Ocampo Sets New Heights for Pakmen

By DAVID WINER

In society, repeating a year bears a negative stigma.

There’s the connotation that you can’t pass the muster. That you are a failure and a loser.

Nothing can be further from the truth when scrutinizing the two-year odyssey Parker Ocampo recently completed.

Playing up an age group, Ocampo helped propel the Pakmen Volleyball Club to the U18 Youth Nationals gold medal in 2024, then stuck around to duplicate the feat with a new cast of teammates last month.

A winning accomplishment that sent ripples, if not shock waves, through the national volleyball community making him a hot commodity with post secondary volleyball hotbeds.

It’s an unheard of development for the diminutive Oakville resident who literally always played in his teammates’ shadows when growing up in the Pakmen rep system.

Taking on the challenging Libero position from an early age, Ocampo grew into the post’s enormous responsibilities to arguably become the best at his position and age in Canada.

Asked how he chose playing Libero, Ocampo, in a roundabout way, responded that the position chose him.

“That’s kind of a hard one to answer haha! I was always the smallest on my team – by a lot – all the way up until I’d say the end of the 16U-17U season. So I would say my physicality didn’t force me into the Libero position, but allowed me to excel in the technically challenging skills needed, such as passing and defense. Being smaller than all of my older and stronger teammates, I was able to set my mind to honing my fundamentals, which later translated to excelling as a ball control specialist/Libero.

“I had always been at least 2-3 inches shorter than the second shortest player on my team,” added Ocampo. “So in 17U when I had my first big growth spurt, and became more physical, I didn’t once think of becoming anything other than a Libero. This proved how dedicated to the position I was because I actually enjoy it, rather than doing it because I was ‘forced’ into the role.”

No longer noticeably smaller than many of his cohorts, at 6-foot-2 and 175 pounds, the 18-year-old Thomas A. Blakelock Grade 12 student is now setting his sights on his next great adventure and challenge by moving across the country to compete for the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds.

“Honestly, if I had to give one reason for choosing UBC, and I’m not even kidding, it would be because it was the closest thing to Pakmen. I felt a strong sense of shared values, community, care, competitiveness and passion, all in the same way I feel with Pakmen. Everyone says ‘when you know you know’ and that’s the gut feeling I had when I visited UBC. I felt comfortable instantly in the same way I do when I represent Pakmen Black and Gold.”

UBC head coach Michael Hawkins, who is entering his eighth season, is giddy about Ocampo’s decision and can’t wait to add him to his vaunted group of Liberos.

“I’m more than happy to chat about Parker,” said Hawkins, whose winningest Canadian programme over the past decade just took another leap.

“It’s been really apparent watching Parker that not only is he an incredibly technical Libero, but he commands the back row with great poise and leadership. At the highest levels of volleyball, being a good Libero isn’t only about having the skills and technique required to handle serve and attack pressure. You need to have the proper mindset and be able to exude that confidence to your other receivers in order to be a true game changer. Every time I’ve been able to watch Parker over these last few years, it’s been clear he possesses all of those qualities. That’s a major reason why he’s had so much success in his youth career; both for Pakmen and with Volleyball Canada’s National Excellence Program and U19, on the court and even on the beach! There are few Canadian athletes in history who have had the level of success he has had and we can’t wait for him to bring that winning mindset into our culture.

“We are thrilled for the competition we’re going to have in training which we know is only going to make our athletes better,” continued Hawkins. “Parker is entering a team with the two-time Libero of the Year in Logan Greves, and Calvin Hsu, one of two Liberos invited to U21 tryouts. Parker will have the chance to learn from two of the best Liberos in the country and two guys who know how to train properly to develop into top players. At the end of the day, they all know that the athlete who is performing the best and allows our team to perform it’s best, is going to see the floor.”

When Parker’s parents Dave and Lisa first introduced Parker to organized volleyball, they didn’t dream his abilities would eventually take him across the country, nor grant him experience training under the umbrella of Volleyball Canada.

“We never really knew Parker would be a ‘star’ in the sport,” shared Lisa. “We always knew he had talent, but never to the degree it has taken him.

“We always heard people say he was going to go places, but we always ensured he was humble and grounded with his abilities and to always work hard, be competitive, be a great teammate and have fun.”

Perhaps it’s Dave and Lisa’s draw to the sport that drove Parker’s passion and desire to be amongst the sport’s upper echelon.

“Dave and I played throughout elementary and high school and briefly in post secondary,” explained Lisa adding, “Our love of the sport started at an early age and evolved until now.”

Their love for the sport eventually led to their love for each other.

“We both played after university in numerous adult competitive leagues, and that’s where we met, playing both beach and indoor as adults!”

It is no wonder that volleyball was going to play a big part in Parker’s adolescence.

“Dave and I showed Parker our love of the game early on when Parker was little and we

would play with him in the backyard, or make many visits to the beach where we would

pepper.

“Like many young kids, Parker started out with Timbits soccer and then explored rep.

It was after his second tryout for the rep team, when he was about 8, when Parker

came home from the tryout and said that soccer wasn’t for him…and said he wanted to try volleyball. So the next day, I was googling volleyball for youth, and I registered him in a Pakmen camp at Canlan.

“The soccer coach called me, hoping that Parker would return, mentioning how

coachable Parker was and that, of all the young athletes he had coached, Parker was

the first to come to him, ask questions about the game and could have a conversation with him.”

But Parker’s mind was made up and the family proceeded from there.

“After the half-day camp at Canlan, we registered him in Spikes at EC Drury. This is where he met coach Matt Deets and he continued there for a couple years where we were very impressed with the skill development and overall organization of the camps and programs.

“Then, Parker was approached at one of the summer camps and encouraged to try out for the first boys 12U rep team when he was 10. Our commitment to Pakmen grew from there.”

Since Parker’s exposure to Pakmen, younger sister Peyton has followed in his footsteps.

“Peyton watched her brother from the beginning, since she was about 6, but we were never sure whether or not she would pursue volleyball. She decided to start playing around 8, again through Spikes, camps and then rep at 11U. It was evident then how much she watched and learned from her brother and wanted to travel a similar path.”

Now, Peyton is completing her 16U season with the Pakmen Gold team and will return as a Libero next fall with the 17U squad.

And Peyton will no doubt improve her play with the same kind of expert coaching Parker has benefitted from over the years.

“Parker has been exposed to numerous coaches who have helped him along his journey to become the player he is today,” said Lisa. “At 12U Parvir (Jhajj) and Sumeer (Majhel) instilled the core fundamental skills; from 14U-17U Ho Juen (Chan) and Gagan (Majhel) helped refine his skills and talent further; and in 18U, Jessy (Satti), Dave McAllister, Omar (Jazar), Osemi (Efosa) and Gagan allowed him to establish his presence and game IQ on the court.”

Lisa feels Parker’s play turned dramatically for the better when he began some one-on-one sessions.

“At 15U Parker started training privately with (club head coach) Jessy, and this was the turning point when it came to Parker’s increased development and IQ. Jessy helped Parker develop not only as a player, but also as a person.

“Pakmen, to us, is not just an organization, it has become an extended part of our family over the past eight years and will continue for years to come.”

And, along with the exceptional experience Parker has enjoyed with Pakmen, Lisa adds the coaching of The National Excellence Program’s Dan Lewis and Dave Preston over the past two years has cemented Parker’s standing among the best up-and-coming Libero’s in the country.

And along the way, Parker has made bonds and friendships with players and coaches that he will continue to develop well into his adulthood.

“I feel I instantly fell in love with the game from the start,” reflected Parker. “But if I had to think of a time when I decided this is what I want to do, it would be in my first year of rep with Parvir, where I met all my closest friends to this day and got to experience a higher level of volleyball than what I experienced at the developmental level.

“The part of volleyball I really fell in love with was the team and comradery aspect of the game. I was the youngest on the team when I started rep, and this continued all the way until my first 18U year. And even though I was the youngest on the team, everyone treated me as an equal and didn’t care that I was smaller and younger. However, I also had a strong sense of brotherhood with my teammates, with many of them feeling like big brothers to me.”

Such experiences, says Parker, is due to choosing the Pakmen way from the beginning.

“Pakmen just offers so many different programs for all skill levels and age groups compared to any other club,” explained Parker. “And, this wide range of camps gave me the opportunity to explore volleyball eventually leading me where I am now.

“First, coach Niko (Rukavina) suggested I tryout for Pakmen’s first-ever 12U boys team coached by Parvir. Luckily I made the team and that’s where my Pakmen journey began. That was eight years ago. This club has been a part of my family ever since. My sister and I have developed great relationships with coaches and teammates through the club.

“I will always preach that the coaching at Pakmen is second to none. Over the years I’ve had various coaches perfect my development. Parvir from 12-13U developed my fundamentals and taught me about the game. From 14U-17U Ho Juen, instilled my grit and honed all my fine skills, through repetition and hard work. And in both my 18U years I had Jessy and Omar, round me out as a player, a leader and a person. These two years are when I would say I found my most development. I also started private sessions with Jessy in my 16U year to get valuable one-on-one touches, which were definitely a catalyst to my successes.”

And those successes include seven National titles, including 16U indoor and beach; 17U beach; 18U beach and the two indoor titles.

Both Satti and Jazar attest to Ocampo’s desire to improve and better his skills.

“Parker joined a team that already had a great bond,” said U18 head coach Jazar. But Parker fit in perfectly, becoming a part of the family instantly on and off the court. He brought a different dynamic from his previous team. And, he quickly took on the leadership role a Libero needs at all times in a game.

“Anyone who knows Parker, or has seen him play, knows his extensive Libero abilities, from taking more than half the court on serve receive, to digging hard driven balls outside of his body, to scurrying cross-court to get that chase ball. Parker did it all, and he did it with confidence. Liberos rarely get recognition in this sport, but Parker changed that strictly because of how he made it look so damn easy. Everyone noticed him!

“A Libero’s role is huge,” continued Jazar. “Not only do they need to make sure not a single ball touches the ground, but they have to ensure defence and serve receive are up to standard and lead accordingly given what the other team is dishing out. Every player has an instrumental role in winning National gold, and Parker made sure all players were up to the task.”

“Parker has developed into a great leader over the years,” agreed Satti. “He has put in a lot of extra work to be the player he is. On top of training three days a week with his team, he participated in private lessons with me once a week. He was very dedicated and committed to becoming a better defender and passer.

“Parker has also learned to be a great leader,” added Satti. “I saw him take on a lot of leadership in practices to be the best teammate he could be.

“He has a great work ethic and is a great teammate.”

And, where does it all go from here for Ocampo?

“My goal is to represent Team Canada on the Olympic Stage and play professionally,” says Ocampo. “Of course, I can imagine myself in this position, as I know I have to believe in myself no matter what, and with hard work and continued dedication to the craft it is 100 per cent achievable. For example if you asked my 12U self if I had thought I was playing on a National Championship team I wouldn’t have been surprised, as I know all the work I put in is towards a goal, and quoting my dad “trust the process”. That’s what I did.”

Anyone who has crossed paths with him over the years have little doubt Ocampo will continue his upward trajectory for another part of the country to enjoy.