Tysz primed for final run at Team Manitoba

Kevin Tysz won’t object if his potential future teammates call him Junior. He’ll just be glad to be on the team.
Tysz, who suited up for the start of spring camp for the Muskie football squad Monday afternoon, is now just one good tryout weekend away from making the final cut for the Team Manitoba junior squad, which will compete in a series of games against other provinces over the summer that will culminate in a national championship showdown.
About 325 players, including five Muskies, began the quest earlier this year to land one of the roughly 45 roster spots available. And with two previous cuts already behind him, Tysz is among 60 players vying for the chance to play on the squad (made up of players aged 15-19).
“I think my chances are pretty good,” said Tysz, 16, a 6’2”, 215-pound offensive tackle who was one of only four junior-aged players (aged 15-16) to crack the final group.
“I’ve been hustling and offering help when they need someone to show or do [a drill], and listening to what they’ve been telling me to do,” he added.
Tysz is upbeat about the progress he’s made in his blocking since the beginning of the Team Manitoba tryouts.
“I was a little unsure the first day, but as the tryouts progressed, I got better by listening to what the coaches were saying about form, and using my arms and legs,” he noted.
“It’s been a good experience, and I’ve learned a lot of good technical stuff,” he added. “Even if I don’t make the team, this has helped keep me in shape and get ready for the [fall high school] season.”
Muskie head coach Bob Swing pointed to Tysz’s work ethic as his strongest asset, and said the young lineman possesses the raw abilities that every coach is on the prowl for.
“In a pure football sense, you always want [high-quality] athletes,” said Swing. “Kevin’s got great feet and agility. Coaches look at Kevin, and think, ‘With another 65-70 pounds of muscle, he could really be a player.’
“You can have all the muscle you want, but if you don’t have the skills, it doesn’t matter,” he stressed.
Tysz knows there’s no great mystery to what he needs to do this weekend to stake his claim to a berth on Team Manitoba.
“I’ve got to do my best, try the hardest I can, and make plays that the coaches will notice,” he remarked.