Barrington's 'Grandpa' on the sidelines
'One of the boys' fulfills team manager role despite cancer
By Ken Keenan
After doctors successfully scraped away 95 percent of Bob Steib's Mesothelioma lung cancer in 2010, the father of Barrington soccer coach Scott Steib was given a life expectancy of one to three years.
Four years later, the man affectionately known on the Barrington sideline as "Grandpa" is still going strong. The elder Steib, who turns 83 on Halloween, serves as the team manager for the Broncos and rarely misses practices or matches.
"He was 79 years old when he was diagnosed (with cancer), so we had our world turned upside down," said Scott Steib, whose team ended its 2014 season with a 15-8 record. "The kids knew him prior (to becoming manager), but now he's even more special to the program. He's become kind of the fabric of the program, and I believe his role in our program has added months -- if not years -- to his life. And here we are, going on four years, and he's doing really well."
Bob Steib believes he originally contracted the disease (in his right lung) in the early 1950s, as a member of the U.S. Navy stationed on an oil tanker during the Korean Conflict.
"There was lots of asbestos on that ship," he said. "But (Mesothelioma) doesn't manifest itself for 40 to 50 years sometimes. I started to know something was the matter in 2009."
Three years earlier, "Grandpa" left his home in Florida in order to be closer to Scott and his family, citing the distance that prohibited the father and son from spending much time together.
"We had a mentality to write a final chapter together," Scott Steib said. "I'd see him once a year, and he said, 'I may be gone in 10 years, so that means I'd only see you 10 more times.' So he packed up and moved to Illinois."
That "final chapter" reads more like a book. The pair have taken numerous trips together, including a visit to Liverpool, England, to watch a slew of soccer games.
"We got off the plane, got in a cab and told the driver we were on a soccer vacation," Scott Steib recalled. "The driver's eyes lit up, and we went right from the airport to a stadium. It was a fantastic father-son experience."
The Steibs' bucket list has included trips to the East Coast and Hawaii, as well as the pair's native Seattle.
"I just keep going and be grateful I have every day to go," said Bob Steib. "I get to be with the boys (team) in the fall, and the girls in the spring. And I get to see my son just about every day, and his wife and three kids. It's a dual relationship: one with the school -- I live about five minutes away -- and one with Scott and his family. It is a very good thing."
The Broncos family is happy to oblige.
"He's pretty much one of the players on the team," said Barrington junior forward Hans Pallan. "He's always there, and he keeps us positive. He keeps our hopes high and makes us believe we can do anything."
Just "one of the boys," as Scott Steib put it.
"Personally, I love him," said senior midfielder Casey Slingo. "He's always there to cheer you up, and he's easy to talk to. It makes me want to be like him when I get as old as he is."
Senior defender Tyler Anderson said he couldn't imagine what his days playing high school soccer would have been like without the presence of "Grandpa" Steib.
"If we had a face of determination, that's 'Grandpa,' " Anderson said. "He increases the positivity and good vibes around the team ... takes his good energy and bounces it back at you -- and that doubles the joy of the experience."
Although he's not cancer-free, "Grandpa" refuses to feel sorry for himself.
"Cancer's a pretty serious thing," he said. "Some are fortunate to get through it, some are not. You see people in bad shape, and it's not fun. I've got a few good things going for me, so I want to enjoy the day, each day as it comes."
'One of the boys' fulfills team manager role despite cancer
By Ken Keenan
After doctors successfully scraped away 95 percent of Bob Steib's Mesothelioma lung cancer in 2010, the father of Barrington soccer coach Scott Steib was given a life expectancy of one to three years.
Four years later, the man affectionately known on the Barrington sideline as "Grandpa" is still going strong. The elder Steib, who turns 83 on Halloween, serves as the team manager for the Broncos and rarely misses practices or matches.
"He was 79 years old when he was diagnosed (with cancer), so we had our world turned upside down," said Scott Steib, whose team ended its 2014 season with a 15-8 record. "The kids knew him prior (to becoming manager), but now he's even more special to the program. He's become kind of the fabric of the program, and I believe his role in our program has added months -- if not years -- to his life. And here we are, going on four years, and he's doing really well."
Bob Steib believes he originally contracted the disease (in his right lung) in the early 1950s, as a member of the U.S. Navy stationed on an oil tanker during the Korean Conflict.
"There was lots of asbestos on that ship," he said. "But (Mesothelioma) doesn't manifest itself for 40 to 50 years sometimes. I started to know something was the matter in 2009."
Three years earlier, "Grandpa" left his home in Florida in order to be closer to Scott and his family, citing the distance that prohibited the father and son from spending much time together.
"We had a mentality to write a final chapter together," Scott Steib said. "I'd see him once a year, and he said, 'I may be gone in 10 years, so that means I'd only see you 10 more times.' So he packed up and moved to Illinois."
That "final chapter" reads more like a book. The pair have taken numerous trips together, including a visit to Liverpool, England, to watch a slew of soccer games.
"We got off the plane, got in a cab and told the driver we were on a soccer vacation," Scott Steib recalled. "The driver's eyes lit up, and we went right from the airport to a stadium. It was a fantastic father-son experience."
The Steibs' bucket list has included trips to the East Coast and Hawaii, as well as the pair's native Seattle.
"I just keep going and be grateful I have every day to go," said Bob Steib. "I get to be with the boys (team) in the fall, and the girls in the spring. And I get to see my son just about every day, and his wife and three kids. It's a dual relationship: one with the school -- I live about five minutes away -- and one with Scott and his family. It is a very good thing."
The Broncos family is happy to oblige.
"He's pretty much one of the players on the team," said Barrington junior forward Hans Pallan. "He's always there, and he keeps us positive. He keeps our hopes high and makes us believe we can do anything."
Just "one of the boys," as Scott Steib put it.
"Personally, I love him," said senior midfielder Casey Slingo. "He's always there to cheer you up, and he's easy to talk to. It makes me want to be like him when I get as old as he is."
Senior defender Tyler Anderson said he couldn't imagine what his days playing high school soccer would have been like without the presence of "Grandpa" Steib.
"If we had a face of determination, that's 'Grandpa,' " Anderson said. "He increases the positivity and good vibes around the team ... takes his good energy and bounces it back at you -- and that doubles the joy of the experience."
Although he's not cancer-free, "Grandpa" refuses to feel sorry for himself.
"Cancer's a pretty serious thing," he said. "Some are fortunate to get through it, some are not. You see people in bad shape, and it's not fun. I've got a few good things going for me, so I want to enjoy the day, each day as it comes."