• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About Us
  • Videos
    • Featured Video
    • Foodie Friday
    • Monthly ReCap
  • Online E-Editions
    • This Week’s E-Editions
    • 2023
    • 2022
    • 2021
    • 2020
    • 2019
    • 2018
    • 2017
    • 2016
    • 2015
    • 2014
  • Social Media
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
  • Advertising
  • Local Jobs
  • Puzzles & Games
  • Circulation Request

The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

  • Home
  • News
    • Land O’ Lakes
    • Lutz
    • Wesley Chapel/New Tampa
    • Zephyrhills/East Pasco
    • Business Digest
    • Senior Parks
    • Nature Notes
    • Featured Stories
    • Photos of the Week
    • Reasons To Smile
  • Sports
    • Land O’ Lakes
    • Lutz
    • Wesley Chapel/New Tampa
    • Zephyrhills and East Pasco
    • Check This Out
  • Education
  • Pets/Wildlife
  • Health
    • Health Events
    • Health News
  • What’s Happening
  • Sponsored Content
    • Closer Look
  • Homes
  • Obits
  • Public Notices
    • Browse Notices
    • Place Notices

Raheem Taylor-Parkes makes U.S. team

October 12, 2011 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Academy at the Lakes soccer talent represents the nation

By Kyle LoJacono

Academy at the Lakes eighth grader and Wesley Chapel resident Raheem Taylor-Parkes isn’t like most 13 year olds.

His idea of a great day doesn’t include video games, computers or lying around. Taylor-Parkes prefers hot, summer days on the soccer field, pushing his body to its limits to fulfill his dream of becoming a professional player.

The 5-foot-4 forward took a step toward achieving that goal this summer when he was selected as one of 12 players for the U.S. U14 national soccer team. The program is the direct feeder system for the men’s squad that represents the United States in the Olympics and World Cup.

“It was amazing to be picked,” Taylor-Parkes said. “It was very difficult because there were a lot of good players there. I knew I had to play my best to be able to compete.”

Academy athletic director Tom Haslam said Taylor-Parkes is the first Wildcat to be picked for an Olympic development program (OPD).

“This puts him as one of the top players in the nation in his age group,” Haslam said. “It’s really a big thing. … He’s exactly the kind of kid we love having here at the academy. He is a great kid, and it’s really nice to see something like this happen to him.”

Taylor-Parkes tried out for a local ODP team earlier this year and made the final cut. From there he was selected for the state and regional teams before learning in July he was picked for the national squad.

Taylor-Parkes was born near Toronto, Canada, where he first developed a passion for soccer around age 8.

“One day I was just kicking around a soccer ball with one of my friends, and I wanted to sign up after that,” Taylor-Parkes said. “From that day I’ve wanted to play soccer. I want to be a professional. I’m not going to let a little hard work stand in the way.”

Academy boys soccer coach Roland Moldovan said Taylor-Parkes has a focus and desire to get better that he hasn’t seen in his seven years teaching the game.

“He talks like an adult,” Moldovan said. “That’s one of the first things I noticed about him is I could talk to him like an adult and he would understand the concepts. And from there he has always talked about being a professional. That’s his goal and that maturity he has is clear. He wants it, he acts like it, he practices like it and he really behaves like that.

“Of course he’s a natural talent,” Moldovan continued. “He’s so natural that even when he is working hard it looks effortless.”

Moldovan became the Wildcats coach early this year, but he has known Taylor-Parkes for about three years. He has given Taylor-Parkes private training sessions, but has coached against the budding talent in club soccer.

Taylor-Parkes plays with the Brandon Flames, a competitive travel soccer club, while Moldovan was a coach in the Fusion Futbol Club of Tampa Bay in New Tampa and Forest Hills.

Taylor-Parkes is the second player Moldovan has coached that has made an ODP team, following Atsou Ayah who made the U15 squad in 2009.

“When Atsou was picked for the national team I got him and Raheem to train together,” Moldovan said. “I remember one time they were practicing in December and it was raining really hard and it was really cold. I told them let’s go home, and both said ‘no no no coach we’ll be fine.’ They stayed and played for another hour, so Raheem puts in the hard work. ”

Taylor-Parkes came to the academy as a seventh grader after attending John Long Middle the year before.

While he was not born in the United States, Taylor-Parkes can’t stop smiling when talking about the chance to play for a U.S. national team.

“It’s fantastic to be able to represent my country,” Taylor-Parkes said.

Next up for the U14 team is a tournament in San Diego Nov. 23-28, where the national team will play the regional teams from around the country.

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Email
  • Print

Like this:

Like Loading...

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Primary Sidebar

Search

Sponsored Content

6 Reasons to Consider Remodeling your Bathroom with CMK Construction

March 21, 2023 By Kelli Carmack

Have you wanted to remodel your bathroom for a while now, but need that little extra push to make your decision? Check … [Read More...] about 6 Reasons to Consider Remodeling your Bathroom with CMK Construction

Avalon Applauds African American Club of Pasco

March 7, 2023 By Kelli Carmack

One of Avalon Park Wesley Chapel’s main missions is being a champion for culture. “Celebrating culture is a vital … [Read More...] about Avalon Applauds African American Club of Pasco

More Posts from this Category

What’s Happening

03/27/2023 – Humpty Dumpty

The Starkey Ranch Theatre Library Cultural Center, 12118 Lake Blanche Drive in Odessa, will present “Once Upon a STEM: Humpty Dumpty” on  March 27 at 4 p.m., for kindergarten through third grade. Participants can learn to build contraptions that will save their ‘eggs’ (environmentally safe, no real eggs) from their fall. Registration is required online at PascoLibraries.org. … [Read More...] about 03/27/2023 – Humpty Dumpty

03/29/2023 – Adult Tabletop Games

The Starkey Ranch Theatre Library Cultural Center, 12118 Lake Blanche Drive in Odessa, will host an Adult Tabletop Game Night on March 29 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., for ages 18 and older. Games will include: big Jenga, life-sized connect four, dominoes, playing cards, assorted board games, and more. For information, call 727-815-7126. … [Read More...] about 03/29/2023 – Adult Tabletop Games

03/30/2023 – Watercolor painting

The Starkey Ranch Theatre Library Cultural Center, 12118 Lake Blanche Drive in Odessa, will host “Tween Hangout: Watercolor Painting” on March 30 from 3:30 p.m. to 4:15 p.m., for free after-school painting in the courtyard. For information, call 727-815-7126. … [Read More...] about 03/30/2023 – Watercolor painting

04/01/2023 – Bunny Hop Eggstravaganza

The Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex, 3032 Collier Parkway, will host a Bunny Hop Eggstravaganza on April 1 from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. There will be bounce houses, games, music, food trucks, and scheduled egg scrambles. The event will be at the outside football fields and basketball court. Registration is required to participate in the egg scrambles. The cost is $3 per child. Children ages 2 to 10 can register with their age division and time frame at Secure.rec1.com/FL/pasco-county-fl/catalog. For questions, call 813-929-1220. … [Read More...] about 04/01/2023 – Bunny Hop Eggstravaganza

04/01/2023 – Cacti and Things

Kessler’s Cacti and Things will host its annual Spring Plant Sale on April 1 and April 2 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., rain or shine, at Bearss Grove, 14316 Lake Magdalene Blvd., in Tampa. The event features thousands of plant varieties, and an assortment of specimen and collector’s plants. For information, email . For questions and directions, call 813-264-5614. … [Read More...] about 04/01/2023 – Cacti and Things

04/01/2023 – Dade City Art Walk

The Downtown Dade City Art Walk will take place April 1 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. There will be more than 20 art locations for guests to meet the artists and shop local artwork, as well as a little Pre-Casso Exhibit for young aspiring artists. There will be an opening ceremony at 5 p.m., along with a map distribution, at Florida Cracker Lunch on Limoges. … [Read More...] about 04/01/2023 – Dade City Art Walk

More of What's Happening

Archives

 

 

Where to pick up The Laker and Lutz News

Copyright © 2023 Community News Publications Inc.

   
%d bloggers like this: