April 30, 2002: I am filming a T.V. show with Kurt. It is going to be on T.V. in June or July. It’s going to be on the Pittsburgh PCNC cable channel. I am the children’s host. The shows name is “Pittsburgh Sports Fun House”. I am excited. I was nervous a little too. I was excited because I am going to be on T.V. The first episode focuses on amateur wrestling. I was picked to be on the show because I am on Kurt’s web site.

Tyler and Kurt filming at the Mellon Arena for the Pittsburgh Sports Fun House.

The persons name that is in charge is Steeler Man. He is a super hero. We were shooting the first episode of the whole show. There were two other super heros there, Indian Joe and Captain Mango.

Steeler Man with Tyler and Kurt after filming their segment for the t.v. show.

We filmed with Kurt in the Smackdown arena. It was huge. I couldn’t believe how big the whole set was. First we sang a song with Kurt that Captain Mango made up about Kurt. We all shook maraca’s. Then Captain Mango and Steeler Man and I asked Kurt questions.

Also in the show is Mark Angle and Coach Jim from Quest. We also shot the show at Quest. That’s where Steeler Man wrestles against Mark and loses. It’s really funny.

(More information about this TV Show will be provided in the Kurt Angle Fan Club newsletters. The show is now scheduled to air in September or October 2002.)

April 27, 2002:

I went to The Tournament Of Champions. I was excited to be at The Tournament Of Champions. I wanted to place 1st - 6th. I got taken out of school early on Friday to drive there and weigh in.

As we were leaving, we saw big signs that Coach Carr’s daughter and wife made for me and put up on the road in front of their house. Coach Carr’s daughter was home sick. Everybody that drove on the road saw the signs.

I was in the Bantam 56 pound weight class. At The Tournament Of Champions there is only one period. There are 3 minutes in the period without a break. I had 41 kids in my bracket.

First I wrestled a kid from Campbell, New York. When I was losing 2-0 and there was 1 minute left, I thought I got to get my head back in the game. I took him down and I got 2 back points. I won 4-2.

Next I wrestled a kid from West Windsor, New Jersey. I wrestled my hardest in this match. I lost 11-0. I was very upset that I lost. He ended up placing 2nd overall in my weight bracket.

Then I wrestled a kid from Maumee, Ohio. He got a takedown on me. Then he was trying to put a half nelson on me. I fought it back up and the muscles in my neck strained as he dumped me on my head and shoulder. A paramedic had to help me off the mat. I was disappointed that I couldn’t wrestle anymore.

Even though I got hurt, I want to qualify again next season.

April 24, 2002:

I went to Quest. This is my last practice until I go to The Tournament Of Champions.

First we practiced the Take Down Drill. We did that and picked the other guys leg up. Then we hopped back and put the hand that is free on their ankle and drove forward to take them down.

We did the Take Down Drill again and picked the other guys leg up and put my hand under the leg you picked up. As far as you can put your hand in and take tiny steps around them and push forward to take them down.

Quest owner, Coach Jim Akerly, instructing Tyler and his partner David Cowgill.

April 22, 2002: I went to Quest to wrestle. First we practiced Back Bridging. We held on to someone’s hand then Back Bridged. Then we Back Bridged using your hands to climb into it. Then we locked our hand up and we had to Back Bridge. I hurt my chin when we did that.

Then we did live wrestling from the top and bottom position. We were wrestling Folkstyle. I reversed it 3 times. My partner reversed it once.

Then we could do any Freestyle move we learned. I did the Ankle Lace that Zeke Jones taught us. I also did a Gut Wrench. Then we wrestled live. We wrestled Freestyle. I pinned 3 kids. I got pinned once. There were 4 people in a group.

April 21, 2002: I went to Quest for another clinic. The person having the clinic was Kurt’s nephew Mark Angle. First we worked on tying up then shooting and getting behind the guy after you shoot. That was for an hour. Then we worked on breaking them down for the other hour.

Tyler, in white T-shirt, watches as Mark Angle instructs a move at his clinic at Quest.

April 18, 2002:

I went to Quest. First we practiced the High Crotch. Then we wrestled live for an hour. We wrestled live for a half hour from the neutral position. After every minute we switched partners. I had 3 partners. I got pinned about 15 times. Then for the next half hour we wrestled from starting positions. One time someone was in the High Crotch position to start. Then one person was leaning his head on the others chest. Then when someone is already sprawling. I got pinned about 10 times.

April 17, 2002:

I went to Coach Carr’s house to practice. First we wrestled live for 1 minute. Then we did a move that’s called a Bordo Roll. It’s when a guy is sprawling on you. You grab their wrist and do a Sit-out and come up behind them.

Then we did another move when you try to take someone down and they sprawl. You put your right hand on their back and grab their wrist, then you roll them. Then we did live wrestling for 3 minutes.

April 15, 2002:

I went to Quest. First we did a move that was a brand new Freestyle move. It is called The Clinch. It’s when both wrestlers have their hands locked behind each others backs, then one person tries to circle around your leg, then the other person just throws or trips them. Then we practiced how to stop a person from doing an Ankle Lace. One way is when he is rolling you, you take his hand off. The we practiced the Ankle Lace from Zeke Jones’ wrestling clinic.

We did live wrestling for a half hour. I lost 8 takedown’s and got pinned 3 times.

April 14, 2002: I went to a wrestling clinic at Quest School Of Wrestling. The persons name was Zeke Jones. I went to his wrestling camp last year. He is a World Champion. He is a 1992 Olympic Silver Medalist. He was voted best technician at the World Championships. He is an NCAA Runner-up from Arizona State University. He is also an assistant coach at West Virginia University.

Tyler with 1992 Olympic Silver Medalist Zeke Jones at Quest School Of Wrestling.

First we did this move when both people lock their hands and one person circles behind you, then you throw them backwards.

Then we learned how to do an Ankle Lace. Zeke demonstrated on me once. First you grab both ankles and the other persons butt is up. Then you bring both legs up and then drop one. Then you step over and pick up his leg you just dropped.

Then we worked on how to block the Ankle Lace. When he goes for your ankles, you back your butt up quickly. These were all Freestyle moves.

At the end of the clinic he gave us a trivia quiz. First one he asked was for a free video. Does the United States have more World Champions or Olympic Champions in Freestyle wrestling? The answer is Olympic Champions. There are 27 World Champions and 33 Olympic Champions.

April 11, 2002:

I went to Quest. They only practiced Freestyle. They did that because there were kids there that were going to the Freestyle Tournament on Saturday.

My partner was a Canon Mac kid. First we did a Gut Wrench. First you grab their ankle. Then they put their butt up and you get in one leg up and one leg down and wrap your arms underneath their belly & grab your hands together really tight. Then we practiced how to not let the person get a Gut Wrench on you. Then we practiced if somebody messes up on a Gut Wrench.

Then we did live wrestling two times. Freestyle is hard. A kid that was smaller than me was rolling me around the mat real easy. I would have lost in a real Freestyle match by a lot of points.

In Freestyle, if your back goes to the mat past a 90 degree angle, the other guy gets points. In Folkstyle, which is what I normally wrestle, you have to hold the other guys back past 45 degrees for at least 5 seconds to score points.

April 10, 2002:

I went to Coach Carr’s house for an hour. I was working with Seth Carr. We wrestled live for 10 minutes. Coach Carr said I needed to practice my Sit Out’s and Stand Up’s.

Then Coach Carr showed me how to do a Low Single Leg Takedown. Once I got the hang of it, we did live wrestling. It worked on Seth twice.

Next he showed me a hard move I only learned half of it. Then we did live wrestling for the last time. I pinned Seth 3 times.

April 08, 2002:

I went to Quest School Of Wrestling. My partner was David Cowgill. We practiced the High Crotch for about an hour. Me and David did that for an hour because we needed practice. Then we did live wrestling for 4 times. It felt like 8 though. Then we did 35 push ups. At the end I found out that Kurt’s nephew Mark Angle was there helping everybody out. He is going to have a wrestling clinic in two weeks at Quest. I got to take my picture with him. It was very cool meeting him. He is a nice guy.

Tyler and Mark Angle

Tyler, in the green headgear, listening to Mark Angle demonstrate a move.

April 07, 2002:

I went to a wrestling clinic at Quest. The person’s name that was running the clinic was Jeff Catrabone. He is a 2x PIAA State Champion. He is a 3x NCAA All American. He holds a career pin record for Michigan. He is the head coach at Erie Cathedral Prep.

We practiced a Tilt first. What you do is break down the other guy first. Then your right arm grabs their left wrist. Then your right leg hooks their right ankle. Then roll to your left.

The next move we did was a Half Tilt. First your right arm grabs their left arm. Then you stay on toes and circle around his head and roll to your right.

Next we did a move when you’re on the bottom. You grab their right hand and roll to your right and get him in a pinning position.

Next move we did is when you get head to head in neutral position. Then you scoop his head away and his leg moves up. Then you can take him down.

We did a lot of moves. These are the ones that would help me the most. The clinic went for two hours.

April 04, 2002:

I went to Quest School Of Wrestling. (www.questwrestling.com) I went there to practice because I have no one to practice with for The Tournament Of Champions. My Dad took me there also because he wanted me to practice. It’s also the only school in the area that’s wrestling. We can’t use South Fayette’s wrestling room anymore until next season.

There was no one there that I knew. None of my buddies were there. There were kids from different schools like Canon McMillan, Fort Cherry and Burgettstown. It is about 45 minutes from my house.

David Cowgill and Tyler at Quest

I practiced with kids named Luke and David. First we did a move when your left hand goes to their right hip and your right hand goes in front of you, and you roll him. Then you bridge and roll him over you onto his back.

Next move we did is when you pick up their knees and get in a squat position and throw their legs. Next move we did you pick up their knees and the person who doesn’t have a hold of anything grabs your ankle and then you throw him.

Then we did live wrestling. I was on the bottom position, Luke was on the top position. I reversed it and pinned him. I was on the bottom position again, David was on the top. I reversed it and pinned him.

Tyler and David at Quest

I felt good when I pinned them because I missed being out on the mat for 6 ½ weeks. I also felt good pinning those kids because it was my first time back.

April 01, 2002:

Tyler at a practice in February 2002.

I have really missed out on wrestling since I got my stitches. I can't wait until I start practicing for The Tournament Of Champions.

I watched the NCAA College Championships and there is a wrestler named Cael Sanderson who went undefeated for all of his college career. He is from Iowa State. His record was 159-0. He wrestled his toughest opponent in his season. The guy lost to him 12-3. Cael's closest match of the season. He was from Lehigh University, the same college my Uncle Billy wrestled for too.

I ran into Kurt and his wife Karen at a restaurant. We were talking about Wrestlemania when Kurt came in. My sister Cassie got to meet Kurt for the first time. She was very excited. She met his wife too. This was the first time I'd met his wife. Kurt and Karen were asking how my eye was doing? I talked with Kurt about going to The Tournament Of Champions. He wished me good luck.

I went to the Dapper Dan Wrestling Tournament (www.wrestlingclassic.com) on Saturday. Kurt wrestled in this tournament in 1987 and my Uncle Billy wrestled in the very first tournament in 1975. Zeke Jones was one row behind us, across the aisle. I went to his camp last year. He saw me and remembered me.

Helping me train for The Tournament Of Champions (which will be held on April 27th in Columbus, Ohio) are going to be Coach Carr and Coach Jeremy. A wrestler from Chartiers Valley High School offered to help me train too. His name is Ross Ventrone and he's trained by Kurt's older brother Mark, who taught Kurt.

Tyler enjoying "Bring A Friend" night.