Parker Kress has fought the battle that no teenager should have to fight. In 7th grade, he was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma, a very rare type of cancerous tumor that grows in your bones or the soft tissue around your bones. After getting his right leg amputated last March, Kress’s health has been on an incline. So much so that when basketball season rolled around, Kress tried out and made the sophomore team.
After being the manager last season, Kress is more than eager to get back out on the court with his teammates. “It feels great to be in sports again,” stated Kress. “I’ve had to sit out of doing or being a part of sports since 7th grade. I wasn’t sure if I was gonna be able to play sports during my time in high school but now I am and it’s amazing to be a part of it again.”
Kress isn’t the only one excited for his return to the sport. Friend and teammate Sam Rothbardt commented, “I was very excited. His energy is great and he brings all he has to all the drills we do. When we play games, everyone hears him on the bench yelling. With everything that has happened to him, it’s great to see him enjoying basketball.”
On Friday, December 8th, all of Kress’s hard work paid off. With the Pleasant Valley sophomore team winning by 14 points late in the fourth quarter, Kress was put in the game. To say the gym erupted is an understatement.
Kress faced many obstacles getting to this point, but the long journey was well worth getting back on the court. “My process to get here has been long and hard. I’ve had to go through many surgeries and physical therapy to recover after those surgeries. I’m still not done recovering as I go to physical therapy for running, getting faster, and just to get healthier overall. This is just the beginning there’s still a long process to go until I’m truly satisfied with where I’m at.”
Prior to Kress’s amputation, Spartan Nation got behind him and started a movement: Power for Parker. Now, Kress is using his strength and dedication on the basketball court, and Spartan Nation is beyond excited.
