Nicolet Bank Senior Spotlight

Tyler Falkavage-SPASH

The SPASH Panthers soccer team took second place in the Wisconsin Valley Conference, ending the season with a 9-4-6 record and making it to the regional finals. Seven players earned spots on the All-Wisconsin Valley Conference team, and Tyler Falkavage was the only one chosen unanimously for the First Team.

Tyler started playing soccer when he was about four years old. “I started playing soccer when I was about 4 years old. I played for a team called the Grafton Green Giants when I first started.”

Playing soccer with his brother instilled a love for the sport. “My dad introduced me to soccer when I was very young, but it was my brother, Andrew, who gave me a passion for it. Some of my best memories are playing in the backyard with him.”

Tyler has found soccer to be both challenging and a way to release stress during his high school tenure: “Soccer has always been my favorite sport. Although it can be really difficult at times, I love to play, and it helps me escape from other things I might be going through.”

Finding stability in his academics and athletics has been a key to his success in high school. “Balancing academics and athletics wasn’t very difficult for me when I was a freshman. But as school got harder in my sophomore and junior years, I had to stay disciplined and make sure not to fall behind. Asking for help from my parents and teachers when I needed it was my biggest asset when school got tough. I’m so grateful for the amazing teachers I have had to support me, because I know I couldn’t have kept my grades up on my own.”

The unique challenges are what Tyler finds most rewarding about soccer, “My favorite part about soccer is that it is always a challenge. There’s always going to be highs and lows, and if you aren’t prepared for that, it can be really tough. That feeling of being in a slump and having to fight your way out of it — that’s the perseverance that drives me to play the game.”