Athlete of the Month
Tylene Tran

Pictures and Content courtesy of The Tran Family

My name is Tylene Tran. I am 14 years old and I was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. I am currently a freshman at Centennial high school. Before wrestling came into my life I was a competitive cheerleader from the age of 5-11 years old. I thought I would always be a cheerleader until 2020 when Covid came by and made it very difficult to continue cheerleading. I than tried out flag football and was the only girl on my team.
I loved both sports equally, but shortly after that, I was not able to cheer or play flag football due to the lockdown of 2020. That was when I discovered wrestling. My little brother had started a year before me and I always found it interesting watching his practices, but I was nervous to try it out. In October of 2020 I took a step out of my comfort zone and walked into my very first wrestling practice at Gold Rush Wrestling.
My coaches made me feel so welcome and I walked out of practice telling my parents that as challenging as this sport looks, it’s definitely going to be my favorite. And I was right! However, with the later start to the sport and with the bad timing, I was thrown right into the big tournaments and had a pretty rough start. I was getting beat up left and right but still had that motivation and fire in my heart that told me to push through and keep going, and that’s exactly what I did.
Wrestling has taught me so many things not just as a sport, but it has taught me many life lessons as well. It has taught me to work for the things I want: self-discipline, responsibility, leadership, integrity, patience, work ethic, and so many more things. I have also gained a lot throughout the sport like some of my greatest friendships, who are now like family to me. Including all the little sisters and brothers I’ve gained while helping out with the younger teams and little athletes.
My mom has always talked about the importance of volunteer work and giving back by helping out with the younger ones which comes very easily to me because that is honestly one of the highlights of my days. This is how I discovered my love for coaching with the desire to become one someday. I love having the privilege to make an impact on these kids and give them the encouragement and the help that I needed and received when I first started wrestling that helped me grow.
Coaching has even helped myself grow as a wrestler and a person because I’m able to see things in a different perspective and giving corrections helps me remember what to correct in my own wrestling, when I think back to the advice I gave. I, myself, have had the privilege of having THE best coaches around to support me through my journey and are still here for me today.
My coaches play a HUGE role in my love for this sport and how much I’ve grown. Each and every coach will always hold a special place in my heart and I’ve learned so much from each and every one of them. Some of my favorite coaches who have been there at one time or another are: -Coach Max Rohskopf -Coach Jake Rollans -Coach Cedric Haymon -Coach Jose Sosa -Coach Tehani Soares -Coach Antonio Saldate
All of them have done so much for me but there’s been a few who have really stood out most. My head Coach, Chase Pami, he has supported me through it all from day one when I started brand new in his very first Discovery class and had no idea what to expect with absolutely no experience whatsoever. He always made sure to do what was best for me and all of my teammates and has been with me through every single one of my toughest and greatest experiences in wrestling.
Coach Ed Sorgani came a little bit later in my wrestling career but I would say I have learned some very important lessons from him that will stick with me my whole life. He is the coach to talk me through my toughest matches and is the coach to make sure I’m celebrating my best.
Last but most certainly not least, Coach Peyton Prussin was my very first female coach and taught me to have pride in being a female wrestler. I really look up to her and admire her for how she works with kids, as a wrestler, and in general as a person.
I am looking forward to working with my new High School Coach Don McGregor and continue to learn and grow. I am so excited to continue my wrestling career and make myself, my family, my coaches, and my friends all proud! I couldn’t do what I do without the support of each and everyone of these people, and their love and sacrifices. Thank you all!!
A few words from my coaches: “Tylene Tran is such an amazing athlete to coach. Over the past two years, I have witnessed her continue to grow into such an incredible young woman and athlete. Her work ethic is unmatched, she is a fast learner, always has a positive attitude and is ready to learn, and is a great teammate to others. I remember one of her first wrestling tournaments that I was coaching at, she was warming up before a match super smiley, laughing, and just having a good time. When it was her time to wrestle, we slapped hands. Ty instantly turned her game face on and completely dominated the match. I was so shocked as I never would have expected such a positive, happy, and cute little girl to go out and wrestle as hard as she did. This is a prime example of a great athlete on and off the mat. She carries herself in a way that puts a smile on everyone’s face and brings a light of positivity to the wrestling room. I am so excited to see Tylene continue to succeed and grow in life, as she pursues to achieve her goals and make history in Nevada. As much as she impacts my life and wrestling career, I hope to do the same to her.” -Peyton Prussin
“Tylene has persevered through ups and downs as a wrestler. She made a full transition to wrestling 2 years ago and never looked back. Most importantly she has demonstrated what it looks like to be a leader. Her commitment to serving our youth kids is admirable and shows her leadership qualities” -Chase Pami