Tyler

This is part of a summer series of Q & A features profiling Butler County area sports personalities.CENTER TWP — If you’re trying to find a person more intertwined with Mars athletics than Tim Tyler, good luck.Tyler retired from teaching at Mars Middle School after 35 years in 2006, but much of the work he’s done with kids has come outside of the classroom.He remains the Planets’ boys varsity golf coach, a role he has had for 10 seasons.Through the years, he was a head varsity coach for the Planets in boys and girls cross country, track and field and girls basketball.Tyler started the girls track and field program at Mars in 1972.In all, he has totaled over 60 seasons of leading a varsity sport at Mars. Not one of those teams ever finished with a record below .500.He also coached several sports at the junior high and middle school level, including football and wrestling.Tyler, 62, was inducted into the Mars Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008. He now serves as president of the Hall’s selection committee.Tyler played football at Moon High School before graduating in 1966. He went on to Slippery Rock State College, where he played football and ran track.He and his wife, Carol, reside in Center Township.

Who or what inspired you to become a coach?I loved sports. Since I couldn’t play anymore, I figured the next best thing was to help out with the kids, so I started coaching and fell in love with it. (Former Mars boys track coach) Clem Papik taught me a lot about being organized.My wife also has been very supportive of me over the years.

Is there a sport that you enjoyed coaching more than the others?Each sport brings a different challenge with it. I really enjoyed coaching basketball because it’s very fast-paced. You have to change things up quickly.

Has there been one constant message you have tried to convey to kids over the years, no matter the sport?When you arrive at a practice or a game, you leave everything at the door except what you are there to do. You have to have heart. Trust your coach and your teammates.Whether a kid was the best player on the team or the 40th, I treated them the same. Some people had a problem with that.

What has been the most satisfying aspect of coaching for you?Seeing them (former athletes) now. A lot of them stay in the area. Meeting their families, their kids and seeing how they turned out, it’s amazing.

What is the biggest difference between coaching boys and girls at the high school level?You have to watch what you say to girls. If you’re trying to tell a kid what he or she is doing wrong, most boys wouldn’t take it personally. A lot of girls would.

You have always been able to field competitive teams at the varsity level. Do you ever reflect on your records as a coach?Some people bring up the records I’ve had and it’s fun to talk about, but it’s never been about me. The success of the kids, that is what’s important.

Do high school athletes ever express their appreciation toward you as a coach?I’ve never had one of my athletes call me anything other than Mr. Tyler or Coach. That’s a sign of respect.One of my former golfers, Brian Routhieaux, just graduated from Baldwin-Wallace. He’d call me up once a month just to talk.

As President of the Mars Athletic Hall of Fame Committee, what’s it like to be part of honoring former student athletes for their hard work and dedication?It’s wonderful. We get nothing but positive remarks. In the last four years, only two people have been taken into the Hall of Fame who I didn’t coach at some point.It’s a big deal for them to be honored by their high school. That’s where they started.

What does the Mars School District mean to you?I had opportunities over the years to go other places, but I didn’t want to leave. When I started at Mars, I made a commitment. I bleed blue and gold.I’ve always been a faithful person and I wanted the kids to be faithful to me and to their teammates.

Since retiring from teaching, is there a hobby you have been able to invest more time in?We have twin granddaughters who live in Ford City and we get to see them a lot.I don’t get to hunt much anymore, but I’ve become a deputy game warden. I also give hunters’ education classes.I’ve always loved the outdoors.