Michael Anthony Tyler of the San Quentin Giants baseball team discusses his sports and life experiences.
What organized sports team did you play for growing up?
I played outside linebacker for the Los Banos Tigers. My coach said he needed a linebacker and so I tapped him on his back and I said I’d play.
Who introduced you to sports?
Tyler – I was introduced to sports by my step-dad. When I was younger, my step-dad and I played catch with the baseball and football.
Who was your mentor?
Tyler – I was pretty much on my own. I didn’t have too many people who tried to mentor me. But, because of the issues I was going through, I didn’t really see if any one was trying to mentor me.
Did your family come and watch your football games?
Tyler – I never had any of my family show up at the games. I’d ask my mother, but she never came. She always had an excuse. So, I started playing for myself.
Who are your mentors now?
Tyler – Jim Buckley, my best friend’s dad. He acknowledges me as his son. I acknowledge him as Pops. I have mentors in here too that I look up to. To me a mentor is not based on one’s age but one’s character, and the values that he holds.
What teams are you currently playing on?
I play for the S.Q. flag football team and I play second base and catcher for the S.Q. Giants baseball team.
How has playing organized sports help you deal with your incarceration?
For me it doesn’t matter whether I was playing in prison or on the streets. I was free. Playing sports helped me with my discipline. Sports helped me to remember that I have to work as a team. Playing within the rules, I do what I have to do to get out of prison that’s within the rules.
Do you consider yourself a student athlete?
I believe I will always be a student. I think once I say that I’m a master at something, it shuts down all possibilities of learning.
What programs are you a part of in San Quentin?
I’m the education committee chairman for T.R.U.S.T., a member of San Quentin’s S.Q.U.I.R.E.S. (San Quentin’s Utilization of Inmate Resources Experiences and Studies), V.O.E.G. (Victim Offender Education Group) and others.”
What would you tell kids that are going through what you’ve been through as a teenager?
I would tell them to speak up and that there is a difference from acting out as opposed to speaking up. It’s alright to ask for help because it’s your life that is at stake. I didn’t know I had the empowerment to speak up.
-JulianGlenn Padgett contributed to the story-
http://www.insightprisonproject.org/victim-offender-education-group-voeg.html