{"id":15160,"date":"2018-04-04T10:22:03","date_gmt":"2018-04-04T16:22:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=15160"},"modified":"2025-01-17T13:31:54","modified_gmt":"2025-01-17T20:31:54","slug":"hit-the-mitt-home-runs-score-cash-for-kids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/hit-the-mitt-home-runs-score-cash-for-kids\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Hit the Mitt’ home runs score cash for kids"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

Parker Teff stands far from the basketball hoop and practices his 3-point shots.<\/p>\n

\"Hit
Parker Teff plays on three year-round basketball teams thanks to the Gold Crown Foundation. He was born with cerebral palsy. Sports help his muscles stay loose and healthy. Photo by Cyrus McCrimmon.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Then the 14-year-old works his magic: 23 times in a row, Parker aims the ball perfectly and it swishes in the net.<\/p>\n

The young phenom\u2019s basketball skills are all the more amazing because of the challenges he faced in utero and at birth.<\/p>\n

\n

Hit the Mitt<\/strong><\/p>\n

What: <\/strong>A new partnership with UCHealth and the Colorado Rockies to support home runs and youth sports and education.<\/p>\n

How it works:<\/strong> Each time Rockies players hit a home run that strikes anywhere on the 18-by-30 foot sign in left field, UCHealth donates $5,000 to the Gold Crown Foundation.<\/p>\n

When:<\/strong> Starting at the Rockies home opener on April 6 and running throughout the 2018 season.<\/p>\n

Why:<\/strong> To support the Rockies and the Gold Crown Foundation, which serves more than 20,000 kids annually through sports and education programs.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

During a routine ultrasound when Parker\u2019s mom was about 16 weeks pregnant, she and her doctors winced as the tiny baby in her belly appeared to suffer repeated strokes in his brain. She had to have ultrasounds every three days after that. Remarkably, Parker was OK. Then at birth, the umbilical cord encircled Parker\u2019s neck twice and lack of oxygen left him with cerebral palsy. Again, he\u2019s OK. Thanks to years of therapy and hours and hours of basketball that keep his muscles healthy and loose, Parker is thriving.<\/p>\n

The eighth-grader goes to Deer Creek Middle School now, plans to play at Chatfield High School<\/a> next year, then in college at a basketball powerhouse like Duke or Kansas, then in the NBA. His dream would be to play for his hometown Denver Nuggets<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Thanks to the Gold Crown Foundation<\/a>, Parker gets to play basketball year-round on three different teams.<\/p>\n

\"A
Every time Rockies players sham home runs that hit this new “Hit the Mitt” sign at Coors Field, Gold Crown Foundation will get $5,000.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s like a second home for me, a place where I always know I\u2019m welcome,\u201d Parker said during a visit to the Gold Crown Field House in Lakewood. \u201cIt\u2019s a place I can be me. I don\u2019t have to worry about people judging me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Let the slugging begin<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Gold Crown supports 20,000 boys and girls annually through youth sports and education programs. Now, courtesy of a new program with UCHealth<\/a> and the Colorado Rockies, the Gold Crown Foundation will get $5,000 every time Rockies players hit a home run that slams into a new UCHealth \u201cHit the Mitt\u201d sign at Coors Field, UCHealth will donate $5,000 to the\u00a0Gold Crown Foundation.<\/p>\n

\"Parker
Parker Teff used to play baseball, but his real passion is basketball. Photo courtesy of the Teff family.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThe more home runs, the better,\u201d said Manny Rodriguez, chief marketing and experience officer for UCHealth. \u201cWe all love seeing our Rockies players fire up their bats. Now, every time one of them hits this sign, they\u2019ll be scoring for the team and helping kids like Parker live healthy, extraordinary lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rodriguez said Gold Crown does a great job of providing opportunities to kids who otherwise wouldn\u2019t have them. That\u2019s why UCHealth is so enthusiastic about supporting the organization.<\/p>\n

Founded in 1986 by former Denver Nuggets player and coach, Bill Hanzlik, and his business partner Ray Baker, Gold Crown originally supported girls\u2019 basketball programs. Then, when Jeffco Public Schools<\/a> stopped providing after-school sports for middle schoolers in the late 1980s, Gold Crown stepped up to fill the void. Now, Gold Crown serves boys and girls, ages 6 to 18, on more than 500 teams in multiple sports, giving away nearly $100,000 in scholarships annually.<\/p>\n

\u201cParker is a great example of the types of players we see in our programs,\u201d Hanzlik said. \u201cWe aim to provide as many opportunities as possible to youth in the Denver area and the support from UCHealth and the Colorado Rockies through the Hit the Mitt program will only increase our ability to provide opportunities for more student-athletes like Parker.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018A normal life\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Parker\u2019s mom, Autumn Teff, said basketball means \u201cpretty much everything\u201d to her son and their family. Parker plays all year, all the time and all day if he gets the chance. He\u2019s been known to practice free throws and 3-pointers for four or five hours a day when he has time. The Teffs also have a younger son, Tanner, 12, who plays through Gold Crown.<\/p>\n

\"Parker
Parker loves basketball and is a sharp shooter from beyond the 3-point line. Photo by Cyrus McCrimmon.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cWhat does Gold Crown mean to us?\u201d Autumn says. \u201cIt makes Parker normal. He gets to be a regular kid and all the basketball keeps him from regressing.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s really nothing else like this on the west side of town. We pretty much live at Gold Crown,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The fact that Parker\u2019s alive, let alone excelling at school and sports is remarkable.<\/p>\n

Back when Autumn had that first ominous ultrasound, doctors became worried that Parker might be born with a fatal genetic disorder called Edwards Syndrome. If he did have Edwards, he would die within hours at birth.<\/p>\n

But weeks after the first ultrasound, the Teffs and their doctors watched during another one as Parker reached out with one of his arms and pushed on his mom\u2019s belly. Babies with Edwards tend to curl up in utero, unable to flex their arms and legs.<\/p>\n

Parker seemed to be sending a reassuring message: \u201cHey. I don\u2019t have a genetic disorder, and by the way, I\u2019m going to be into sports someday!\u201d<\/p>\n

A powerful athlete who happens to have cerebral palsy<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The birth was rough. Autumn and her husband feared that Parker wouldn\u2019t survive. In addition to the umbilical cord problems, Parker came out with a dislocated shoulder. The Teffs had no idea their baby had cerebral palsy (CP) until he was 9 months old.<\/p>\n

\"Parker
Parker spins a ball at the Gold Crown Field House in Lakewood. Every time a Rockies player hits a new UCHealth “Hit the Mitt” sign at Coors Field this year, Gold Crown will get $5,000. Photo by Cyrus McCrimmon.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cWe didn\u2019t think there were going to be lasting effects from the pregnancy and birth until we spotted some developmental issues. I realized he wasn\u2019t sitting up when he was supposed to be. He wasn\u2019t crawling when he should have been,\u201d Autumn said.<\/p>\n

She sought help right away from experts at Children\u2019s Hospital Colorado<\/a>. They diagnosed the CP and started Parker immediately on weekly physical therapy and twice-weekly occupational therapy sessions.<\/p>\n

CP affects Parker\u2019s muscles on his right side, but his brain development has been great and he\u2019s a whiz at math. Along with basketball in college, he might study engineering.<\/p>\n

Parker first started playing basketball with his dad at age 4 and hasn\u2019t stopped since. The Teffs love playing together and watch everything from high school games to college hoops and the pros.<\/p>\n

Since Parker was little, Autumn and her husband, Rob, spoke openly with their son and others about his CP. Normalizing it and getting help before he was a year old has transformed him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe raised him with the attitude that it\u2019s not a disability. There\u2019s no reason to hide it from your friends. When we meet a new coach, we simply say, \u2018FYI, he has cerebral palsy.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

They also underscore the importance of physical activity for Parker.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf he stops all this training, he could end up in a wheel chair,\u201d Autumn said. \u201cIt\u2019s never going to go away, but he\u2019s been able to overcome it. He\u2019s been able to train and stretch his muscles so much that it\u2019s not noticeable.\u201d<\/p>\n

An MVP for his teams and Gold Crown<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Parker is left-handed and when he\u2019s concentrating hard on a shot, his right arm sometimes flexes up close to his chest.<\/p>\n

Far from letting his CP weaken him, Parker turns it into a secret weapon. Sometimes kids on opposing teams fail to guard him diligently. And that\u2019s when Parker strikes.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not that fast, but I know how to get around people,\u201d he said, with a sly grin.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s also a master of precision. And he practices more than most. Parker has been picked as the MVP of his teams many times. And he\u2019s often the high scorer. His record so far has been 20 points in a game.<\/p>\n

\"Parker
Parker practices his dribbling at the Gold Crown Field House in Lakewood. Photo by Cyrus McCrimmon.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

One of his favorite players is Nate Robinson, an NBA slam dunk champion who wrote a book called Heart over Height<\/em>. Parker\u2019s also a fan of Denver Nugget, Jamal Murray.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s so calm and he\u2019s a deadeye from the 3-point line,\u201d Parker said.<\/p>\n

The Gold Crown Foundation recently gave Parker a special honor called the Amazing Alex Award, which honors a student who has inspired others. The award celebrates a girl named Alex, who pushed through cancer to inspire her teammates.<\/p>\n

Parker said getting the award was pretty cool.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt gave me a confidence boost, proving to myself that I can do it. No matter what happens to me, I can overcome it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Parker has sometimes faced teasing and bullying at school.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople make fun of kids who have disabilities. It\u2019s not cool,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

But when he hears stupid comments, he walks way.<\/p>\n

Parker gets plenty of respect on the basketball court and that\u2019s fine with him.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m an underdog, but I show that I can hang with people.\u201d<\/p>\n

Besides, said Parker, \u201cI\u2019m headed to the NBA.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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