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Parola coach/player partnership enters the stretch run at Mundelein

It's been 10 straight years that Todd Parola has had at least one of his children with him at Mundelein High School.

"That's about half the time I've been working here," said Parola, a wellness teacher and the longtime head coach of the boys golf and baseball teams.

It started with oldest child and only daughter Paige, who is now just out of college, living in Chicago and working as a dietician. Then there was Derek, who is a junior at Illinois State and playing baseball there.

Now, only youngest Brett is left. He is a senior at Mundelein. When he graduates in a matter of weeks, that will be it for the Parola kids at Mundelein.

Parola's long run of coaching his kids will be over, too.

Parola has been coaching at least one of his sons for each of the last seven years. Both Derek and Brett played golf and baseball for each of their four years of high school. So all together, that's 16 seasons that Parola has had one of his sons in his programs.

The Parola boys have experienced state championship games with their father, dozens of winning seasons, some heartbreaking losses and more memories for a lifetime than they can even keep track of.

So far, the final chapter is shaping up to be one of those benchmark type of memories. Parola and Brett, just a few months removed from helping the golf team to the first state finals appearance in school history last fall, are in the midst of a dream campaign with the baseball team. The Mustangs, who started 20-0 before Wednesday's loss to Warren, are hoping to make another run at the state finals. Last spring, they advanced all the way to the Class 4A state championship game before losing to Providence. It was Mundelein's first berth in the baseball state championship game in school history.

"We had the time of our lives last year and I think the momentum from that season has carried into this year," said Brett Parola, a heavy hitter for the Mustangs who is a jack-of-all-trades in the field, playing infield, outfield and some catcher. "It's been a fun season so far, and it's been a crazy four years of sports for me. There are pros and cons to being coached by your dad, but mostly I'm glad that he's been my coach all this time.

"It's sad that it's almost over."

Todd Parola, not the sappy type, admits that he might get a little emotional when Brett plays his final game for the Mustangs.

"People don't see it often but a lot of the time, it's emotional for me when any seniors leave," Parola said. "It's hard to say goodbye to a group of guys you've spent so much time with over the years. It's all year long now. Work in the off-season. These guys come to the house sometimes for lunch. You get to know these guys really well (over their careers).

"It's been even more so with this class, and then with Brett too. The seniors this year are his friends. I've known all these guys since they were (in grade school). There are 18 of them. It's going to be really tough to say goodbye to all of them. And then to know that this is my last year coaching one of my kids. That's going to be really, really tough too."

Speaking of tough, Parola says he's been extra tough on Brett and Derek over the years. Tough love, with an emphasis on the tough.

It's been the only way Parola could coach his own kids without being paranoid that others might think he was showing Brett or Derek favoritism of any kind.

"He's definitely tougher on me than anyone else on the team," Brett Parola said. "Like if I make a fielding error in practice, he'll keep hitting the ball to me until I make the play exactly the way I need to. He would never do that to anyone else. He stays on me a lot, too.

"It can be frustrating and sometimes I get angry. But I also expect it. I know he's got to do that. He's pretty good about leaving it at school though. On the field, he's tough on me, but when we get home, he doesn't talk about school or our team. He's not dwelling on Mundelein sports. That's nice."

But sometimes the Parolas can't help but replay a few moments from the team here and there. Especially the good ones.

When the team has success, and the boys do too, it's like the icing on the cake for Parola.

"I remember when Derek was a senior and he hit a home run in the regional championship game," Brett Parola said. "The parent came out in my dad. I remember making sure to look at him because I wanted to see his reaction. He was so happy, pumping his fist. That's probably the most excited I've seen him in my whole life."

Of course, Brett wasn't able to get a read on his dad for one of his biggest sports moments. He was too busy getting a big hit in the first inning of the state championship game last year to check his dad's reaction.

Todd Parola remembers being pretty happy about it.

"Brett has a great approach at the plate," said Todd Parola, the coach. "He doesn't swing at many bad pitches."

"That hit in the state championship game that put us up 5-0 was huge. I will cherish that moment forever," said Parola, the dad.

Brett Parola is determined to give his dad even more forever moments.

He says the best baseball team in school history (record-wise) is brother Derek's senior year team, which went 36-3.

"We've gotten off to a good start. We never thought we would be undefeated (through 20 games). We'd like to keep (the momentum) going and be the best team in school history," Brett said. "If we could beat 36-3 that would be pretty cool."

Cool indeed. It would be a season for the decades…a fitting way to end the Parolas decade-long run of success and treasured sports moments at Mundelein.

pbabcock@dailyherald.com

• Follow Patricia on Twitter: @babcockmcgraw

Steve Lundy/slundy@dailyherald.comTodd Parola, left, Mundelein's baseball coach, is in his last year of coaching his sons. Brett, right, is a senior on the team this year. A run of seven straight years of Todd coaching one of his boys is coming to an end this spring.
  Mundelein baseball coach Todd Parola, left, is in his last year of coaching his sons. Brett, right, is a senior on the team this year. Derek also played for his dad a few years ago and is now a player at Illinois State. A run of seven straight years of Todd coaching one of his boys is coming to an end this spring. Steve Lundy/slundy@dailyherald.com
  Brett Parola Steve Lundy/slundy@dailyherald.com
  Mundelein baseball coach Todd Parola. Steve Lundy/slundy@dailyherald.com
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