Tyson Lane Tackett of Mannford, Oklahoma went to be with his Lord on June 2, 2021 after an ongoing  fight with cancer. He fought with strength, courage, and a smile on his face. Tyson was born in  Chickasha, Oklahoma on February 5, 1987 to Loren and Dena Tackett. As a child Tyson loved spending  time with his family, riding the tractor with his Granddad, and watching his Dad coach. He loved having a  built-in best friend in his brother. Tyson graduated from Granite High School where he was active in  Basketball, Baseball, FFA, and Student Council. Tyson played baseball at Northern Oklahoma College and  graduated from Northeastern State University. He started his career in Waynoka, Oklahoma where he  coached 5-12 grade girls basketball, baseball, and track. In 2011, Tyson met his future wife Sage at a  basketball game. They married on August 4, 2012 surrounded by their families. Tucker Cash Tackett  entered the family in 2014 and became his Daddies whole world. The family moved to Mannford in 2015  and Tyson started coaching softball, basketball and track. Tyson loved being a Mannford Pirate and was  truly at home here. In 2019 the family welcomed Turner Ace Tackett into the world right as Tyson kicked  off his first season as the Head Girls Basketball coach. Tyson wanted his legacy to be of someone who  helped kids become successful adults and he did more than that. He loved his two boys so much; some  of his favorite things were watching them ride horses, coaching t-ball, wrestling in the floor, shooting  guns, raising goats, fishing, and swimming. Tyson loved his in-laws and spending time with them. Tyson  always had a smile on his face, something smart aleck to say and a way to make you laugh. He was  proceeded in death by his Grandfather Loren Tackett. Tyson is survived by his wife Sage Tackett, his two children: Tucker and Turner Tackett, grandparents: Lavon and Carolyn Earp and Odie Tackett, his parents  Loren and Dena Tackett, one brother Colby Tackett and wife Chelsey, his nephews Gunnar and Garrett, a  huge loving family, and a dear family of in-laws.

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Compete
Written by Tyson and finished by Sage.

Over my life I have faced many challenges and each time I have fallen back on my love for competing. I am not talking about a fear of loosing just competing to overcome and be better. I recently read a book by Joel Olsteen and he talked about not being ok with where you are and what you came from. I am very proud with where I came from and where I am but competing has kept me alive literally in the last year. I grew up in western Oklahoma was a good athlete had the best friends and family. Got to play in state tournaments and live the dream in my eyes. In these years I learned to compete and overcome. I was a good pitcher with a bad elbow by 8th grade. But with support of family and coaches I made it through high school missing very little competition. No matter your age or circumstance trust the lord and your support system and compete. I graduated in '06 and had elbow surgery in December. I was gonna be done with baseball I thought. I wasn't making good decisions and doing things a 19 year old didn't need to do. Then one day in March NOC played at Altus and Coach Leaton and Hise saw me watching and remembered me and wanted me on a visit. The next week I committed to walk on at NOC. I was gonna compete and made my situation better. Raydon Leaton, Jeremy Hise, JT Severe, Chance Jeffery are the kind of men I would suit up for and compete with everyday. I went to NOC for two years and never threw and inning in a spring game. I am more proud of time there than anything. I competed and played with some of the best people I have ever been around. I think true competitor shows his worth by knowing his role. Instead of pouting because I wasn't good enough to get innings I decided to he the best teammate I could be. I helped my brothers compete. Find a way to compete no matter the circumstance. Was I easy to coach? No. Did I make great grades? No. But these coaches held me accountable and taught me I could compete no matter my role. I still talk to all 4 of my coaches from NOC and have now became friends with them as I have gotten older. Other than my own dad I hold them in very high regard. After NOC I went to NSU and got a degree in HHP. I competed in the classroom and in the job market while at Talequah. I worked at a Juvenile center and learned to compete to help keep kids safe and try to make a difference. It made a western OK boy see a new world and another way to compete. I graduated and coaching came calling. I moved to Waynoka and coached for 4 years. Again I competed everyday in that arena. I also got married and had a baby boy. Two of the greatest decisions I have ever made. Sage has saved my life more times in 10 years then I can write about. She has sacrificed and chosen to compete more than any wife should have. Find someone who makes you better. I did. I loaded her and Tuck up to go compete at a new community. Like anything we got there and competed and then I got fired. As a competitor it killed me but we refused to let it define us. I got online and competed for a job at Mannford. In December my in laws moved us in and I started competing to be more than a temporary employee. If you don't like your situation go find a way to stand out and win. Kory Mitchell, Steve Anderson, Jason Landrum, Kelly Spradlin and Steve Wovogel took a chance on me and invited me to stay on staff. My in laws let us continue to live with them. I competed to be a better person husband and dad. I made a list of family goals instead of coaching goals. I still had a lot of growing up to do but I was going to compete and do it. Going into my 1st full year at Mannford I knew I was coaching JH fast pitch but that was it. Then Mike Banfield called me in and I was hired to his staff as a 7th grade coach and HS assistant. Working with Mike Banfield and Jeff Garner taught me even more about competing no matter what the circumstance was. For 3 years I never felt like anyone out competed or prepared our staff and kids. After 3 years of a blast I decided to apply for the girls job. About a week later we found out baby #2 was coming. I got the job practice would start October 1 and baby due fall break. So once again as a family we were gonna compete and make it work. My 1st summer as a HC at Mannford I also got to coach Tuck in Tball. I was getting to teach 4 year olds to compete and HS girls to compete in a new way. Sage was there every step. We were competing as a team and had no idea what was coming to challenge our team. The 1st season has some challenges, Turner was born with a heart murmur and I was having some issues but our family competed, we went to appointments and made it work. At the end of Jan I was told on my 33rd birthday that they would remove my testicle as it was cancerous. So Sage and I went to Tulsa after a game and stayed in a hotel and got up and I had surgery. On Thursday I was back at practice. I may has had cancer but competing is how I was gonna cope. On Saturday Sage drove me to two games. We finished out the season and Turner was getting healthier. Then COVID came and school ended. Our family grew so much, we played and worked everyday.

Tyson never got to finish his story but I felt like I needed to. Tyson was called in May and told his cancer had spread but 25 rounds of chemo should do it. He started chemo in July and competed every single day and never complained. A lot of times he did chemo in the mornings and watched the baby at night so I could take Tucker to rodeos. In November his scans shows his body was clear except for 2 places, on Thanksgiving break he had a lung biopsy and it was clear but they wanted to take the lymph node in his stomach. On January 12th he had surgery and was back at practice the next day.  He wanted to show his girls no matter the circumstance you work hard and compete. He coached games all weekend and exactly 6 days after I rushed him to the ER. He was then rushed into an emergency craniotomy. The cancer had spread to his brain. He was up competing to go home the very next morning. 2 weeks after that I rushed him to the ER yet again. A tumor had grown back in the same exact place. He was prepped for another crani but yet again ready to go home in 2 days. He was such a competitor. He was back at games from the sidelines (which he hated) but competing for his girls the only way his doctors, wife and body would allow. 2 weeks after that we found ourselves in the hospital once again. Another tumor. He was unconscious and transported by ambulance to radiation treatments where he competed for his life. By the end of that week he was home yet again. He started back to school, coaching tball and watching his boys ride horses again. A few weeks later his arm started hurting. After begging doctors for scans we found the cancer had spread again to his spinal cord. But yet he was still competing. He competed so hard to regain his strength until the very end.