A young man’s life turned around

Robbing people for money, fighting anyone who got in his way, chasing girls and a “I don’t care attitude” put high school dropout Tysean Parker on a path to personal destruction, despite having succeeded academically and possessing basketball skills that would have colleges at his doorstep.

However, it wasn’t until Parker, 20, a former Far Rockaway resident now living in Inwood, met Nicole Di Iorio, who runs the Inwood-based Hard Knox youth group that his life began to turn around. Hard Knox seeks to teach respect, manners and positive decision-making to young men through tough love and basketball.

Parker, who comes from a family of 11 boys and two girls, began his downward spiral more than four years ago, when his older brother Dominic Williamson was shot and killed on May 28, 2007.

“I was waiting for him to come home,” said Parker, who was two years younger than Williamson and emulated his brother, an amateur boxer. “I didn’t believe it at first, I was the last one they told. My heart just paused.”

His entire life not only paused, but went into reverse. A summer of playing basketball became two months of outward aggression. An August Martin High School sophomore with an 88 average became a junior with a 40 average, then a drop out in 2009.

“I was very aware of what I was doing, I had a, didn’t care attitude,” Parker said as he sat in a Number Two School room on a recent Wednesday night. “I didn’t want to trust anybody,” he added, admitting he pushed everyone away, including his mother.

He attempted to try school again last year, and attended Queens Academy, an alternative school in Jamaica Queens. Parker also played basketball there, but lost his motivation again. Based on his lower grades from August Martin, he was placed in classes geared for slower learners.

“I was bored, I lost focus,” said Parker, who met Di Iorio at an August basketball tournament a week prior to Hurricane Irene. It was the calm before the storm that began to quell the troubles in his life.

Di Iorio, who demonstrated more concern for a finger injury Parker suffered in a game than his coach, gave him her cell number. He called 10 minutes before the agreed upon time of 7 p.m., because Parker said if he didn’t he would of forgotten. It is moments like that that lives turn. She got him into a GED program, ensured he was placed with adults to not lose focus, and has Parker playing basketball for Hard Knox.

The 5-foot-7-inch guard, can “leap out of the gym,” according to Di Iorio, and averages 32 points per game, 16 assists, 12 steals and despite his smaller stature grabs a dozen rebounds a game, based on stats provided by Di Iorio.

It wasn’t all peaches and cream. Less than three weeks into Parker’s tenure with Hard Knox, he regressed to his street behavior and was called on it by a younger friend and Di Iorio. “Humble, considerate and respectful weren’t words you would use to describe Tysean,” she said. He noted he was pushing her away.

But, as he has gained a handle on his anger, Parker began to assert himself as a leader and even recruited new members to Hard Knox. “I have seen a change and improvement,” said Isaiah Williams, who questioned Parker’s ability to lead not too long ago. “He is not of control, is a good leader, I have no problems with the new Tysean,” said Anthony Williams, no relation to Isaiah.

Awaiting his GED certificate, Parker is looking to attend a college, where he can play hoops. “I didn’t believe it before, but whatever I put my mind to I can do,” Parker said.