He’s usually not the tallest player on the court during middle school basketball games but Kameren Parker doesn’t pay attention to such details. His field of vision is solely focused on his team and he only has one goal for the 2014 season.
“Winning the city championship,” says Parker, 14.
It’s not like Parker hasn’t known the thrill of bringing home the title. As a sixth-grader at Fort, Parker was a member of the Patriots basketball team that claimed the city middle school basketball championship. Now an eighth-grader and in his last year at Fort, Parker has ideas about adding another city title and trophy for his school before he moves on to the next level.
The 5’6”, 120-pound athlete has been playing basketball for a while. He tried baseball at age nine, but just a year later, Parker joined a basketball program at a local YMCA and discovered the game fit him. He admits he was more or less trailing after his older brother when he got involved with basketball. Somewhere along the way, Parker found out he had a few good basketball skills.
“I can dribble, shoot and pass,” says Parker. “But I don’t really focus on me or what I can do. It’s about helping my team.”
Because he enjoyed basketball so much, Parker signed up to play Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) ball. He has continued to play with the local chapter and is now a member of the Georgia Kings team. When he came to Fort, the confidence he had gained through playing organized sports carried through, enabling Parker to try out for the Patriots. He made the team and even though he didn’t see a lot of playing time that first year, he had enough to feel he contributed to the team’s championship season.
With those memories still fresh in his mind, Parker plans on a winning season that will culminate in making it to the championship playoffs. He continues to play AAU ball and has added a couple of other sports to his playlist in an effort to keep in top physical shape when not on the basketball court.
After Parker took up basketball with serious intent, he left behind baseball. Last year, as a seventh-grader at Fort, Parker gave two sports a try that he otherwise had not had any experience playing. Soccer is a fall sport for middle schools, which gave Parker an option for a fall sport before moving into basketball season. It was a learning experience that produces a little laughter when Parker talks about his first attempts as a soccer athlete.
“Yeah, I kept getting handballs,” he says. “The ball would come to me and I would catch it in my hands like a basketball.”
Parker became a three-sport athlete for the 2012-13 school year when he participated in track and field for the Patriots. The spring sport offered him a chance to continue to stay active year round while also keeping him in shape for the summer, when he puts on a Georgia Kings uniform.
After his basketball season winds down, Parker will put on his track shoes and hopefully participate in the mile, the 800m and 4x400m events for Fort. He wants to keep in shape for summer basketball and also has hopes of playing high school ball in the years ahead. Parker has made a decision to attend Shaw High School next year (where his brother is a senior) and is even setting the lofty goal of attending the University of Kentucky in the future as a basketball player.
There is a lot of road to cover before then starting with middle school basketball season in January. His passion for the game is demonstrated when asked what he loves most about playing basketball.
“Everything,” he answers.
Getting to know Kameren
Family: Mother, Sonya Whittlesey; one brother and a sister
Pets: Two dogs, Lincoln and Lacy
Favorite food: Bacon
Favorite place to eat: Red Robin
Game time ritual: Pray before games
Favorite team: Knicks
Athlete he admires: Aaron Williams?
Person he most admires: Kobe Bryant (for his scoring)
Clothing he prefers to wear: Jordans
Church he attends: Christ Holy Temple
Favorite subject: Language Arts
Best thing about Fort Middle School: The atmosphere, everybody knowing everybody.
Rising Star/Columbus Valley/December
Kameren Parker
Fort Middle School
Columbus, GA
By Beth Welch
Photos by Jerry Christenson
City Championship Is Athlete’s Goal For Basketball Season
