A 17-year-old basketball player at an Airdrie high school has had more than his fair share of challenges, but he’s never needed to fight for acceptance among his peers while playing the sport he loves.

Tyson Biever, officially known as the manager of the George McDougall Mustangs, has always been an important part of the squad, teaching everyone on the team about unity, acceptance and awareness.

When he was just three months old, Biever was diagnosed with brain cancer.

“It was extremely sudden and he went from an everyday baby to being in intensive care, fighting for his life. The doctors didn’t give us much hope that he would get better,” said his mother Tammy Biever.

Nevertheless, Tyson fought back hard and eventually made all the milestones he needed to progress.

“It took him until he was about two and a half to walk. It was very unsteady. His right arm was almost paralyzed when he went through his surgeries. But, over time, he just wouldn’t give up and he learned to walk. He got steadier and steadier and he learned to use his hands,” Tammy said.

His years of treatment have left him with a number of challenges, but one thing that always kept Tyson going was his love for basketball. His father says his interest started when he was younger.

“It started off when he was younger, watching High School Musical. Ever since, we have a basketball hoop he plays shots at home every day all summer. That’s his favourite thing,” said Larry Biever.

The love of the sport eventually led him to try out for his high school basketball team. Even though he didn’t make the cut for the squad, head coach Nathan Lee says he had a special place for the teen anyway, making him the Mustangs’ manager.

“His impact on the team is really about unity, it’s about humility and it’s about bringing together awareness. The thing with Tyson is that he has such a contagious spirit about him. He’s very friendly.”

Lee says that Tyson’s presence has also taught the other players something too.

“It also gave the boys the sense that there are more important things in life than the fancy shoes or the cool clothes. They start to really embrace the idea that they can make a difference and help a fellow teammate.”

Caleb Lee, a point guard on the team, says that Tyson is great fun to have around.

“Tyson is a great representative of the team. He works hard, loves basketball and he is fun to be around.”

Tyson says that he always loves to play basketball and was overjoyed when he was told that he would be heading out onto the court with the rest of his team for a game.

He says he was overjoyed when he was first told about the opportunity. “I get to show people how great I am. They already know that I am so great at my threes and stuff.”

During the game, the Mustangs were leading on the scoreboard and Tyson was passed the ball to take his signature shot, a challenging three-pointer.

He sank the basket and the crowd went wild.

“They said ‘nice job, Tyson’ and they all came to give me a high-five. That felt great,” he said.

His mom was also happy, knowing that everyone in the gym was there cheering along with them.

“What struck us was the moment when Tyson stepped on the court that everybody started cheering for him. It was just a humbling feeling that everybody shares our love of what Tyson represents. He’ll overcome any obstacle. Nothing really stops him.”

Larry Biever says that everyone can learn an important lesson from Tyson’s story.

“Everybody is special in their own way and everybody wants to be treated normally and be respected and be allowed to do whatever they want to try without people judging or potentially people holding them back.”

Coach Lee says all the support from the staff and administrators at George McDougall School all helped make Tyson’s moment possible.

“When we brought the idea to them about him having the chance to play, it was an immediate ‘yes, let’s figure out how we can do this, let’s figure out how we can make this work.’ Everyone has been like that right from the beginning of the season.”

Caleb adds that he and all the rest of the players were happy to see Tyson achieve his goal too.

“I was super excited for him. He loves basketball and he’s been waiting for that moment all season. It was just fun to get him on the court and be with the boys. I got this assist so it was super cool to see him knock it down and get that three-pointer in.”

(With files from Camilla Di Giuseppe)