Humble Beachler became a 3-sport star
Statistics don't fully measure Tyler Beachler's value to his soccer, basketball and baseball teams at Westminster Christian.
Sure, the affable, 6-foot-3, 170-pound senior posted some impressive numbers after competing in three varsity sports, each for four years.
As captain of his soccer team last fall, Beachler led the Warriors to their first regional title in that sport and an appearance in a Class A sectional final by scoring 24 goals with 6 assists. He finished his four-year varsity soccer career with 98 career goals (34th in IHSA history) and 33 assists.
As a point guard on the basketball team last winter, Beachler led the Warriors to their first regional title in that sport by scoring 385 points (13.8 avg.) to go with 131 rebounds and 136 assists. He finished his four-year varsity basketball career as the school's all-time leader in assists (338) and its fourth-leading scorer with 1,192 points.
This spring, while simultaneously playing club soccer for the Fox Valley Strikers, Beachler helped the Westminster baseball team win its second consecutive regional title and make an appearance in a Class 1A sectional final by hitting .367 with 8 doubles, 2 triples, 16 steals and 29 runs scored.
However, Tyler Beachler is the Daily Herald Fox Valley Male Athlete of the Year not solely because of the amazing statistics he amassed, but because of the humble, unselfish, inclusive manner in which he amassed them.
"One of the best things about Tyler is how modest he is, the fact that he's not cocky," Westminster soccer coach Josh Guge said. "Sometimes you see kids that are real good who want to let people know how good they are, but Tyler was the farthest thing from that."
In fact, Beachler was so unselfish he willingly played out of position in all three sports his senior year because that's what his teams needed from him in order to win.
Normally a forward in soccer, he filled a more pressing team need by instead playing the center midfield position. That position switch may have ultimately cost him a shot to notch 100 career goals, but Beachler didn't mind. "Whatever is going to make the team better, I'm happy to do," he said. "Team comes first, no matter what."
At 6-3, he was probably better suited to play a forward position in basketball than point guard, but Beachler brought the ball upcourt because doing so made the Warriors a stronger team.
"I think he could have scored more points if he wanted to, but he was unselfish," Westminster basketball coach Bruce Frichau said. "I think he got as much enjoyment from an assist or making a big play on the floor as scoring points."
A baseball center fielder as a junior, Beachler gladly moved to left field when his old friend, speedster Casey Schuring, transferred to Westminster Christian for their senior season.
If a coach or teacher asked anything of Beachler, a National Honor Society inductee who graduated with a 3.65 grade-point average, he didn't have to be asked twice.
"There are a lot of athletes who can score a goal, or play basketball, or hit a baseball, but there are very few who have the heart and character that Tyler has," Westminster Christian School superintendent Chad Dirkse said. "He's been the kid who literally said 'I'm willing to do whatever it takes,' for four years, not just this last year. For four years he was willing to take whatever lumps that were necessary, no matter what that took, no matter who we were playing against.
"His I'm-not-gonna-quit attitude is especially important for small schools like ours because we're asking a lot of our kids and a lot of our families who make a lot of sacrifices to be part of a private school to begin with. He typified the idea that we're going to use our gifts to the best of our abilities and that the outcome isn't nearly as important as the quality of the effort."
When asked what was his favorite game of this school year, Beachler's answer typified his giving personality. He pointed to the soccer regional title match against Keith Country Day, a contest he didn't enter until 10 minutes remained in a 1-1 tie because of an injury to his right foot suffered in the previous match against St. Edward.
Beachler eventually scored the game-winning goal in overtime by heading in the rebound of a Cory Hodge shot, but that's not why the match ranks as his favorite.
"Even though I wanted to play, it was just such a joy to watch my teammates play with such effort, Beachler said. "Just watching my team play with so much heart brought so much joy to me."
Likewise, Beachler's header to end that game brought joy to his teammates. So did the header he scored in overtime in the ensuing sectional semifinal that beat Hampshire 1-0.
"That header against Hampshire was a 50/50 ball between he and the goalie and he didn't care if he got laid out," said Hodge, Beachler's teammate in all three sports. "He just went up for it. I haven't played very much, but he's one of the best I've seen. He's so athletic. He's ridiculous. He'll sacrifice his body."
Beachler's sporting focus will narrow in the future. He will concentrate on soccer alone when he matriculates on an athletic scholarship this fall at Taylor University in Upland, Ind.
"I really look forward to following the success he's going to have at Taylor because he's such a hard worker," Westminster athletic director Rick Palmer said. "He really dedicates himself. With him being able to concentrate now just on soccer, I think he's going to have a really, really wonderful college career."
The 18-year-old son of Marc and Marcy Beachler of South Elgin, Tyler said any success he has in the future will be due largely to the people who helped him grow.
"My friends and family have had a huge impact on me these last four years through high school," Beachler said. "The thing I'm going to miss most is not being with my family and not playing sports with my friends. It's going to be different just playing one sport, instead of being done soccer and saying, 'All right, it's basketball time now.' It's going to be weird.
"I'm very fortunate and very lucky to have been part of a small school where I was able to play all three sports."
Male Athletes of the Year
1997-98 -- Vince Webber (Larkin)
1998-99 -- John Alesch (Larkin)
1999-2000 -- Marty Nelson (Larkin)
2000-01 -- Scott Komaromy (Dundee-Crown)
2001-02 -- David Marshall (Huntley)
2002-03 -- Brett Porto (Burlington Central)
2003-04 -- Chris Wesson (Burlington Central)
2004-05 -- Josh Gminski (Burlington Central)
2005-06 -- Jake Goebbert (Hampshire)
2006-07 -- Evan Jager (Jacobs)