GRAHAMSVILLE – In any walk of life there are those who rise above the ordinary and become exceptional.  With a serious intention to do what is necessary to improve, coupled with the steady mentorship of fine coaching, track and field runners, jumpers and throwers are apt to become better and better as they embark on a journey of practice, commitment and perseverance. 

Looking back over the arc of their careers, these young warriors are awestruck by the success they marshaled. In the truest sense, success is not solely defined by winning. Rather, it is a product of knowing one gave his or her best and the satisfaction of knowing how far one has come.

Innately talented or not, no athlete can rise to his or her zenith without great coaching. Tri-Valley’s track and field girls head coach Tyler Eckhoff possesses the essential attributes that put athletes in the best position to become successful. Coaches must learn as much as they can about the skills, workouts and developing many other key attributes required for what they are called upon to oversee and mentor. They can learn much by reading, watching videos or talking to others in the field. 

Eckhoff has benefited from all the above and, as an added plus, worked under some of the greatest coaches in the process as his soon-to-be annotated history will reveal. As a runner with many years of experience including the arduous trials of competing in marathons, he brings to his toolbox the first-hand know-how of training, conditioning and mindset that are prerequisites to any successful endeavor in the sport. 

This spring Eckhoff guided his girls team to the Section IX Class C championship. In addition, four of his team members advanced to the NYSPHSAA State Championships with junior Amelia Mickelson competing in the 3000 and then joining teammates Mya Ibarra, Em Richardson and Brynn Poley in the 4x800 relay. Eckhoff who also co-coaches cross-country in the fall with his wife and inspirational outstanding runner Skylar Musa, looks forward to not only winning the Section, but aspiring to have the Lady Bears place third at states. In winter, Eckhoff and Chip Furman are head coaches for Indoor track. Next spring Eckhoff with become head boys track coach and Musa will become head girls coach.

It all began in high school

Tyler Eckhoff grew up on Long Island and went to Miller Place High School. Initially he aspired to play football, which was his first love, but his size restricted him to special teams play. In the process of kickoff coverage and drills his speed became readily apparent. 

In his junior year he went out for track and competed in the 200, 400, long and high jump. In the fall of his senior year, he joined cross-country and his team was only one or two points shy of getting to states. By this time, Eckhoff had become enamored of running. He went on to Division III St. Josephs College in Patchogue, NY (now St. Joseph’s University).  There he set a myriad of freshmen records in cross-country. 

He was named All-Skyline Conference for the next three years. The team won the conference title and Eckhoff was elected to the school’s athletic Hall of Fame. 

St. Joseph’s coach Jim Crowley remains a life-long friend. Crowley initially coached a talented young female club runner in cross-country when the school had no team. He went on to build very successful men’s and women’s programs. By the time Eckhoff arrived, cross-country was an established entity at the school. “I saw how Coach Crowley treated and appreciated people who were serious and had the intention to succeed. I would take on those attributes and make them my own,” Eckhoff avers. 

Eckhoff graduated from St. Joe’s in 2009. Teaching jobs were scarce, so Eckhoff became a substitute teacher and coach at Mineola HS. He coached boys in indoor and outdoor track. That spring his team won the sectional title. Eight Mineola athletes (combined boys and girls) went to states. 

The three coaches split responsibilities and Eckhoff took over as sprinters coach even though his experience was as a distance runner. Three medals were accrued at the Federation meet. That summer in 2010 he was working as an athletic director at a camp in Monticello and a full-time Tri-Valley social studies position opened up. 

Eckhoff was hired, moved to Grahamsville and got to work with Joe and Missy Iatauro. Eckhoff learned so much from working with the “I’s.” 

“You show the kids you care. You go out of your way for them and they are going to to do the same thing: in a race and in the classroom. You show them that you’re committed to them and that you care what they do,” Eckhoff said. 

He also learned a great deal about the structure of the program. “You have to coach by discipline. The Iatauros had coaches for specific aspects. They mastered the ability to pull in coaches and gave them the autonomy to work with their athletes. We hope to do the same.” 

Eckhoff continued, “I have designed practice schedules and workouts for the entire season mirroring the Iatauros’ organization. Sunday evenings we post workouts for each discipline.” 

Chip Furman, Musa and Eckhoff are all USA Level One Certified, a true rarity in coaching. Eckhoff went back to get Level Two certification in sprints, hurdles, jumps and throws. 

“We had some talented throwers, and I was able to help them,” Eckhoff said.

Eckhoff coached at Tri-Valley from 2010-2015. The Iatauros introduced Eckhoff to Tri-Valley alum Skylar Musa who was then at Clemson University at the time. Their ten-year relationship dates from 2013. The Iatauros retired in 2013 and Eckhoff assumed the head coaching job for the next two years with assistant Chuck Reim. 

There was no modified program and filling the “I’s” shoes was monumental. Many of the other coaches left when the “I’s” retired. 

In 2015 Eckhoff moved to Alexandria, Virginia and was coaching at T.C. Williams High School, made famous by the movie “Remember the Titans.” The school was subsequently renamed Alexandria City High in July 2021. 

There, Eckhoff got to work with legendary coach Mike Hughes who had coached at the University of Texas and the University of Tennessee. Hughes had coached four world record holders. Eckhoff handled the distance runners but only had about six boys. 

In 2017 Musa came to T.C. Williams and they coached together. After the Pandemic in 2020 they decided to move back to Grahamsville. Musa coached at Sullivan West for two years while Eckhoff returned to Tri-Valley to coach with Chip Furman. 

Musa led the SW girls to a Section IX title in 2022 and returned to Tri-Valley this past fall. Tri-Valley’s inimitable success in all three seasons comprises a winning legacy. This fall the boys repeated as state cross-country champions with Adam Furman capturing the state ‘D” title and brother Van garnering the silver medal. 

The epic stories from this spring have populated this newspaper with stunning regularity. 

Running on

“After college you learn if you really want to run,” says Eckhoff. 

He credits his wife Skylar as the prime influence in his rededication to distance running. The duo were marathon newbies but that has changed. Eckhoff runs two a year. 

He has competed in the Marine Corps marathon and finished in the top 100 out of 30,000 runners. After moving back, he ran the NYC marathon the first time and was disappointed with the outcome. 

A second trip to the Big Apple for the iconic race yielded an impressive 2:43 time; a 153rd place out of the upwards of 20,000 runners. 

“I learned so much. You show the kids you care. I’m invested in what they do. I’m happy for them. I hurt when they hurt. I talk to them about goals for the race and the season. I spend my time being purposeful. Preparation requires a lot of thought.” Eckhoff assures his athletes, “If you come here and are serious and dedicated, you’ll do things you never thought you could do.”

Tyler Eckhoff truly deserves the honor of being named the Sullivan County Democrat Outstanding Coach of the Spring. And given his character, mindset and work ethic, it’s safe to say, the best is yet to come.