Tyler was so excited to play basketball for the same school that his brother played, LCC.  When he made freshmen team and was a starter at the beginning of the season, he was thrilled. He gained new confidence and worked incredibly hard. He continued working hard, working with a trainer and working out at the gym with his friends and brothers. He would make me drop him off for practice almost an hour early so he could warm up before the other guys arrived and he was often the very last one to leave - although sometimes that was just changing his shoes.  He always wanted to be super early for his games so we often caught the end of the previous games before he had to be there. Tyler continued with basketball until covid made it almost impossible for our players to play. He taught everyone in our new neighborhood how to play the game and set up drills for the younger kids.  He was very well liked in our old and new neighborhood and spread his love of basketball with new players at school and with the kids in our neighborhood. 

As a young child, Tyler used to fight bad guys all day, jumping and kicking and running around the room or yard.  When his doctors commented on his remarkable BMI I used to say, "Well, he does aerobics for hours every day". He wore a spiderman outfit (or two at once) every day.  He would thank me for letting him wear spiderman to the store and I would say, "Well, it's always good to have spiderman protecting me."  He would beam!  He loved all girls and would insist I wait in the long line if a young girl was running the register, so he could talk to her.
When camping with friends, Tyler met Hailey (a sweet young smart and kind girl )10 years older than him.  He sat by her tent every day until she awoke every morning.  She was the light in his day during that camping trip.  When our friends visited us with their daughter Kate, Tyler fell in love immediately, holding her hand and going everywhere with her.