Forget Don – you had better look out for Laura Parkey
Published 10:55 am Thursday, June 4, 2020
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Photo by C.Y. Peters Laura with her friend - Coach Todd Whittemore.
Star Photo/C.Y. Peters Laura with her favorite referee - Ron Hodge.
Star Photo/C.Y. Peters Laura Parkey always has a smile on her face.
Star Photo/C.Y. Peters Kelcie Marosites scored her 1000 point and Laura is awarded a plaque for being a special fan.
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She never scored a point, stole a pass, made an assist or had her name
written down in the scorebook.
written down in the scorebook.
She couldn’t play defense, so guarding someone was out of the question.
She couldn’t run up and down the floor, so she had no offense.
If she tried to shoot the ball I don’t think she could hit the bottom of the
net, yet come Saturday, June 20th, Laura Ashley Parkey (Purkey) will be
inducted into the Carter County Sports Hall of Fame.
net, yet come Saturday, June 20th, Laura Ashley Parkey (Purkey) will be
inducted into the Carter County Sports Hall of Fame.
She sits at about four feet, can’t jump, but has a voice like former
Valley Forge coach Garry Smith.
When it comes to coaching, she’s like a Bobby Knight without throwing a
chair.
Laura is like E.F. Hutton, when she speaks, people listen.
Laura is the daughter of former basketball Coach Don Parkey and though
physically challenged since birth, it has never been in her way.
Don took Laura with him to every middle school, high school and college
game that he attended.
She caught on to the sport, paid attention to her dad, and knew as much
about the game as he did.
She has attended as many games as anyone in Carter County. Don once
won 243 straight conference games and Laura never missed a one.
The initials to her full name are L.A.P., which spells “lap” — and when
her players messed up or missed a shot, they had to run a lap around the
gym.
So her name fits right in with the game of basketball. Any player
who had ever played basketball, including me, has run a few laps.
who had ever played basketball, including me, has run a few laps.
Laura grew up in gyms, not only going to games but never missing a
practice either.
She knows every coach, every player, every referee, and every fan —
and when she sees you, she’s not shy about letting you or anyone else
know it.
At one time, Laura had to have surgery on both knees, so they were in a
cast.
She fell backward on a barstool and broke her left arm, but never missed
a day from school or basketball practice.
During a trip to East Tennessee State on a cold, snowy night when the
Bucs were playing in the Mini-Dome, Don lost control of her wheelchair
near the top of the long ramp.
She rolled all the way to the bottom, landing out in the street at the ETSU
Campus.
She needed medical care but would not miss the game. She had her dad
take her inside with scrapes and cuts, looking like she been in a fight, but
she would not miss the game.
“She was just like her dad,” said Alice Peters. “When we weren’t doing good
she would be giving us down the road.
“I could see her kicking those legs and her hands flying in the air and when
we were winning you could see joy all over her face.
“She was always our number one supporter and she always cheered for me
even after I went to Hampton, and she always called me her A-P.”
“Laura never let her disability hold her back from anything,” said former
TSSAA official Jeannie Pierce.
“She was always the most popular kid in school because she made friends
so easy and everybody loved her.
“She never missed a ballgame and she always took care of Don, trying not
to let him get out of control and get a technical foul. She’s definitely
one of a kind.”
When Laura was about six years old, Larry Bowling dressed up as Santa
Claus and came down to Don’s house on Christmas Eve.
He was talking to Laura and asking her about Christmas and stuff. After
about 10 minutes of this, Laura looked at Jeanie and said, “Santa sounds
just like Larry Bowling.”
When the players cried, Laura cried, when the players were happy, Laura
was happy.
When the players celebrated after a win, Laura was right there celebrating
with them.
She followed all the teams, Don coached at Unaka Elementary, Unaka High,
Hampton and some at Elizabethton.
Laura was in Murfreesboro when the Lady Cyclones won the state
tournament in 2014 and she was there when the Unaka boys won in 2004.
Kim Scalf said, “Laura loves basketball, she never missed an Arby’s Classic
in Bristol, she always wanted to play basketball.”
“She was at all practices, games and even film sessions,” said former
Unaka player Bobbie Blevins. “She knew as much about the opposing teams
as we did.”
“She was at all practices, games and even film sessions,” said former
Unaka player Bobbie Blevins. “She knew as much about the opposing teams
as we did.”
“She knew the game plan every night. I remember her being just as hard on
us as Coach Parkey was. She was by far our biggest fan.”
Officials, one in particular, also earned Laura’s affection.
“I love Ron Hodge,” Laura said. “He always gave dad and me crap.”
She has been a fixture in a gym her entire life.
On June 20th Laura is being inducted for her dedication to the Carter County
Sports Hall of Fame.
Tickets for the event are on sale at www.carterhalloffame.com.
This year’s induction is reserve seats only. The final day to reserve a ticket is
June 17th.
