Before we meet Tyler, let’s meet his big sister, Haley – because she deserves an assist here. Trust me on this.
Haley Craig is a starting goalkeeper at Stanford (currently ranked No. 12 in the country) who also is a member of the USA U19 Women’s National Team and played for the USA U15 National Team. The Dexter HS graduate played for the Michigan Jaguars in the US Academy and Girls Academy League and reached ECNL National Playoffs for four consecutive years with the Michigan Hawks (2016-19).
So, we’ve established that she is pretty good. Now let’s pass the ball over Tyler.
“I first got interested in soccer because of my sister and my dad,” says Tyler, a standout player in his own right, playing defensive midfield and outside forward/winger for the Dreadnaughts this season. “They both played, and I was definitely encouraged to play. I loved just being able to hangout with my friends and that feeling of scoring a goal or getting an assist.”
Tyler says his talented sister has helped him improve his game, on and off the field.
“I’ve learned a lot from my sister over the years,” he says. “She has helped with the mental side of soccer. She is a really hard worker so her always encouraging me to do the same was greatly appreciated.”
Tyler is a junior who was First Team All-Conference, All Regional and HM All State D-II last year as a sophomore. He has earned the respect of teammates, opponents and especially his coach.
“Tyler is an exceptional talent and has the confidence to bring the younger players up to his level,” says Dexter Coach Jamie Lewis. “He recently scored the game-tying goal on a great finish. He plays wherever we need on the field.”
Craig plays anywhere on the field because he is talented enough to play anywhere on the field. He has played varsity since his freshman season.
“It was really cool for me and Hayden Gaetino who were childhood best friends to both play on varsity as freshman,” said Craig. “I was put on JV in the beginning but with injuries before the first game I was soon moved up and never played with JV.”
Craig says he’s come a long way in soccer in a short time. And, of course, big sister is a big reason why.
“I’ve improved a lot as a freshman with my physicality and work ethic,” he says. “I was very tiny as a freshman so it was 100 percent scary going up against bigger guys. My offseason routine would be going to the gym and doing fitness with my sister. She comes back for the summer and helps me get workouts in. We also do captain-led training with the team to start getting the freshman comfortable with us.”
The Dreadnaughts are having a strong season and should compete for a District title with the usual suspects – Skyline, Pioneer, Huron and Saline.
“Our team is a very high energy and close team,” Craig says. “We all love hanging out with each other and practices are definitely full of laughing. We are very talented and I’m excited for districts and playoffs. My goals for the team is to win Districts again and go far in the playoffs. I would like to make All State.”
In the “off season,” Craig plays for the Michigan Tigers 08 Gold team. His club highlights have included trips to Florida and Arizona.
Tyler, 16, is the son of Kathleen and Andrew and has a 3.8 GPA. His plans after high school include playing college soccer at a high level and hopefully play professionally. “I also want to get a degree in sports broadcasting,” he says. “I’ve emailed college coaches with highlights so far and I’ve gotten a good amount of responses.”
But now he’s focused on accomplishing goals and scoring goals – right here, right now.
“I’ve tried to take a leadership role of getting to know the younger guys and try to help them be the best they can be,” he says, borrowing some big lessons from big sis that can make a big difference.
Spotlight: Dexter’s Hayden Gaetino is creating his own success – with an assist from his family
