Diabetes, organ transplant, limb amputation, cancer. Dealing with one of these health problems is difficult. Dealing with all of them has been Tom Mawritz's life.

Mr. Mawritz, 51, of Port Vue, ticks off those health problems in the casual way some rattle off a grocery list.

"I was diagnosed as a diabetic when I was 12; was on dialysis for four years starting at age 29 or 30. I had a kidney-pancreas transplant in 1994. I was retransplanted this year in Pittsburgh. I developed cancer about a year ago. I had my left leg amputated."

Oh, and he had some toes on his right foot amputated, too. He does not work because of his health problems.

But none of that has kept him off the football field.

Mr. Mawritz has been a volunteer coach with the South Allegheny Youth Football Association since the start of its very first practice four years ago. Only medical problems and the occasional University of Pittsburgh football game keep him from attending each practice and game.

His effort was officially recognized when he was awarded the Pittsburgh Steelers MVP Award before a South Allegheny Youth football game Oct. 10.

He was nominated for the award by Glen Young, president and coach of the South Allegheny Youth Football Association.

"I was shocked. I had no idea," Mr. Mawritz said of his honor.

Mr. Mawritz, who is not married and has no kids in the program, doesn't consider what he does to be anything special.

"In my world, this is what I do every day. A health situation is just my world, that's the way it is,'' he said.

He's surprised by all the fuss. He recalled a day when he ran into a former player who was walking with his friends.

"This kid just gave me a big hug, in front of all his friends. I didn't know I was that kind of influence on anybody. I didn't expect that," Mr. Mawritz said.

Others have known it for a long time.

"Everybody loves Tom," Mr. Young said. "There's a lot of people who help, but some of the parents you never see or hear from. Here's a guy who has no one related in the program; he's just doing it out of love for the game and the kids."

The football association began four years ago because there was none in the school district. Mr. Mawritz "showed up on the first day of practice" and asked to volunteer.

"If he's not at practice, you know there's something wrong," Mr. Young said.

"Anything I need, he's always there. I'd say he's the most reliable guy I've ever coached with," said Brian D'Antonio, head coach of the 12- and 13-year-old players. "If he could coach cheerleaders, he would."

Three years ago, the association created the "Tom Mawritz Extra Effort Award." The award is given to a player about to move on to high school, based on the player's entire football career.

"It's not necessarily given to the best athlete but one ... who never quits trying. Kinda like Tom. Everything he's gone through, he just keeps coming back," Mr. Young said.

Mr. Mawritz uses his health problems to put "things in the right perspective."

"Little things that bother other people, I just say 'What are you gonna do?' In the long run, it's out of my control," he said.

His coaching style is a reflection of his unique perspective.

"Some coaches, you can hear them yelling three miles away. Tom always has a very calm voice. If he sees a kid doing something wrong, he takes them aside and explains how to fix it," Mr. Young said.

Mr. Mawritz's influence extends beyond the players. He helped Mr. D'Antonio rekindle his own love of coaching.

Mr. D'Antonio had coached at South Allegheny High School until 2005, when the entire coaching staff was fired. When the youth football association started soon afterward, he didn't want to be involved. "I thought I was too big for it," Mr. D'Antonio said.

A friend persuaded him to help out, and he met Mr. Mawritz on the first day of practice.

"Seeing him and seeing his passion for teaching the kids and the passion for coaching and how he wanted to learn and become a good coach, I realized I was taking all this stuff for granted. He brought me back down to earth and reminded me why I started coaching in the first place," he said.

Mr. Mawritz plans to continue coaching as long as he can, although if more dads wanted to coach, he'd step aside and give them the chance.

His favorite thing about volunteering with the program is watching the players grow and mature. He often goes to high school games to watch his former players.

"When one makes a great play, you want to tell the world, 'Hey! I coached that kid,' " he said. "I never do though."

Diabetes, organ transplant, limb amputation, cancer. Dealing with one of these health problems is difficult. Dealing with all of them has been Tom Mawritz's life.

Mr. Mawritz, 51, of Port Vue, ticks off those health problems in the casual way some rattle off a grocery list.

"I was diagnosed as a diabetic when I was 12; was on dialysis for four years starting at age 29 or 30. I had a kidney-pancreas transplant in 1994. I was retransplanted this year in Pittsburgh. I developed cancer about a year ago. I had my left leg amputated."

Oh, and he had some toes on his right foot amputated, too. He does not work because of his health problems.

But none of that has kept him off the football field.

Mr. Mawritz has been a volunteer coach with the South Allegheny Youth Football Association since the start of its very first practice four years ago. Only medical problems and the occasional University of Pittsburgh football game keep him from attending each practice and game.

His effort was officially recognized when he was awarded the Pittsburgh Steelers MVP Award before a South Allegheny Youth football game Oct. 10.

He was nominated for the award by Glen Young, president and coach of the South Allegheny Youth Football Association.

"I was shocked. I had no idea," Mr. Mawritz said of his honor.

Mr. Mawritz, who is not married and has no kids in the program, doesn't consider what he does to be anything special.

"In my world, this is what I do every day. A health situation is just my world, that's the way it is,'' he said.

He's surprised by all the fuss. He recalled a day when he ran into a former player who was walking with his friends.

"This kid just gave me a big hug, in front of all his friends. I didn't know I was that kind of influence on anybody. I didn't expect that," Mr. Mawritz said.

Others have known it for a long time.

"Everybody loves Tom," Mr. Young said. "There's a lot of people who help, but some of the parents you never see or hear from. Here's a guy who has no one related in the program; he's just doing it out of love for the game and the kids."

The football association began four years ago because there was none in the school district. Mr. Mawritz "showed up on the first day of practice" and asked to volunteer.

"If he's not at practice, you know there's something wrong," Mr. Young said.

"Anything I need, he's always there. I'd say he's the most reliable guy I've ever coached with," said Brian D'Antonio, head coach of the 12- and 13-year-old players. "If he could coach cheerleaders, he would."

Three years ago, the association created the "Tom Mawritz Extra Effort Award." The award is given to a player about to move on to high school, based on the player's entire football career.

"It's not necessarily given to the best athlete but one ... who never quits trying. Kinda like Tom. Everything he's gone through, he just keeps coming back," Mr. Young said.

Mr. Mawritz uses his health problems to put "things in the right perspective."

"Little things that bother other people, I just say 'What are you gonna do?' In the long run, it's out of my control," he said.

His coaching style is a reflection of his unique perspective.

"Some coaches, you can hear them yelling three miles away. Tom always has a very calm voice. If he sees a kid doing something wrong, he takes them aside and explains how to fix it," Mr. Young said.

Mr. Mawritz's influence extends beyond the players. He helped Mr. D'Antonio rekindle his own love of coaching.

Mr. D'Antonio had coached at South Allegheny High School until 2005, when the entire coaching staff was fired. When the youth football association started soon afterward, he didn't want to be involved. "I thought I was too big for it," Mr. D'Antonio said.

A friend persuaded him to help out, and he met Mr. Mawritz on the first day of practice.

"Seeing him and seeing his passion for teaching the kids and the passion for coaching and how he wanted to learn and become a good coach, I realized I was taking all this stuff for granted. He brought me back down to earth and reminded me why I started coaching in the first place," he said.

Mr. Mawritz plans to continue coaching as long as he can, although if more dads wanted to coach, he'd step aside and give them the chance.

His favorite thing about volunteering with the program is watching the players grow and mature. He often goes to high school games to watch his former players.

"When one makes a great play, you want to tell the world, 'Hey! I coached that kid,' " he said. "I never do though."

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