Tyler Draper and his wife Sara both graduated from Ridgefield High School in the early 2000s. Tyler wrestled for the Spuds and was a Clark County champion and state placer, while Sara played goalie for the soccer team.
The Drapers have 5 children: Landon (11th), Cohen (9th), Pyper (7th), Wyatt (would be 5th grade), and Bridger (kindergarten). Tragically, the family lost Wyatt in 2019 after a short but tough battle with cancer. Tyler says he learned more from Wyatt’s battle than from anything else in life.
The challenges that Wyatt faced and overcame on a daily basis were truly inspiring, and the Ridgefield Wrestling Team now holds the annual Wyatt Draper Wrestling Invitational, honoring Wyatt and the Draper family. While he ultimately lost the battle, Wyatt never quit fighting. He approached everyday with as much strength as he could muster and never stopped smiling along the way.
For Tyler, being the head coach means so much more than simply teaching young adults how to wrestle. It means using the challenge of wrestling to help them become unstoppable as adults and to be able to overcome challenges no matter how many times life knocks you down.
Going into this season, Tyler wants his wrestlers to know that his goal is not to only win matches but to show how to:
Work hard and push the boundaries of what we think our limitations are
Bounce back from adversity
Be humble in both victory and defeat
Build a wrestling family community where every wrestler feels welcomed and part of the team
Welcome aboard Tyler, and go Spuds!