Playing with a purpose: Austin’s Rob Lillis is inspired by his parents to make his time count – Austin Daily Herald

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Brian and Monica Lillis have been supportive of their son Rob, a three-sport senior athlete at Austin High School. Photo Provided

Austin’s Robert Lillis (51) and Samuel Winkels combine for the tackle on St. Croix Lutheran’s Matthew Beekman in September of 2024. Herald file photo

Editor’s Note: This is the third and final segment of a three-part series on former high school athletes raising high school athletes in today’s world.

Austin senior Rob Lillis has always had a love of the game, and it came directly from his parents.

Rob has never played in a state tournament and he’s not exactly posting his highlights on social media to draw the eye of college recruiters, but he loves competing and he’s stuck with it. Rob competes in football, basketball and baseball for the Austin Packers.

“It’s time consuming, but I knew going into high school that I wanted to play three sports and I knew I would have to put in time and make sacrifices,” Lillis said. “With the experiences that I’ve had, it’s been great. The nice part about Austin is that because it’s on the bigger side, I get to cycle through different teammates and it’s really fun to get to know and connect with other people.”

Strong support system

Rob’s inspiration to compete has been nurtured by his parents Brian, who played high school football at Williamsburg, Iowa, and college football at Division III Central College in Pella, Iowa, and Monica, who played volleyball, basketball and softball at North Mahaska High School in New Sharon, Iowa.

Brian and Monica’s schools actually played against each other in high school, but they didn’t meet until they both attended college.

While they have a background in sports, Brian and Monica try to remain fans in the stands, instead of becoming secondary coaches.

“My parents were always great about supporting me and being at my events,” Monica said. “It’s very important for both Brian and I that someone is always at our children’s activities. You tell them you love them and you’re their biggest fan, regardless if the game goes how you want it to or not.”

Learning to

compete and lead

Rob is the middle child of three children in the Lillis family. He maintains a busy schedule, and it means a lot to him to receive the support he does from his parents, especially after a tough loss.

“You push yourself to be better than (your parents),” Rob said. “They’re both very competitive, but they know it’s tough and they’ve talked me through it. Their support has been amazing and they know that I don’t have time for other things. I get a little bit of leeway when it comes to chores or working.”

Brian likes watching his son play sports, but he also relishes the leadership role Rob has taken on.

“I appreciate Rob’s attitude towards all of the sports he plays. When he’s in a given season, he will be primarily focused on the current sport and put his efforts towards it. He is respected as a leader by his teammates, and his leadership style is by showing the example on the field or court,” Brian said. “We also try to support Rob’s teammates and make sure they know how important they are to the team’s success.”

Memories of glory

Brian still looks back fondly on his time as a football player, especially when his Central team beat Linfield on “The Miracle in the Mud” in 2000, when a botched field goal attempt turned into a game winning TD run for Brian’s team.

“When I walked onto campus at Central, I met 100 fellow football teammates that became lifelong friends. We worked hard, sweated together, and experienced the highs and lows that come with sports. We won conference championships, crazy playoff games and lost close playoff games to St. John’s,” Brian said. “Some of the effort we needed to put in was like today, working out in the weight room in the morning before class. Training camps can be tough in the summer heat but the prep is needed to compete in a given sport.”

Monica played basketball in the six-on-six days in Iowa and she was also part of the transition into five-on-five. She was on the varsity team in all of her sports by the time she was a sophomore and she played outfield and first base in softball, just like Rob does for baseball.

“When I played sports, you played whatever was in season and we weren’t traveling all over the place. For Rob, it is challenging in the summer. He’s getting up and lifting in the morning, then he goes to basketball and he plays Legion baseball. I think that he spends more time doing sports than I ever remember doing,” Monica said. “I think it’s important for kids to find a balance. We’re fortunate because Rob really pushes himself to do it and we’re just along for the ride. He also pushes himself academically, knowing that sports are something fun to do now and challenge him, but not necessarily the end all, be all.”

Learning life skills

Brian is glad that Rob chose to become a three-sport athlete, not only because it gives him a chance to make various friendships, but because it also provides life skills for his future.

“Whether in high school or college, the amount of time it takes to participate in a sport well is not much different from a job,” Brian said. “It takes dedication of time and effort for the payoff but that is something that I’ve carried into my working life. You reap what you sow.”

When you play sports as long as Rob has, you’ll get some long lasting victory celebrations and you’re also going to have some heart wrenching losses. Rob has taken all of that in, but he mostly cherishes the bond he has created with all of his teammates.

“The connections are great. I’ve been playing with a lot of these guys since I was 10 and having a strong bond is what it’s all about,” Rob said. “Having fun is the main reason I play sports. I’m going to have a good time, even through those challenging times and sad losses, I know that tomorrow my teammates are going to come over and we’re going to have a fun time.”