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	He teaches Grade 1 now but Troy Cordingley also coaches the Toronto Rock  2011 National Lacrosse League Champions
	story Mike Beggs   photographs Steve Uhraney Sparking the imagination of a 6-year-old may not be the easiest task. But then, Troy Cordingley has an advantage over your average Grade 1 teacher. Known to one and all as “Mr. C.” around the halls of Forest Avenue Public School, in Port Credit, he moonlights as head coach of the Toronto Rock of the National Lacrosse League – and took them all the way to the title, in 2010-2011!    “It’s pretty cool,” says Grade 6 student Jamie Calhoun. “Everybody looks up to him.” When drilling the kids on the 3 R’s. Cordingley makes the transition from bench to classroom pretty seamless. “Same things, right,” he offers? “It’s teaching. Here, you’re teaching kids the basics of pretty well everything, and that it’s okay to make mistakes, but learn from them. It’s the same thing -- I have leaders in the classroom, and in the dressing room. I have kids who depend on instruction.” Forest Avenue principal Deb Price says Mr. C. has, “a great way with the kids.” “He brings some of the touch he uses as a coach to his Grade 1 classes. He’s positive and upbeat, works hard, and cares about them,” she comments. “It gives him another way to relate to students, which is important. It just gives him additional credibility.” Cordingley was a leader himself, through nine years as a National Lacrosse League player. A 2010 NLL Hall Of Fame nominee, he racked up 312 points through his career, and was a member of two championship teams (including the 1998 Buffalo Bandits, who recorded the only perfect season in league history). “He was a finisher, big time,” says Brian Shanahan, a former teammate, and long-time colour commentator for Rogers SportsNet. “When the game was on the line, he wanted the ball on his stick.” Cordingley was playing box lacrosse by the age of 4. Deeming it, “my passion”, Cordingley still runs a weekly summer lacrosse camp (HardCorLax.com), and partners in the Box Lacrosse Store in his home town of Brampton. After achieving an Honours Phys. Ed. degree from Lakehead University (Thunder Bay), he moved to Buffalo, where he collected $125 per week playing for the Bandits, while earning his teaching credentials at Medaille College. He joined the Forest Avenue faculty at the age of 26, while continuing to juggle his lacrosse schedule, and family life. The Oakville resident moved behind the bench in 2008, and coached the Brampton Excelsiors to two straight Mann Cup (Canadian Senior) A crowns, before stepping up to the NLL with the Calgary Roughnecks. He guided them to the title in his second season, claiming Coach Of The Year honours. But by then the travel was taking its’ toll –  he and his wife Darlah have four children under the age of 12. He gave Calgary his notice. “I was flying out every weekend for two years. I was away from the kids and all of their activities,” he relates. Soon enough, he was snapped up by the Rock – six years between league titles. He led them to the finals in his first year in Toronto (losing to the Washington Stealth), before bringing the championship home in May before 14,488 fans at the Air Canada Centre (facing Washington again). While he may come to school cracking jokes, Cordingley’s coaching demeanour is intense and his language salty. “I hate losing more than I like winning, in a nutshell,” he says. “I’m a player’s coach, but I believe in accountability, big time. Team is the biggest thing. Team comes first.” From his perch in the play-by-play booth, Shanahan observes, “It’s funny. Troy has got a great sense of humour, which wouldn’t really translate when you watch him behind the bench on TV,” Cordingley, 44, is heading into the final year of a three-year contract in Toronto. Presumably, the renewal will be a slam dunk. His profile certainly isn’t suffering around Forest Avenue. “I brought the Cup to our school Fun Fair night, and took pictures of the kids holding it,” he relates. “I was surprised how many of them really paid attention.” GL