25 in Palo Alto, Calif.Typical of his humble nature, Cordy was quite surprised when he got the news he was a finalist.?It was a shock,” Cordy said. “Mainly because it?s a lot of coaches from all different sports. It’s a really nice honor.”Cordy tries to be a positive influence on his players long after they are done with youth football — into college and beyond. “I really try to keep in touch with the kids when they leave the program,” Cordy said. “I try to go to as many high school games as I can to see the kids who played for me. I get messages from a lot of them who want me to go.?I always tell them they won’t ever get rid of me. I want to know what they’re doing and if I can help them in some way.”Cordy acknowledged he didn’t know much about the PCA’s award but he finds it humbling that he’s nominated along with coaches from nearly every level of youth and high school athletics.?There’s a lot of high school coaches on the list so it?s an even bigger honor,” Cordy said. “They get kids into college and recruited. I’m just a Pop Warner coach that tries to make a difference for the kids.”One of the big things Cordy tries to bring to the field every day when he’s coaching is the ability to read when something is going on with one of his players and how to handle it.?Sometimes you can tell when kids aren’t having a good day when they come to practice. When that happens, I don’t like to push the kids too much,” Cordy said. “There really is a lot more to it than coaching. What we do is more than football. It keeps them off the streets and gives them somewhere to go after school. They look forward to coming to practice every day and it’s something I look forward to every day.”Cordy knows that dealing with kids can take a delicate approach.?You try to get to know the kids outside of football and how to motivate them,” Cordy said. “Yelling isn’t the only way to get kids motivated. Some of them you can call out in front of the team and it won’t bother them. Others you can’t because they get embarrassed. A lot of that goes to knowing the kids away from the field.”