OFC: Father-son tandem leads Varsity Wolverines

The Parkes family is well represented on the Peterborough Wolverines sideline.

Their Varsity squad is led by Head Coach John Parkes, whose son, Sidney, is a defensive back in his second season with the Varsity team.

Dad says that, while coaching his son is great, he isn’t the only one in Sidney’s ear.

“Last season was the first in several years that Sidney was on one of the teams I was coaching. He had just moved up to Sr.Varsity and I had just taken the Head Coaching position with the Sr. Wolverines after being at the Bantam level for for two seasons,” said John. “Football is a big part of our family. My Daughter is one of our two film coordinators, Sidney is our defensive captain and I am the head coach, so it keeps us busy. It is nice to be able to coach Sidney, but at the end of the day I really think it is important that I let his positional coach (George Dimacakos) help guide him.”

Sidney Parkes sees tremendous value in being able to be coached by his Dad.

“Being coached by my father means having the opportunity to excel and develop in the sport that I love through his knowledge of the game. He is always studying the game and finding creative and yet effective ways to make our team better,” said Sidney. “What I like about this is that my knowledge of the game increases as well, and in addition to that, I believe I become a strong asset to our team, defence specifically, because if players have questions about the play call and the design of the play, they can come to myself, which then saves time and makes our defence more efficient.”

The 17-year-old Niagara native is also quick to point out that, without his Dad, his career and passion for the game would not be where they are now.

“Without the extra push from my Dad I definitely would not be the player that I am today. He has, over the years, been preparing me for University style football,” said Sidney. “When I say this, I’m talking about film study, independent on-field workouts, scheduled weight room training, proper dieting, time management with school work, and the big one, leadership. I’ve met many extraordinary athletes over my years of football, but very few have qualities of what a leader would have,” he added. “I understand that many players lead by example with their talents on the field, but sometimes players need a verbal leader to look up to. My father pushed me to better my leadership qualities above anything else. So without my father, the desire I currently have with football would never exist. All while he has been a coach, he’s introduced me to the game, made me better at the game, and is now preparing me for my future in the game of football.”

The younger Parkes says his Dad’s biggest attribute is his relentless, unwavering work ethic.

“My father’s biggest asset is that he never stops working. He embraces the success he’s had in his past, but he’ll always be locked on to better his future. My father, not just towards me but towards all players he’s coached, is very much a motivational teacher. He inspires youth athletes to not just be disciplined and respecting on the field, but off the field as well,” Sidney stated. “He enjoys one-on-one talks with his players, finding out their strengths and weaknesses and then targeting the areas he can improve his players on. My father turns the game of football into a passionate sport in which celebrates the character and culture of the game. I, and all of his players, have obeyed his saying, “Be proud, but never satisfied.” I’ve looked to those words for years now, and all because of my father’s successful work ethic.”

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John says that their constant studying of film have had a major impact on his son’s game.

“The fact that we are always going over film and talking about the game has helped him grow and understand what he should be doing out on the field.” he said.

Sidney agrees his Dad has had a profound impact on his game, and there are a multitude of reasons why.

“His impact on my game play betters me. We’re both fighting for the same thing out there on that field, and that’s to get that W. I always see the intensity in his eyes when our defence is out there,” expressed the Wolverines DB. “He always looks for the best in me, and because of that and my recognition of his passion for the sport, football then becomes more than just a game. He wants to become the best coach he can be while I do the same as a player. We celebrate in our wins together and we re-build in our loses together. It becomes emotional in many cases, but at the end of the day, we improve together in our own ways.”

Over the past eleven years, John has seen Sidney blossom into one of the Wolverines best defensive players.

“Sidney started playing football at the age of 7. At the time we lived in Niagara and he played in the NRMFA and later for the [Niagara] Generals. He started out at Safety and by the age of 10 was playing centre. He would eventually start playing Fullback,” recalled the elder Parkes. “In Grade 9 Sidney found his way to play DB and occasionally RB, but [defensive] halfback has become his frequent location on the field over the past 4 seasons. Now in his 2nd season of Varsity and entering his last high school season Sidney has progressed and developed as a player by getting the chance to player several positions over the past 11 years.”

The bench boss says his son’s presence on the Wolverines sideline is invaluable.

“As one of the three original players left from the first ever team in 2011, Sidney has a strong connection to the program and a passion to lead his teammates,” elaborated John. “Knowing we were going to be a young team he knew it would be important to step up and help guide the ship, as we had graduated 28 of our 3rd year seniors from the 2015 team. This season has been all about the journey and Sidney has help to guide the D during this time.”

 

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