NORTH BASEBALL THE FINAL SEASON
Coach Stoll has treated his Panthers like family
Saturday, May 10, 2008
SPRINGFIELD — Years ago, Mark Stoll had a window installed in his office door at North High School. A blank piece of wood with a knob became an opening into his world.
Kids could see into the office, so they came into the office.
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North High School baseball coach Mark Stoll talks to his team after a 10-0 win over rival South at Carleton Davidson Stadium last month. Stoll's teams have posted only one losing season in the last 15 years and just three in his 25 years as coach. Staff photo by Barbara J. Perenic
Get latest headlines via RSS feeds"I wanted the kids to feel welcome," Stoll says. "If you come down here at any time of day, there are kids here."
Stoll pulls open a desk drawer.
"This is a change drawer," he says. "Kids know if they need money, it's here."
On Friday, Stoll coached his last regular-season home game against Fairmont, a 4-3 victory. Earlier this season, Stoll presented his players with T-shirts that read, "We are North Baseball." On Friday, the team gave him a T-shirt. It read, "He is North Baseball."
Stoll will finish his 25 seasons as North's head baseball coach with almost 400 victories, but he would be prouder of a more lasting legacy — he treats his players like family.
Stoll's wife, Debbi,e cooks for the Panthers. Brownies and chocolate chip cookies are her most famous items, she says. The players visit the Stolls at home, watching TV, doing their homework, resting their sore muscles in the Stolls' hot tub or just hanging out.
Last year, the coaches found out one of their players was sleeping in his car at night because he was having problems at home.
"We had to rectify that," Stoll says.
The Stolls even took two boys, Brandon and Darnell Young, into their home, raising them as sons.
With Stoll stepping down as head coach to focus on his job as Springfield High School's athletic director, he won't have as many opportunities to bring new members into his family.
"For me, it will be very different next year," Debbie says. "It'll be very sad. He has as much enthusiasm for the game now as he did 30 years ago."
"It'll be tough," Mark says. "I'll be busy, but this is a true passion."
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ontact this reporter at (937) 328-0351
or djablonski@coxohio.com.
