Barry Tyler stepped into his role as Burlingame’s new Interim Assistant Principal on Jan. 7, drawing on a career built around education, mentorship, and leadership. From coaching on the field to guiding students in the classroom, Tyler’s path has been shaped by a mix of unexpected opportunities and a passion for making a difference.
Growing up in an underperforming school, Tyler found opportunities to excel through athletics, which opened doors to higher education. At the University of La Verne, he played football, became an All-American in track and field, and later took on coaching roles at the University of Redlands.
“The opportunities that have been afforded to me because of sports is something that I revel in,” Tyler said. “I talk about sports all the time and the benefits that have come to me because I liked sports, and I was lucky enough to be good at sports. So I think just continuing that has been something that I look forward to.”
Tyler’s connection to sports guided him into education. Studying physical education in college allowed Tyler to utilize his knowledge to become a coach and a high school physical education teacher. He originally wasn’t sure if he wanted to teach, but he knew he enjoyed sports, and later in life the best way to continue in athletics was in coaching. He used his exposure to become a good coach and mentor.
“So I, as a PE major, was able to continue to coach and work with youth who like sports and activity, so that was the avenue I took. Then I parlayed that into being a high school varsity coach for three different sports, and then I utilized that to become a college head coach,” Tyler said.
Tyler’s career took a turn when he co-founded Blue Water Educational Consulting, a venture that allowed him to work with school administrators across California to develop leadership skills. After a couple years of consulting, Tyler decided to go back into administration as Burlingame’s interim assistant principal.
Now at Burlingame, Tyler is focused on helping students realize their full potential. He envisions uncovering hidden talents and students with the drive to achieve greatness — perhaps even the next Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns, young icons in the world of pickleball who are some of the best to ever play. When reflecting on his different career paths, Tyler believes he used his circumstances to better himself and others.
“If I look at the one thing that says a lot about me is that I really took advantage of the opportunities that were put before me, and using those not just for myself, but to benefit others,” Tyler said.
