TOLONO, Ill. (WAND) - David Ellars loves few things more than being a Unity Rocket.

As a graduate of the Class of 1973, having the chance to coach at his alma mater more than 50 years later has been a blessing. Ellars has led girls' basketball programs at Unity, and Monticello and Salt Fork High Schools. He also helped Parkland College to a national ranking in 2016.

The softball diamond, however, has been a calling David keeps returning to. Serving as the head coach in Tolono from 2000 to 2012, he returned in 2021 as an assistant to see the Rockets reach State for the first time in program history. He's been in the dugout with the team ever since. 

"I'm very fortunate," Ellars said. "I got to coach the two granddaughters in basketball, and I have a granddaughter on the softball team now. So that's very rewarding to have something like that for you."
 
He's a grandpa, figuratively, for many more in the school and around the area. Ellars has been in the lives of several girls on this year's roster since they were old enough to hit a ball off a tee. In some cases, he's even coached the parents of players in the program today.
 
"He has respect in the community, not just for a coach, but just as a man," said Head Coach Matt Reed. 
 
The unconditional love Ellars displays for his community and those in his dugout goes both ways. He puts a smile on the faces of players whenever they get on base by giving them Starburst candies when they make their way back to the bench. In turn, the girls never hold back an ounce of appreciation.
 
"They're always cheerful," Ellars said. "They ask me what I've got going on or things like that. So that's what I've enjoyed about it."
 
As the coach prepared for yet another season, he received news nobody wants to hear. For several years, he and his family had been monitoring a developing health situation. In January, his doctors confirmed the news — he had developed prostate cancer.
 
Fortunately, the consistent monitoring meant Ellars wasn't caught off-guard by the situation. Instead, he and his family quickly acted and consulted with his specialist for treatment options.
 
"He said we had a choice between removing it or the radiation treatment or whatever. We decided on the radiation treatment."
 
By March, Ellars began the first of 28 rounds of radiation treatment. Sessions only lasted between five and 10 minutes, but would take place nearly every weekday for over a month.
 
Even through the process, Coach E never missed a single practice. It's something his granddaughter Callie, a senior outfielder, does not take for granted.
 
"Knowing he had been here every day while he was putting himself through that and still giving time for us was a lot," she said.
 
Ellars concluded his radiation treatment for the cancer on April 8. In anticipation of him finishing out the process and beating the disease, Callie and the coaching staff came up with a token to make sure he knew they were with him as he recovered.
 
"We just threw something together that we knew he would enjoy and something that we could keep with us on the softball field," Callie shared.
 
The Rockets ordered light blue wristbands, the ribbon color for prostate cancer awareness. On one side, the bands read "Coach Ellars," the other reading "No one fights alone." The team has also incorporated light blue into small elements of their gameday garb.
 
It's a small gesture that goes a long way. As word began to spread that he had toppled the cancer, hundreds of others in Tolono and beyond wanted wristbands to show their support as well.
 
"What's great with something like this is he's being honored while he's here, and he's doing great," said Reed. "A lot of people never get to be told, like, 'Hey, we appreciate you.'"
 
Through it all, Ellars said it wasn't just the treatment that helped him overcome the diagnosis. Being surrounded by his fellow coaches and the players he's mentored and watched grow up gave him the motivation, along with a distraction, to ignore any worries during treatment.
 
"Don't be home thinking about it," Ellars said. "Don't be worried about it or anything else. The thing that kept me going with this [was] the energy they have, or whatever. [It] gave me the energy to be out here."
 
Sports can teach those who compete, coach, or even simply watch many different things. Those lessons go beyond the gameplay or the rulebook.
 
"[The players] just see that you can still go about your day, you can still have a positive outlook, and you can still make a difference in somebody's life, even when you are going through hard times yourself," Reed said.
 
Ellar's still on the go. When he isn't at a Unity practice, he's typically on an assignment, like scouting a future opponent. When he is present on gameday, he's one of the first people players rush off the field to see as the innings change ends. 
 
The coach will admit his battle with the disease, though brief, was scary. Yet, there was never a moment he felt unprepared for the journey, largely thanks to the girls and community who have felt his impact for so long.
 
"I'm very, very pleased. Very, very lucky. And just, thank God that things worked out like that."
 
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