Bob Gentilli

For over 30 years, Bob Gentilli has been a cornerstone of the School District of Belleville and the Belleville community. A dedicated educator, mentor, and coach, Bob has impacted generations of students through his leadership, service, and commitment to character building.

As a middle school social studies teacher for 33 years, Bob has instilled a love of learning in his students while fostering critical thinking and curiosity. Beyond the classroom, he has made a lasting impact as a coach, guiding athletes in football, softball, track & field, and boys soccer, where he led the Sugar River Raiders to the boys 2023 state title.  In 2023, he was awarded the Division 3 Soccer Coach of the Year by the Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association. His leadership has extended to student organizations, including 20 years as Student Council advisor, and initiatives like the Washington, D.C. school tour and the "Quilts of Hope" project, which gained national recognition and was featured on the television show “Sewing with Nancy.”  He has always looked for ways to support his students, including driving bus for his teams and for the school whenever he was needed, creating Civil War camp reenactments, and taking his students to support World War II Honor Flights. 

Bob’s dedication to his students, athletes, and community has earned him numerous accolades, including the United States Soccer Team Ethics and Sportsmanship Award,the Sugar River Raiders Sportsmanship Award and being named Wisconsin Soccer Coach of the Year. His contributions have been featured in NEA Today, WEAC Magazine, and the Wisconsin State Journal. A published author, National Board certified teacher and passionate advocate for student growth, he has shaped young people into responsible, compassionate individuals.

Bob’s influence reaches far beyond wins and losses. He instills perseverance and self-improvement in all he mentors, reflected in the questions and mottos he shares:

• “Did you get better today?”
• “Everything we do in life, we want to get better.”
• “It’s not about being the best. It’s about being better than you were yesterday.”
• “Keep Hope Alive.”

Through his unwavering dedication to education, athletics, and community service, Bob Gentilli has left an enduring legacy in Belleville. His induction into the Wildcat Wall of Fame is a tribute to his lifelong impact.
 

 

Thank you Faith - that was well read and I am grateful to you for doing this.

Good morning everyone- This is pretty cool!                          

First of all, Being recognized with Tim Stadelman who has done and continues to do great things for our school and community is an honor.  Congratulations to you Tim.  

• I was told that one of the reasons Tim and I were chosen was based on our good looks and charm.  At least it’s true for one of us- Congrats Tim.

I am honored, humbled and grateful that I have been chosen as a recipient to be in the Wildcat Wall of Fame. I thank Mr. Benash for drawing a better looking version of me, Chad Hodgson, the Young Samaritans, Mr. Schmitt and the members of the selection process.  However, I am a bit embarrassed because it has always been my job to do the things I have done. It is what many of you in this room have also done to give our kids the opportunity to grow, to learn and to become outstanding citizens in our communities. 

It takes a team to do these things and the TEAM I have been part of and continue to be a part of has been second to none. They are the staff, the administration, parents, coaches and the community of the many kids whom I have taught and coached over the years.  You have trusted me with your sons and daughters and quite honestly, it has made my job easy.   My wife has also been part of that team and she has done it for 33 yrs while I was at my games, practices, camp outs, field trips, summer coaching…not sure how she did it all with 4 kids but she is my Hall Of Famer!   

• I’m just lucky that I ran the household and made all of the decisions

My last thank you goes to Roger Moe “Mr. Moe” who hired me back in 1992. In my interview, Mr Moe made me realize that this School was a family that I wanted to be a part of. Mr. Moe passed away in March and I hope that he is proud of what we have done. He will always be a Wall of Famer to me.

At this time, I would like to share with you what I have learned as a teacher, coach and parent. These are G’s top 10 life lessons:

1. The sun will always rise and set:  When the sun rises it’s a new day! We have an opportunity to make this day better than it was yesterday.  All of the failures, the wrongs we did can be made right with each new day.  When the sun sets, we learn from that day, we reflect and we become that guiding light. 
2. The Journey of Winning:  I will admit, winning a state title was pretty cool. It was never about The Gold Ball, the two schools cheering in the stands, the celebrations when we got home, nor the ring that we received, it has never been about that…. but rather, it was what I experienced on the field immediately after we had won.  I witnessed several of our boys running up to the Plymouth players, helping them up off the pitch and telling them about how well they fought- that is what winning is all about.  That’s why we coach and teach. The best thing in sport is acknowledging that true sportsmanship is what the journey is all about.
3. Be a Leader- They are the performers who excel on the field or in the classroom, they are the motivators who empower their team or their classmates to do extraordinary things,  they are the soldiers who are not shaken by adversity and the leaders who do the extra things for a team or class that go unnoticed -Be a leader!
4. Don’t Fear Failure:  
   “You were not born to fit in a cage built by fear or failure, or peoples opinions.  You were made to see further, rise higher and fight harder.  Don’t just survive this life- dominate it with purpose, silence and unstoppable faith”.
5. Hold the Door Open and Pay it Forward: One act of kindness like holding the door open for someone, talking to another if they are having a tough time, standing by someone who is alone- these acts will be noticed and it will spread to others. If we all can do one act of kindness each day, the world will be a better place.
6. We can learn much from the Lion: It is not the Lion's Roar that draws fear or attention, it is his silence.  Be humble, Be kind.  Listen to others, learn from others.  The lion is not the strongest nor fastest beast in the jungle but it shows us that grit and persistence are qualities that make them the King of the Jungle.
7. Sunshine and rainbows:  The world at times ain't all sunshine and rainbows. You gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain't where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody!  Live your life without excuses.  Life achievements are not about privilege, life does not owe you anything.  You need to work hard and take risks at everything you do.  It will not be given to you. You need to fill your own life with sunshine and rainbows. 
8. Who is your hero: My brother, sister and father are my heroes. They taught me about grit, adversity, dignity and the meaning of life. Follow what your heroes have accomplished, their sacrifices, the endless hours of work to achieve success. If your parents are not one of your heroes, you should look closely at what they have done and continue to do for you.  
   Mr. Rogers said this perfectly:  “We live in a world in which we need to share responsibility.  It’s easy to say it’s not my child, not my community, not my world, not my problem.  Then there are those who see the need and respond.  I consider those people my heroes.”
9. Don’t take things in your life for granted.  Enjoy this moment, this day, where you are now and appreciate those around you. We are here for a very short time and as you get older, time escapes us.  Live for the moment and make the best of each day by making a difference in another life. Carpe Diem
10. Have Fun:  When was life not supposed to be fun?  For 33 years I’ve been a lucky man that I got to go to school and coach and be with teenagers… who by the way, still laugh at my fart jokes- do the fun things, surround yourself with good people and enjoy your life- it is a pretty cool experience!

In closing:

Follow the path of your heroes, watch the sun rise and set, hold the door open for others and show compassion, make your own sunshine and rainbows because life is pretty cool as long as you do what’s right and work at it, be the leader who rallies the team and remember the grit of the Lion, and there should be no day that should be taken for granted.

I thank you for this recognition but the real credit goes to the kids.  They are the ones who have made a difference to me, the community and to the school district.  I thank them for this.