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03/03/2021 11:00 PMTyler Favre didn’t know exactly what to expect when he transferred from Avon to Hand, but the process of transitioning from one school to another turned out to be a seamless one for Tyler. A junior, Tyler is in his first year as a member of the Hand boys’ basketball team, and he’s off to a great start.
Tyler lived in Madison until his family moved to Avon when he was in 5th grade. In the summer of 2020, Tyler and his family returned to Madison, and he felt ecstatic to be back in his hometown. A basketball player for several years, Tyler’s next step was to sign up and compete for the Tigers.
“I had already known some kids here from when I was younger, which helped a lot, but nevertheless, I have become friends with a lot of new kids, and everyone has been very nice toward me. The transition wasn’t too hard,” Tyler says. “Me and the kids on the team became friends quickly, as well. Moving here also made me have to prove myself, as no one in Madison had seen me play before. So, it caused me to push myself hard this offseason and now through the start of this season.”
Tyler is scoring an average of 14 points per game through the early goings of his debut season with the Tigers. He’s also getting it done on the glass and already has three double-doubles to his credit.
Head Coach Jimmy Economopolous says that Tyler is proving a great addition to Hand’s roster.
“Tyler is a steady presence on the interior and has been so consistent. He has a double-double in three games and a major reason we have been outrebounding our opponents,” says Economopolous. “He has also been a pleasure to coach. He is an extremely hard worker and does whatever our coaches ask of him. I look forward to seeing what else he can accomplish once we get back in the gym.”
Unfortunately for Tyler and his teammates, Hand was forced to go into quarantine for two weeks following its Feb. 20 game against Hillhouse due to potential exposure to COVID-19. The news was a tough blow for Tyler and the Tigers to deal with.
“The news was very disappointing, especially in the moment, because we had been working so hard to become a better basketball team and also stay safe outside of school to avoid a shutdown,” Tyler says. “However, this two-week quarantine is just a minor setback that we should come back from strong as long as we stay with it over the remainder of this shutdown.”
Tyler credits Coach Economopoulos for helping Hand stay positive throughout these trying times. Even though the Tigers have had to quarantine, Tyler says the team has grown close the past few months and are gearing up in hopes of a strong return.
“Over the six or so months I’ve known him, he has really pushed me to be a better player and person, so I give him a lot of credit for helping me,” Tyler says of Economopoulos. “I have really high expectations for this season, because I know what our team is capable of. I think that if we stay focused and continue to push ourselves hard, we can win our division and our division of SCCs.”
Tyler dedicates a great deal of his schedule to the sport he loves most by playing basketball on a year-round basis and working out at the gym five times a week. Tyler also works hard in the classroom, while still finding time to have fun with his friends.
“Other than playing basketball, I really enjoy hanging out with my friends, fishing, watching sports, and really any activity I’ll have fun doing,” Tyler says. “I do well in school, and I think it is very important to value my academics a lot, as well as basketball.”