Les (Buzz) Parsons was an outstanding soccer player who played and starred for Simon Fraser University and Cliff Avenue United as an amateur. As a young man Parsons also ventured overseas to play youth football in England for Huddersfield Town and Ipswich Town but never got to play for the senior team of either club.

Parsons went on to play professional soccer with the Vancouver Whitecaps for eight seasons and was on the Soccer Bowl Championship team of 1979. The right fullback scored 17 goals in 106 games for the Whitecaps. He also played indoor soccer for the Whitecaps and Los Angeles Aztecs.

Parsons represented Canada in 42 international matches including Pan Am Games, Olympic qualifying and World Cup qualifying games. He was the first general manager of Vancouver 86ers.

Parsons was inducted into the Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame (2003) and the BC Soccer Hall of Fame (2019).