High School Standouts: Marion’s Wolfe takes life lessons from five-sport career

MARION, Va. (WJHL) – Marion graduate Parker Wolfe was never without something to do during his four years at the high school level. There was at least one activity always in-season.

“[I played] Football and golf – basketball and indoor [track] and soccer. I did outdoor [track] last year, but didn’t do it this year – too much.”

His earliest love was hoops – and he remembers well the AAU days with some local friends.

“The teams down there were obviously way better than us,” he smiled. “But, you know, that’s kind of where it started.”

On the court, he craved the frenetic pace.

“You’re sweating, it’s hard work – it’s kind of thing you got to push through,” he said. “It’s one of the things that builds character for the future.”

But, he lived for the locker room camaraderie.

“Music going, LED lights on, flashing – everybody screaming – it was pretty fun,” he explained.

Almost as fun as playing outside linebacker on the gridiron.

“I miss it already, you know, because you get out there and you get to hit somebody for fun,” he said.

Wolfe played with a passion on both sides of the ball, also spending time at wide receiver.

“You can go out there, take some weight off your shoulders – a little bit of anger, a little big of emotions and just leave it out there on the field,” he said.

It’s an altogether different feeling than being in the starting eleven on the soccer pitch. But, there was a unique quality about the team he helped captain to a Class 2A state quarterfinal appearance this season.

“We all look at each other as brothers – it’s no different,” he said.

But, it’s the time he spent alone in the tee box that’s given him, perhaps, the best perspective.

“You get one bad shot, you get mad – you gotta let it go,” he explained, “you just gotta let the things that hold you back go.”

He’ll forge ahead to Virginia Highlands Community College this fall to start a two-year carpentry class, as he hopes to obtain a contractors license soon after.

“Eventually [I want] to start a business – I’d like to be building houses,” he said. “Ever since I was little, I kind of watched grandpa in the garage build stuff. I was like ‘that’s pretty cool.’ … it’s just fun to do.”

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