It’s Monday morning. The weight room in Palatine is filled with students, as they all stare at the message above the whiteboard. “There are 86,400 seconds in a day. Make every one count.” The one who presents these quotes, is also a great follower of what he preaches as well. His name is Paul Belo.
Belo has spent thirty-three years as a teacher, and is entering his 22nd season as Palatine’s baseball head coach. When this season concludes, his varsity teams will have won more than 500 games.
But, many don’t know about his journey here. He had his sights on a different dream to start with. Being in the big leagues.
“Like most kids, I wanted to be a professional baseball player,” Belo said. “I played growing up and then played in college at UIC, and then had a little bit of an opportunity, professional wise, it was called an extended camp, but I was released right away. I wasn’t good enough. That’s really what it came down to.”
Some of his elementary gym teachers helped open the gateway to finding a true dream of his, which was not what he originally thought it would be.
“I fell in love with being a PE teacher because of my elementary PE teacher,” Belo said. “I had some PE teachers in high school at Hoffman Estates that had a lasting impact on me as well.”
All of a sudden, it became clear that Paul Belo didn’t want his name on the back of a big league uniform, but an identification card that catapulted himself into a job that brought him to true happiness.
Belo eventually began his teaching career at Palatine High School, after leaving his job as an associate scout for the Texas Rangers and Arizona Diamondbacks.
Belo’s passion for baseball didn’t stop just because he couldn’t make it as a player. Being a coach was next on the bucket list. He has coached year after year for Palatine, and has always received respect from his players.
“Coach Belo’s best talent is gluing the team together,” senior ballplayer Sean Wasserman said. “He gets the whole team to buy in and he’s just a good team builder, I would say.”
Many people consume inspiration from Coach Belo. Whether it’s weights class or baseball, he will always push his players and athletes until he sees their very best.
“I hope that you embrace every day,” Belo shared, when asked about inspiration to leave the students with. “Every day is really a gift and then you can make the best of every day, it just depends on the mindset you’re willing to take towards that day.”
Belo has seven more months of teaching and one more season of baseball, and then he’ll get his well-deserved retirement. Palatine could not be more thankful for a teacher like Belo.
