Racine Sun

Even though Tyson Skalecki was initially into football, fate had something else in store for him, and thus, his career in basketball started.

"Check out my highlight," Skalecki tweeted.

Skalecki is a senior at Union Grove High School and has contributed hugely to their recent success as a basketball team.

His athletic career started off as a huge football star, but when a tumor in his neck was discovered and surgically removed in middle school, he was advised to choose a sport with less contact than football, which led him to basketball. He tried soccer and baseball too, but it was basketball that he loved the most. 

"Once I had the surgery to remove the tumor, it was decided by my parents and doctors that it was no longer safe to continue to play football. It was hard to leave the team after all the years spent playing together and all the time my dad had put into coaching, but I had to find something else to do instead," Skalecki said.

Skalecki also credits his huge growth spurt, resulting in his 6'6" size and a season off with a broken arm that forced him to study plays and rules to his success.