Holding Their Own: Coach Edward Parker Builds a Legacy in Fort Wayne
By La’Crystele Brown
FWIS Contributing Writer
Coach Edward Parker’s story begins on the South Side of Fort Wayne, moving through hallways at Croninger Elementary, Southwick, Prince Chapman, and eventually Harding High School. He played ball as a freshman, then life rerouted him, though the game never really left.
What stayed with him most were the steady hands that helped raise him. At Croninger, he met Mr. Lawrence Jordan, a man Parker still talks to today. Both Lawrence and his son, Justin Jordan, helped him in different ways when he started coaching. At the Boys & Girls Club, Joe Jordan was another guiding presence. Their families have long been close, especially since Joe’s brother, Walter Jordan, and Parker’s uncle Eugene Parker played basketball together at Purdue. Parker and Joe’s son, Jason Jordan, have been good friends since childhood, and Joe himself stepped in to help Parker when he first began coaching.
His mentors also included his uncle Raymond Odom, a retired sheriff. And then there was his legendary uncle Eugene Parker—more than just a mentor, he was a father figure. Eugene built a remarkable career as a sports agent, lawyer, and entrepreneur before passing in 2016, and his impact continues to shape Parker’s journey.
Years later, when Parker started coaching, his reason was simple: bring back something affordable and family-centered for kids on the South Side. He remembers the old SAC programs that kept kids busy and safe, and he wanted to pass that on. He learned by doing, helping other coaches, partnering with programs like Indiana Elite and Crew Life, then stepping out to make his own path. The name he chose wasn’t just a banner; it was a standard: Hold Your Own. Be accountable. Stand on your effort. Grow into someone others can count on.
Like any honest beginning, there were bumps. Parker will tell you he was learning alongside the kids. There were tough conversations with parents and long nights figuring out how to make a program work. But one lesson carried him through: rules only mean anything when they’re built on relationships. Once trust is real, the kids will give you everything they’ve got.
That trust is why HYO feels like family. Parker took in boys other teams passed over and watched them mature. Attitudes softened, grades climbed, leadership showed up where frustration used to be. He loves to win, sure, but he measures success by who his players become. This past season, with a roster that sometimes held to just six, the boys chose each other—every practice, every trip, every possession. That loyalty carried them all the way to Atlanta, where they won Nationals. The pride in Parker’s voice isn’t about the trophy; it’s about how they got there together.
Ask what makes HYO different and you’ll hear the same heartbeat: it’s deeper than basketball. Parker checks on school, home, and what’s weighing on a kid’s mind. Parents call him because they know he sees the whole child, not just a stat line. Practices are joyful and demanding at once—fun, but anchored in the three D’s he preaches: defense, discipline, determination. It’s a rhythm that keeps kids coming back season after season.
HYO primarily serves grades 7 and up, but the circle is widening. Parker and his staff are open to adding a sixth-grade team this year, and they also run a club team that can field coed squads. The program also includes kids from Marion, Indiana, giving it an even broader reach across communities. It’s part of the program’s simple promise: give more kids a place to grow.
Looking ahead, HYO is pushing for bigger opportunities, rejoining the Adidas-aligned Indiana Elite circuit to give players more exposure, while Parker continues to grow on the high school side of the game. After a year coaching Northrop’s JV squad, he steps into the role of varsity assistant this season, and one day he hopes to lead a program of his own. He admits there were moments when the politics and pressures of AAU made him question staying in, but the kids always bring him back. “It’s those couple of kids who look at you like, ‘Coach, what about me?’” he says. “You don’t wanna let them down.”
Parker is quick to name the people who helped carry HYO forward: Rob Lane, who coaches one of the other HYO teams and keeps the standard high; Rapheal Davis, who supported the program through Crew Life Foundation and came in hands-on to work with the kids; and Taylor Kern, Northrop’s freshman coach, who stepped in to assist at HYO and poured time and care into practices. To Parker, this isn’t his program alone. It belongs to the parents, the mentors, and the coaches who showed up when it mattered most.
And for others who might want to start a team of their own, Parker offers advice born from both joy and hard lessons: have patience, build real bonds with parents, and be strong. There will be times when players you’ve poured your heart into will leave, and it will hurt. But remember the ones who stay, the ones who appreciate you. That’s what matters. Block out the noise and keep going.
In Fort Wayne, because of Coach Parker, kids are learning more than schemes and sets. They’re learning how to hold their own and, in doing so, how to hold each other up. The story is still unfolding, the circle still widening, and there’s room for whoever needs a place to grow.
If you want your child to be part of HYO, or if you’re interested in volunteering as a coach, reach out to Coach Edward on Instagram at @HYO or call/text +1 (260) 341-0079. The next chapter is waiting.