We talk to Ezy Parsons about adversity and success
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN VICTORY AND DEFEAT
What an incredible woman ,I think after my talk with Ezria ‘Ezy’ Parsons. I reflect how the world can throw anything at some people, yet have no effect upon their outlook on life, their unshakable positive attitude. Some people are made of a rare and unbreakable metal, yet are not cold to the touch, or too hard or unyielding. A precious metal which adds value to the lives of all it comes in contact with. Ezy, I decide, is made of such a metal. The passionate coach of the Toowoomba Mountaineers women's team grew up a world away in a small Florida town, USA. From an early age, Ezy’s metal has known the touch of fire and hammer. Her father passed away when she was three months old, tragically leaving her mother to raise eight children. Showing true grit, her mother decided to keep the family together, come what may. “She could’ve dropped us off here and there, but she decided to keep us together,” said Ezy. Her grandmother, aunt and older siblings helped out, while her mother worked two jobs to support them. Being the youngest, Ezy often followed her older siblings around. “I was a bit of a tomboy. I wanted to play football and baseball with them,” she told me. When she was about 12 years old, she started following her siblings to the basketball court. This was when she started to develop the skills Toowoomba eventually became accustomed to seeing on display so regularly over the years. “My siblings and I were all competitive and I just picked it up for fun,” she said. I asked Ezy whether she was ever confronted with the idea that basketball was a men’s sport. She told me the sports which were traditionally considered ‘men’s’ sports, were dominant in her town but this did not stop her or faze her. “When we were girls, basketball was always a boys’ sport, but I didn’t care what kind of sport it was. If it sparked my interest, I played it more and more.” In her senior year of high school, her team made it to the state championships for the first time. Again tragedy struck Ezy’s family, when one of her brothers was shot on the day of the semi-finals. “We had to play the next day,” remembered Ezy.. Ever her staunchest supporters, her mother and her family urged Ezy to play, despite all that had happened. “So I ran on the court and played and, even though we lost, I played a pretty awesome game.” Ezy was voted the co-MVP after the game. “That was unheard of, for someone of the losing team to get co-MVP,” she explained. It wasn’t until scholarships started coming in, that she started looking at basketball as a conduit to the future. “I took it more seriously and started putting extra work and time into it.” A basketball scholarship offered her the chance to complete her degree. “I used my skills in basketball to get a free education. I couldn’t afford it, my mum couldn’t afford it. So when the scholarship offers started coming in, I took it.” While in college, she fell in love with basketball all over again. It eventually led her to a training camp in the WNBA, where she dislocated her shoulder in the third round. Playing in the WNBA was not to be, but this didn’t buckle Ezy. After the injury, an old team mate from Toowoomba persuaded Ezy to visit her in Australia. “I just packed up and came, and I fell in love with the place,” said Ezy. Despite not having any intention to stay, she did. “I just took the opportunity to come see my friend and it ended up with me playing basketball for half the year, and going home to see my family for the other half of the year.” After travelling between Australia and the US for a while, she was offered contracts to work in Australia and Toowoomba became a home away from home. Over the next couple of years, she would play for the Mountaineers before eventually being asked to coach her beloved team mates. Despite having a couple of wins with the Toowoomba Mountaineers, Ezy said the highlight of her coaching career so far was taking the under-12 teams at South West Metro Pirates from almost dead-last to second in Queensland. “We had no girls to register, so we waived the fee and invited any girl who wanted to play. Half of them couldn’t catch or dribble, but we
had them out there actually learning the game and succeeding.” Today, she has big plans for her club.. “I heard Toowoomba used to be really competitive and I’m trying to rebuild that again to where it’s all about commitment to the sport,” she said. Interest in basketball, particularly among children and women, is increasing. I asked her what she would say to kids, specifically girls, who are a bit shy about trying basketball for the first time. “I would say, give it a try. Don’t ever be embarrassed about what you can’t do. Just work on the things you can control and improve, and I guarantee you will succeed in anything, not just basketball.” Ezy wants to help disadvantaged children. “I come from a troubled area. I could’ve been a statistic, but instead of that I use my story to let kids know you don’t have to be a product of your environment.” She wants children to know, even if their journey might take a little more work, or a different or longer route, they can go places. “You just have to be a good person and work on it. Don’t expect anything and work for everything.” What did I tell you? A rare metal indeed, tested several times over and resulting in the bright sheen we see today. In the words of legendary US basketball coach, Don Haskins: “It’s not about talent, it’s about heart.”
‘‘ You don’t have to be a product of your environment.” EZRIA ‘EZY’ PARSONS