Diego Parada is 25 years old and has been playing basketball since he was 11. “I started at the 25 de Agosto club, which was close to my neighborhood, and I haven’t stopped playing since,” he said.
This year, the ORT basketball team finished as runner-up in the University Sports League and was promoted to Division A after defeating Old Christians Club 3-1 in the semifinal series. Parada, who joined the ORT team in early 2022, is a senior pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Communication with a focus on Advertising and Marketing; he previously studied Information Technology Analysis and, in addition, began a Bachelor’s degree in Systems this year.
In this talk, he looked back on the past year in sports and also reflected on how to balance sports and academics.
You just finished as runners-up and were promoted to Division A. How do you feel about this achievement?
Achieving promotion—which was our main goal—is a testament to the entire team: we’ve been working toward this for the past two years. Last year, we were left with a bitter taste in our mouths after losing a first-round playoff series in which we were the favorites to win.
I think the team really showed how much it has grown this year, maintaining a high level of play while staying united and focused during the tough times. I believe that’s what allowed us to win two extremely tough playoff series and move up to Division A.
It was a bitter pill to swallow that we didn't win the championship and cap off a magnificent year: we won 15 out of 18 games in the regular season, losing only two. But in the final, the team was missing some key players.
What does it mean to you to be the league's leading scorer?
It's a personal achievement, but it still pales in comparison to what the team accomplished, which was our main goal: securing promotion.
I think it's a testament to the whole team's performance: we have a great squad with great players, and scoring goals isn't an individual achievement—it's a team effort.
Other players have many strengths—some on defense, others on offense, and still others at passing the ball—and this time it just so happened that I scored most of the goals, though it could just as easily have been someone else.
You’re almost done with your bachelor’s degree in Communication, you took courses in Information Technology, and this year you also started a bachelor’s degree in Systems. How do you balance your studies and sports?
To be honest, at times it’s been hard to balance my studies with social activities and sports. I’ve had to take multiple courses at the same time, and sometimes midterms overlap, for example. But it’s also reassuring to know that I’m studying subjects I enjoy and that I have the opportunity to pursue both degrees simultaneously, knowing that they’ll be a huge asset to my career.
How important is sports to you?
Sports play a very important role in my life. From a psychological standpoint, it’s very relaxing; it’s a place where I can forget about everything and simply focus on what I’m doing—something I’m enjoying. From a social standpoint, being part of ORT’s sports activities has brought me closer to many wonderful people; I’ve made friends, and if it weren’t for sports, many of those connections wouldn’t exist today.