48 not out for Rob
ROB Parkes just lives and breathes local sport.
The Suburban Parks A grade cricket coach and MA Olympic football club stalwart has been involved with Townsville’s sporting scene for 48 years, and he has no plans on slowing down any time soon.
Starting his love affair with football at five years of age, Parkes took up cricket three years later, playing his first game for local club Norths.
From there Parkes became an established senior grade player in both codes, scoring representative selection in the XXXX Cup and playing at the crease with English legend Ian Botham.
Apart from the odd hiatus, Parkes has been involved with both codes all his life, and despite hanging up the boots in the early 1990s, his passion for sport remains as strong as ever.
“People say when they finish sport, they miss the camaraderie,” Parkes said.
“That was what I love about playing sport the most; the company of your teammates.
“So I stayed involved, and through that I’ve been able to maintain longterm friendships.’’
Parkes has coached MA Olympic for 12 seasons in the North Queensland Football Premier League season since 1989, been a coach of North Queensland representative teams and is currently on the board of North Queensland United.
“I’ve had my ups and downs, but I’d say Olympic has been without doubt the most successful club in our competition,” Parkes said. “There are years when the success dries up, but sometimes they are the most enjoyable years.
“I’ve had plenty of happy moments in cricket as well.
“I got to play with Ian Botham in the mid ’ 80s as part of the XXXX Cup competition, so to bat with one of the all- time greats was a real highlight. There were some great players around that time too, like Sam Scuderi. But players that we have today like ( Suburban Parks players) Justin Dixon, Riley Ward and Mark Taviani are just as good as those blokes who played 30 years ago.”
Having been part of the local sporting community for so long, Parkes is eager to see enjoyment remain the top priority for junior athletes.
“Too often we hear the word ‘ pathway’ being used in junior sport,” he said. “It’s very often the first word used when talking about it, but ‘ fun’ should be the first.”