HODGDON, Maine — Hodgdon’s Sarah Williams brings the same philosophy of hard work and dedication to her classroom that she does to the softball diamond.
Williams was announced Tuesday, Sept. 18, as one of 50 high school coaches in the state nominated for U.S. Cellular’s “Most Valuable Coach” program.
Other Maine nominees are Bangor High School football and baseball head coach Dave Morris; Anthony Amero, boys basketball coach at Forest Hills High School of Jackman; Paula Doughty, field hockey coach at Skowhegan Area High School; and Sharon Gallant, field hockey coach at Gardiner Area High School.
A first-grade teacher at Mill Pond Elementary School, Williams said she first learned she had been nominated a couple of weeks ago, but did not spend much time thinking about it.
“I thought it was pretty cool and wondered who nominated me, but I didn’t think much more about it knowing it was a national contest with thousands of nominations,” she said. “A couple of days later I received a call from a U.S. Cellular representative asking me if I was going to be filling out the paperwork because I was being looked at as a strong candidate for the top 50.
Williams has been the varsity softball coach for the past four years. She also served as middle school coach for three years prior to that.
Sarah Williams (Contributed)
In her bio on the U.S. Cellular site, it states “Coach Williams has been a positive influence for her team and her community. The past couple of seasons were rough for Hodgdon, as one of the athletes developed leukemia. Devastated but also willing to fight, Coach Williams put together a plan. Every game, fans would donate money for every run the team scored. Not only did they raise money for the family in need, they also brought the team and the community closer together.”
U.S. Cellular’s Most Valuable Coach program honors current coaches of K-12 school-affiliated sports teams who inspire their players through true leadership and community involvement. The final 15 coaches earning the most votes will be announced on Oct. 11, and U.S. Cellular will donate $5,000 to their schools and representatives will celebrate with them at a local event.
At the end of the program, the final three winning coaches will receive a donation of $50,000, $20,000 and $10,000, respectively, for their schools. The company also will award the first place coach a Samsung tech prize package, valued at $30,000, for winner’s school. The winning coaches will be announced on Nov. 20.
“I was humbled and surprised to see I had made the first cut,” Williams said. “I don’t thrive on personal attention so I was a bit anxious about this at first, but when I found out what the winners receive, I started looking at it as more of a contest for SAD 70 rather than for myself. I also found out that one of my softball players (Allie Winship) nominated me, and that really means a lot to me.”
Winning one of the prizes would be a huge accomplishment for her school, she added.
“It would be a huge financial help to our athletic program,” Williams said. “This truly is a community effort and community benefit and we need everyone to participate in the voting daily in order to win some money for our district.
The Top 50 coaches are now listed on TheMostValuableCoach.com, and the public can vote for their favorite coaches through Oct. 8.
“We congratulate and thank all Top 50 nominees for their work in making a positive impact in their cities,” said Matt Kasper, director of sales for U.S. Cellular in New England. “U.S. Cellular encourages the Hodgdon community to rally behind their favorite coach and honor the great work these men and women are doing.”
For more information, to vote for your favorite coaches and to view the official program rules, please visit TheMostValuableCoach.com.
