‘I want to leave Cape Breton with people having a great impression of me’

By Corey LeBlanc  

Tyson Cato's sports journey has taken him from breaking boards to crashing them. 

The CAPERS all-star forward, one of the elite rebounders in Atlantic University Sport men's basketball, participated in martial arts before turning his attention to the hardwood in Grade 6. 

"I decided I wanted to do something different," the Ajax, Ontario native said of his athletic transition. 

Although he didn't begin playing until late in elementary school, Tyson received an earlier introduction to basketball, courtesy of his aunt, who was a "huge fan" of NBA legend Michael Jordan. She had myriad posters of the hoop superstar. He and his brother also consistently watched a biography about the icon during family round trips. 

"The Space Jam movie was also a big part of my childhood," he said, with a hearty laugh, of the 1996 production featuring not only Jordan, but also a cavalcade of Looney Tunes' characters. 

As soon as he tipped off, Tyson noted he loved the sport "right away." 

Being one of the "better players" in house league – from the outset – also fuelled his passion for the sport.  

"It became a really, really big part of my life," he remembered. 

Although he left the dojo behind, Tyson maintained the teachings and training he learned in the martial arts, which have benefitted him on the basketball court. 

He offered, "It is weird – I have always thought about that, how it contributed because I did it for so long… I think being able to play different sports when you are younger gives you some skill sets that you wouldn't athletically have, if you just stuck with basketball your whole life, just because you are used to those movements." 

Tyson added, "I am a pretty flexible person, which I think helped me a lot. I think footwork was a big thing in martial arts that contributed to basketball for me as well." 

He also pointed to the mental benefits.  

"I am a pretty disciplined person. I am always on time. I think I learned that in martial arts as well." 

Heading to the East Coast  

By Grade 10, Tyson was playing and studying at Lincoln Prep – a high school in Hamilton, Ontario, which is highly-regarded for its basketball programs. With university on the horizon, he decided to stay there for a fifth year, one that included – at the tail-end – lockdowns created by the surging COVID-19 global pandemic. 

"We had a really good season," Tyson said. 

While making his recruiting visit to CBU, he remembered how shutdowns started to mushroom. 

"They cancelled classes while I was there," he noted. 

Although his first experience on the Sydney campus was disrupted, Tyson remembered thinking, "I thought [CBU] was a place that I could really do well." 

When it came to his post-secondary education, he wanted to go to a smaller school. 

"Because I really felt like the sense of community would be a lot stronger." 

He also aimed to team up with a head coach that he would enjoying playing for in university. 

"I know a lot of people who ended up going to different schools and they didn't like the coach and they ended up transferring, or they just hated their experience, so I didn't want that to happen with me," Tyson added. 

His conversations with CBU head coach Matt Skinn, he explained, were a "big help in making my decision." 

Tyson also connected with the CAPERS' focus on "playing fast," which he noted he "loves to do." 

He offered that style meshed well with the strengths of his game. 

"I think, above anything, it is an energy and I think that's what a lot of people say in describing me, just a high energy guy on the floor," Tyson said. 

He added, "It effects my teammates the way I am yelling and running around, and I think anyone watching can figure that out, too." 

Tyson also reflected on his ability to "keep everyone in the game," while not letting his teammates "put their heads down." 

And, of course, don't forget his prowess on the glass. 

'Hybrid player' 

Describing himself as a "pretty good rebounder," Tyson suggested, "I think that's a big part of basketball that people forget." 

He said he is a "big stickler," when it comes to collecting defensive rebounds. 

"And, making sure that the defense… is kept honest by trying to go for offensive rebounds," Tyson added. 

He expanded on the importance of rebounding to any team's success. 

"It can sway the game a lot, and I think that's something that I have always been able to pay attention to more than anyone else. It is an effort thing and it is something that people don't want to do," Tyson said. 

As for his scoring touch, he noted that most of his points are scored "on the inside." 

"Spin, spin [and] throw up a hook shot, get to the glass, get into your chest – things like that," he added. 

Tyson – at 6'4" and with his skill set – believes he creates match-up problems for opposing teams. 

"If they are going to cover me with a big man, it is tough [for them] to stay in front of me. Or they might cover me with a guard, and then I will post up. I am sort of a hybrid player in that way. It is hard to define where I should be playing." 

Academic excellence 

When it comes to hitting the books, Tyson described his first couple of years at CBU, academically, as "getting into the groove," while noting the challenges created by having to take online classes due to measures taken in the battle against the global pandemic. 

"I was still trying to figure out how much studying I needed to do, what kind of things people are going to ask on tests and stuff. And then, after my second year, I really got into a groove and started to get some really good marks," he explained. 

Tyson, who has improved his GPA each year, expects to earn Academic All-Canadian status for a second consecutive time.  

Calling it a "big influence," he noted that one of the keys to his academic success has been time management. 

After graduating from the Shannon School of Business in May, Tyson will continue his studies in the fall as part of CBU's MBA program. 

"That's really exciting for me because it is a whole new challenge that I have to figure out," he offered of the next step of his learning journey. 

In the last couple of years, after finishing with a 90 or so average in his undergraduate program, he is targeting 85 in his first year of MBA studies. 

"That would be awesome," he said. 

When it comes to career aspirations, Tyson said business-to-business sales are "an avenue that I want to go down." 

And, he added, "I am going to finish my MBA and, hopefully, get into that exciting industry. And, from there, we will see what happens." 

Giving back  

While at CBU, along with establishing himself as an all-star – on the court and in the classroom, Tyson has contributed in the community, including sharing his passion for and knowledge of basketball with aspiring young players during CAPER camps. 

"You could come here and sit in your room for four years and get your degree, and not really make an impact. Or, you can go to the middle schools when they ask you to and do a presentation on healthy living, or you can be active in the school – just saying 'hi' to people, meeting people in the CBU community." 

Tyson added, "I think recognizing how much we mean to some community members, and just trying to be the person that we would like them to be to us, is exactly the outlook you should have on it." 

Back on the court 

In the fall, along with tackling his master's studies, the team captain will be back in CAPER orange for another varsity season. 

"It was really disappointing because I thought we had a great team," Tyson said of the most recent campaign, while noting 2024 was the first time that he missed the AUS playoffs.  

Noting that most of the roster will be returning, he added, "It might be a bold statement but I think that we could be one of the top teams in the league for sure, and we should be a contender for that AUS championship." 

Tyson said winning a conference banner in his last year would be "just incredible." 

Not 'just a number' 

When asked to don the hat of a recruiter for his beloved university, he offered, "CBU is exactly what you make it." 

Tyson added, "If you come in here and you want to make it a great four years… you can do that." 

There are the friends you are going to make, whether living in residence or off campus; not to mention the smaller classes, ones led by a teaching staff that is "going to be attentive to you." 

"You won't be just a number. They are going to know who you are, if you try to put yourself out there," Tyson explained.  

He also noted that there are many opportunities to get involved in the broader community, one that he described as "incredibly close knit" 

"I just don't think that there is a better form of support than what comes from being here in Cape Breton," Tyson said.  

For him, the backing he has received – not only from people in Cape Breton communities, but also on campus – is "awesome." 

"Everyone has been really supportive, and I have loved every second of it." 

Cato hopes he has "made an impact on some people" during his time in CAPER orange. 

"I want to leave Cape Breton with people having a great impression of me," he said.  

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