In today’s episode of This Hits Different, Shelby Cassesse tells the story of Tyler Pernelli, who has played a prominent role behind the scenes in the Ligonier Valley athletic department.
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We celebrate heroes all the time in sports, but there are also those who work under the radar. Heroes behind the scenes, keeping the team afloat.
“It's not easy trying to find people to help out with sports these days,” says Ligonier Valley Assistant Principal Brett Marabito.
Tyler Pernelli has been that for Ligonier Valley. The senior may never suit up for the Rams, but he's just as well-known as any student athlete.
A far cry from his freshman year, when Marabito noticed a kid still searching for his place in high school.
“Whenever you have good young guys like Tyler willing to kind of step up and kind of jump in and really relish in those roles, that's kind of what made me kind of think that it would be a really good opportunity for both him and the rest of our kids, for our team,” Marabito says.
He asked Tyler if he'd keep stats for the baseball team. Always a huge sports nut, the opportunity made perfect sense for Tyler.
“There was something special with this community, so I knew I had to be involved with something,” he says.
It wasn't long after, the football team came calling for Tyler to keep stats and film. He's been with both teams ever since. It's not just about the numbers and the game film. He's always the team's biggest source of optimism after a bad at-bat or dropped pass.
“Starting from my freshman year as a quiet kid, I've kind of grown on that out of more expression in my work,” he says.
Without playing a down or an inning, Tyler has become synonymous with Ligonier Valley Athletics, and not just football and baseball. You'll see him at as many school sporting events as possible — showing up for the people who are more to him than just classmates and teachers.
“It's kind of shown with all our sports programs, it's more of a family,” he says.
Though the work itself is rewarding, it's the bonds formed that mean the most.
“They embrace me like I'm just another player on the team,” he says. They see me as someone who can help them with something if they are having trouble with something to try to build them back up.”
Like many senior athletes, Tyler is contemplating his legacy.
As he prepares a current Ligonier Valley freshman to take over his role next year, he's leaving behind a reminder: the only requirement for getting involved in sports is a love of what you do.
“There are ways that you can contribute with sports without having to put a uniform or jersey on,” Tyler says. “That's something I think we really need a lot more in sports.”
“For Tyler to be a part of that and for him to kind of be that example of how you can be successful in athletics without putting the jersey on, you can be a letterman,” Marabito says. “You can wear that letterman jacket proudly. I think that’s kind of the most important thing.”