Camden Parada is a freshman and starter on the Varsity basketball team at Aquinas High School. He lives at home with two younger brothers, Lincoln (8th grade) and Mason (5th grade), who also play basketball. He enjoys working out in his free time when he’s not practicing. Due to his dad’s time in the Army, Camden has had the opportunity to live in Ohio, Washington, North Carolina, Massachusetts, and now in Augusta, Georgia. He plans to one day play collegiate basketball.
When did your interest in basketball start?
I’ve played basketball as early as I could remember. I used to play other sports, like baseball and football when I was younger, but I started focusing exclusively on basketball in the seventh grade.
Who has been the greatest mentor in your training of the sport and why?
Although I’ve had some incredible trainers and coaches, my greatest mentor in basketball isn’t a trainer or a coach. It is my dad. My dad first introduced me to the sport and passed down his love of the game to me. He was also my first basketball coach, teaching me the basics of shooting a jump shot, making a layup, and other important aspects of the sport. He continues to be there for me every day and has always been my biggest fan and supporter.
What is your proudest moment or memory from a game?
My proudest moment was scoring a career-high 31 points earlier this season in a varsity game against Hephzibah. The occasion marked the most points I’ve ever totaled in a single game.
Who is your favorite basketball player (college or NBA), why?
My favorite basketball player has always been Lebron James. Born in Ohio, I was raised in a Cleveland Cavaliers family, but my favorite team has always been whatever team LeBron was playing for.
How do you channel your frustration in a game when a referee’s decision doesn’t go your way?
Whenever calls don’t go my way, I have to channel my frustration into leveling up my game instead of taking it out on my teammates, my coaches, or the referees, because otherwise, I’m hurting the team. After every loss, you hear plenty of outcries from fans and players of the losing team, many of which claim that “the refs lost the game for us,” or that “it was all the ref’s fault,” when, in fact, this is never true. Maybe the refs made a bad call down the stretch, but teams always have plenty of opportunities to win. Instead of blaming others, I remember to focus on what I could have done better, not what others should have done.
