Theresa Parr has been a key cog for Notre Dame College Women's Basketball (NDCWBB) since the 2017-18 season. And then last semester she got a once in a lifetime opportunity. And grabbed it. She told me how that came about:
"I have always wanted to travel and see the world,"Parr explained. "After last basketball season I looked into summer study abroad programs, but the one that I was originally looking at was extremely expensive. I then put the idea on the back burner but my mom didn't and she found one that seemed more feasible financially. However, I missed the deadline for that summer program in Italy. I then weighed my options, and decided to have the once in a lifetime opportunity of living in Italy for four months."
Parr told me that she missed basketball a lot. She explained that "I brought my basketball shoes with me which took up so much room in my suitcase, but they had no indoor gyms in the city so I had to shoot outside." Having played basketball for the majority of my life, it definitely took some getting used to. I think it prepared me for what life will be like after this season."
Parr attended Kent State University Florence while in Italy, so the teaching methods were very similar. The biggest challenge, she told me, was the language barrier and sorting thru all the accents that people had.
Parr's major is chemistry and her minor is biology and she is used to at least two science courses a semester, but in Italy it was different. No science classes, but lots of travel. She had the chance to visit a different country almost every weekend. She said she truly loved exploring new places.
Meanwhile back in South Euclid her teammates Jada Marone and Marina Adachi missed her talents on the court and off.
Marone talked about the first time she met Parr:
"The first time I met T (Theresa) was such a great experience. She was one of the first people who befriended me here at NDC and made me feel welcomed. She was a sweet teammate with a fire underneath her on the floor. I recognized her passion for the game immediately. I shared with her that I remember playing against her in high school about five years before we met but she did not recall. But T is one of those players you don't forget (Jada played for Berea-Mid Park) and T (Stow Monroe Falls.) She had on her neon running shorts and her freckles...."I remember."
Adachi said her first meeting with Parr was memorable also:
"The first time that I met T was at an open gym and she was very easy going and easy to talk to. She made me feel comfortable being there."
Marone told me how selfless Parr is:
"Theresa is selfless. Everything she does is to contribute to her team's goals. She does a lot of things on the court that do not show up on the stat sheet or in the box score. Her hustle and heart is what makes her one of the best players on the floor because she is going to run through a wall for her teammates. Theresa also has a beautiful floater/pull up jumper in the middle of the paint which is her shot. She can hit the three off of a kick out and will also get you on a shot fake and finish at the goal as well. Offense aside, DEFENSE is her favorite part of the game. Her on ball defense is astonishing and her off balance defense is great too. She always has active hands and will even shoot the passing lanes on defense. I never have a doubt in my mind that she isn't going to have my back when I make a defensive mistake. She is one of the players that you can trust because of the standard she holds herself to as a player and her WILL and WANT to get better. T will always put up a fight no matter who the opponent is."
Adachi expanded on Parr's defensive prowess:
"One of the things that T is really good at is defense. She is very good at getting deflections when we really need it.
Marone told me that the best part of Parr's game is her ability to create and find players for non-contested shots. She has a high basketball IQ. She is one of those players who just gets it. Rotating on defense, finding the shooter, and even be able to sense the pace/flow of the game . She is going to draw in defenders and find the open players. One thing IQ wise that T does a great job of is trapping unplanned on defense. She can sense when players are flustered and more prone to turn the ball over, so those traps are solid and cause turnovers almost every time she goes to trap.
Adachi told me that Parr is not a selfish player and is always looking for the extra pass. "She knows how I relocate to try and get my shot and it is fun playing with someone like her. She knows how to provide energy when we need it. For example if we are losing by a lot or whatever the situation may be where it is hard to be positive, she tries to bring everybody up. We both know how each other plays and know how to use our strength in games. We also want the same thing when we are on the floor together and that is to win."
As for basketball, Adachi explained what surprises her most about Parr's game: "What surprises me the most is she does the little things and makes it look super easy. An example would be rebounding. She knows where the ball is going to go and works hard every time to get it.
Marone agreed:
"She is going to give you all the effort she has no matter when and where she is on the court. Do not let looks fool you T is a lot stronger than people think. I've caught some elbows and busted lips by trying to rebound with her. She is feisty and crashes the boards going full speed. When she gets those rebounds, she worked for her placement and held the box out to secure the rebound. Even if she does not get the rebound, if she can get a finger on it, she will tip it to someone on our team who can get it."
Parr explained to me that she had a lot of fun trying to immerse herself in Italian culture:
"I was in an elementary Italian class so I was able to learn some of the basics. It was very difficult to communicate because when I tried to speak the little Italian I did know the natives knew I was American. I got a little discouraged at times, but I did the best I could. I really enjoyed the gelato and my favorite shop was La Carria in Santa Croce. I tried eggplant and zucchini 'the Italian way' and I really enjoyed both. I lived in an apartment with four other roommates but I did get my own room which was a bonus."
Marone talked about when Parr returned home:
"She returned home early and surprised me, I cried out of joy. She laughed but that's a T thing."
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