When Adam Sparacio walked again out to the court docket earlier this week, the gang was electrical. It was Swampscott’s Senior Evening, and the Massive Blue had been set to tackle one of many state’s top-ranked groups with Salem paying a go to.
What most haven’t seen is the journey the senior captain took to get to that time. For the previous three years, Sparacio has been within the midst of his personal battle, having been recognized with a recurring mind tumor as a freshman. But, you wouldn’t realize it, particularly given how a lot of an influence he has had on the varsity’s basketball and baseball applications, respectively.
“As an individual, he’s simply one of the vital constructive children that I’ve ever been round,” Swampscott basketball coach Jason Knowles mentioned. “He’s obtained large braveness. The truth that he’s by no means as soon as sat again and felt sorry for himself, and he continues to maintain pushing ahead, I believe everybody can be taught from a child like Adam. It’s about what you have got now, and dealing with what you have got now, specializing in getting stronger and higher on a regular basis. That’s Adam in a nutshell. He’s a warrior.”
Two weeks in the past, Sparacio was named a finalist for the 2026 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Excessive College Basketball Braveness Award, which acknowledges highschool basketball gamers who’ve persistently gone above and past all through the basketball season and have demonstrated braveness of their method to their crew, faculty and neighborhood. The senior was certainly one of 10 nominees chosen from a pool of a whole bunch throughout the nation.
Knowles has been on the helm of the Massive Blue’s basketball program since 2019. He additionally serves because the assistant principal at Swampscott Center College, and runs an after-school basketball membership on the town. As early as Sparacio’s elementary faculty years, Knowles discovered himself attempting to persuade the younger pupil to select up the game.
“He had the dimensions,” Knowles mentioned. “He’s a superb child. We knew he’d be capable of decide it up. A superb athlete. If you see that standards in a child, you do all the pieces you may to attempt to get them to play basketball.”
By the point he was in eighth grade, Sparacio determined to present hoops a attempt. He rapidly realized he had a knack for the game, and fell in love with the sport. By the point freshman 12 months rolled round, he was already enjoying on the junior varsity stage.
“I’d say after my first season (it clicked),” Sparacio mentioned. “Immediately just about, after my first season I fell in love with it.”
Nevertheless, within the winter of 2023, Sparacio started to expertise constant complications, and began to undergo from vomiting spells. He was checked into Mass Normal Hospital in March.
“I had a surgical procedure to treatment the hydrocephalus, which I used to be recognized with due to the mind tumor, and in addition to ensure that the tumor wasn’t cancerous, ” Sparacio mentioned. “Fortunately, it was benign.”
After the surgical procedure, Sparacio was decided to get again to enjoying sports activities at Swampscott. After taking a while to recuperate, the younger freshman was enjoying junior varsity baseball for the Massive Blue one month later.
Throughout his sophomore 12 months, Sparacio was elevated to the varsity stage for Swampscott’s basketball crew. Whereas there have been minor setbacks, he performed many of the season. He had a second surgical procedure through the summer season, seeking to get again to full power. In his junior season, Sparacio was a full-go, ending with the third most minutes performed on the roster. The Massive Blue made an look within the Div. 3 event.
This previous summer season, Knowles known as his crew over for a gathering following a summer season league exercise. He had a shock in retailer.
“Coach Knowles pulled me apart after certainly one of our summer season league video games,” Sparacio mentioned. “In entrance of the entire crew, he really was like, ‘Congratulations, you’re a captain.’ (I used to be) alongside three good buddies in my grade, so it was good to listen to that.”
This winter, Sparacio has undergone three extra surgical procedures for hydrocephalus. Previous to doing so, the senior middle performed in two video games, main the Massive Blue to convincing wins over Gloucester and Winthrop.
“This child is without doubt one of the greatest human beings on the planet,” Knowles mentioned. “His angle (is impeccable), and he’s such a constructive human being. He’s simply checked out this as an impediment that he’s going to beat. He mentioned he knew that these things was going to occur, however was glad that he was capable of play two video games (this season). His outlook on life is extraordinary. He’s a really mature younger grownup.”
As Sparacio took on the most recent problem in his battle, the Massive Blue got here collectively as a crew, decided to play for his or her beloved teammate.
Simply this previous week, Sparacio made his return to this system following a latest surgical procedure, becoming a member of his fellow gamers on the bench for his or her largest recreation of the season. Swampscott proceeded to upset Salem in an exhilarating 58-52 end.
“That was wonderful,” Sparacio mentioned. “Particularly on condition that it was Senior Evening, and everybody desires to win their Senior Evening. Entering into, figuring out that Salem is the No. 2 crew in our division, I had hope within the crew. I had religion within the crew, however I didn’t count on us to play in addition to we did.”
With the win, Swampscott leaped to sixth total within the newest MIAA Div. 3 energy rankings.
The Jersey Mike’s Naismith Excessive College Basketball Braveness Awards will likely be handed out Feb. 19. For the 2 total winners — one male and one feminine — Jersey Mike’s will make a $2,000 donation to the gamers’ highschool basketball applications of their honor and reward every total winner with a further $5,000.
Whereas Sparacio is predicted to be sidelined for the remainder of the basketball season as a part of his restoration course of, he’s pushed to complete his highschool profession carrying a Swampscott jersey yet another time. The middle averaged three factors to go together with six rebounds per recreation in his tenure. Additionally a member of the Nationwide Honor Society and enrolled in 5 superior placement lessons, Sparacio intends to play baseball for Swampscott in a matter of weeks.
“It helps to have the crew and this city behind me by all of it,” Sparacio mentioned. “Talking of that, I’m going to start radiation therapy on the tumor in about a few weeks. That ought to have me out of baseball till April 8. In order that’s what I’m motivated by — to get again for baseball by then.”
Event season looming
The tip of the basketball common season is close to. The official deadline is Feb. 19.
The official event brackets will likely be launched on Feb. 21, with preliminary rounds starting Feb. 23. The highest 32 groups in every division, based mostly on the MIAA energy rankings, will qualify for the postseason. Groups with a file above .500 which can be exterior of the highest 32 can even make the event and take part within the preliminary spherical.
The state championship spherical will happen March 13-15.
