Q&A with Kyle Tsu
May 08, 2019 | Men's Track & Field, Features
In his first season back from a wrist injury that sidelined him during his freshman year, Kyle Tsu has gotten off to a strong start in his Anteater career. He already has seven top-10 finishes out of nine discus events, including a team season-best 166-07 which was good enough for third place at the Ben Brown Invitational on March 9. But where he continues to shine is in the shot put, where he has placed in the top-five seven times already this season. And after a 57-11.25 toss in a runner-up finish at the Big West Challenge on April 5, Kyle now owns the third best mark in school history.
Kyle has definitely made an impact early this season, but it might not have been possible without the support he has been surrounded with. In our latest Q&A, the redshirt freshman took some time to chat about his journey to UC Irvine, the work he has put in to bounce back from an injury, and what keeps him going on and off the track.
Q: When and how did you get involved with track and field?
A: How I got into track is a funny story actually. When I was a freshman in high school I thought football was going to be my future so I didn't look at any other sport. But when football ended my coach encouraged me to do wrestling in the winter just to keep me moving. I didn't like it much but it was my coach so I just went along with it. Once that ended my coach once again said "how about you try throwing?" I saw all my teammates doing it and it looked like fun so I thought "why not?" and joined. I fell in love with it the moment I picked up a shot put and have been riding with it since. So I can thank my coach for where I am today.
Q: You have had plenty of success in track and field at the high school level. How has that experience helped you early in your career at UC Irvine?
A: Succeeding at the high school level was a great experience for me because it demonstrated how hard work will always pay off in the end. I am not the biggest, strongest, or most talented person to throw but what I did have was a strong work ethic and a drive to succeed. It took me all the way until my senior year of high school to start to reap the benefits of my day in and day out training. So whenever I look back to me succeeding in high school, I am reminded of all the work and time it took for me to get there.
Q: Coming back from an injury your freshman year, what were some of the challenges that you faced and how did you overcome those challenges to get yourself ready for this season?
A: When I found out I had broken my wrist and it required surgery to heal, I hit an all-time low. It crushes you mentally knowing the work you put in all of fall and all of winter will give you nothing in return because of an injury. I started to blame my body for betraying me and was down in the dumps, but what brought me back was the unbelievable support I got from my teammates, coaches and family. Instead of letting me be sad and dwell on the things I can't do, I was reminded of the things I can do. That little change of mindset helped me come back faster than I thought I could. I was still able to do drills and exercise so I was able to get some work done even though I wasn't throwing. Once the cast was taken off and I was given the okay by my doctor, I just went right back to work, put my foot on the gas and tried to make up for lost time. I had a lot of rust to shake off but not nearly as much as I could've had if I didn't listen to my support system when I first got injured. In the end, the only way I could've gotten through the challenge of the injury was believing everything was going to get better and trusting my support system that helped me get back on my feet.
Q: Who is one athlete that inspires you the most and why?
A: In terms of track and field, the athlete that inspires me the most is 2016 Olympic Champion and Olympic record holder, Ryan Crouser. He is someone who constantly works on his shot put technique and it shows. In my opinion he is the gold standard for technique and I aspire to have a technique even half as good as his. Not only in the ring, but in the weight room he's a monster! The amount of weight he moves is insane. He is the ultimate mix of strength and athleticism. He is constantly trying to be better and has a non-stop motor that inspires me to be better.
Q: Have you played any other sport besides track and field?
A: As said before I was a big football kid in high school. My mom never let me play football when I was young because of the injuries that come along with the sport. So once I was able to do football, I let the reigns go and went crazy. Football was the time of my life and it was one of the most fun things I have ever done! Suiting up for Friday Night Lights is an experience I will never forget. Outside of football I played soccer from kindergarten to 8th grade, basketball for a couple of years and wrestling for one year. It was a lot of fun playing those sports but I could never fall in love with them since you have to run…a lot. And when I throw, the most running I do is a lap when I warm up so I'll take that all day!
Q: Some athletes listen to certain songs or eat their favorite candy before a game, do you have any rituals or routines before a meet?
A: My routine includes two playlists that I listen to, one before I warm up and one while I warm up. The playlist I listen to before I warm up is a collection of music to loosen up and gets me feeling good. That playlist includes artists like YG, The Notorious B.I.G., and my favorite artist, Bruno Mars. Then my warmup playlist consists of four songs that turn me up and gets me juiced up for competition. It starts with "Narcos" and "Walk It Talk It" by Migos, and ends with "Work REMIX" by A$AP Ferg and "El Chapo" by The Game and Skrillex. When the bass hits on the last two songs, I lose myself and get extremely hyped up to throw! I've got to listen to at least one of those two songs before I throw.
Q: When you're not training for a meet, what do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
A: In my spare time, I love to watch sports, preferably football or baseball but if I have free time I'm watching whatever sports are on! That's what I love to do but more than likely you'll catch me studying or reading for my classes in my free time. Studying or doing school work is not my first choice, but it's the choice I have to do when I have free time. Other than that I'm always vibing to music, I love music. My music pool is large, varying from country to hip hop to pop, and even some guilty pleasures that no one knows I listen to. As long as the music has a good beat and I can vibe to it, I'll listen to it.
Q: What are some of your aspirations after you graduate from UC Irvine?
A: After graduating from UC Irvine I plan on attending physical therapy school, becoming an athletic trainer or even a coach. I've loved helping people since I was a kid and all three of those professions fit what I want to do, helping people get better or be better. I've known sports my whole life so I'd love to stick with sports for the rest of my life.
Kyle has definitely made an impact early this season, but it might not have been possible without the support he has been surrounded with. In our latest Q&A, the redshirt freshman took some time to chat about his journey to UC Irvine, the work he has put in to bounce back from an injury, and what keeps him going on and off the track.
Q: When and how did you get involved with track and field?
A: How I got into track is a funny story actually. When I was a freshman in high school I thought football was going to be my future so I didn't look at any other sport. But when football ended my coach encouraged me to do wrestling in the winter just to keep me moving. I didn't like it much but it was my coach so I just went along with it. Once that ended my coach once again said "how about you try throwing?" I saw all my teammates doing it and it looked like fun so I thought "why not?" and joined. I fell in love with it the moment I picked up a shot put and have been riding with it since. So I can thank my coach for where I am today.
Q: You have had plenty of success in track and field at the high school level. How has that experience helped you early in your career at UC Irvine?
A: Succeeding at the high school level was a great experience for me because it demonstrated how hard work will always pay off in the end. I am not the biggest, strongest, or most talented person to throw but what I did have was a strong work ethic and a drive to succeed. It took me all the way until my senior year of high school to start to reap the benefits of my day in and day out training. So whenever I look back to me succeeding in high school, I am reminded of all the work and time it took for me to get there.
Q: Coming back from an injury your freshman year, what were some of the challenges that you faced and how did you overcome those challenges to get yourself ready for this season?
A: When I found out I had broken my wrist and it required surgery to heal, I hit an all-time low. It crushes you mentally knowing the work you put in all of fall and all of winter will give you nothing in return because of an injury. I started to blame my body for betraying me and was down in the dumps, but what brought me back was the unbelievable support I got from my teammates, coaches and family. Instead of letting me be sad and dwell on the things I can't do, I was reminded of the things I can do. That little change of mindset helped me come back faster than I thought I could. I was still able to do drills and exercise so I was able to get some work done even though I wasn't throwing. Once the cast was taken off and I was given the okay by my doctor, I just went right back to work, put my foot on the gas and tried to make up for lost time. I had a lot of rust to shake off but not nearly as much as I could've had if I didn't listen to my support system when I first got injured. In the end, the only way I could've gotten through the challenge of the injury was believing everything was going to get better and trusting my support system that helped me get back on my feet.
Q: Who is one athlete that inspires you the most and why?
A: In terms of track and field, the athlete that inspires me the most is 2016 Olympic Champion and Olympic record holder, Ryan Crouser. He is someone who constantly works on his shot put technique and it shows. In my opinion he is the gold standard for technique and I aspire to have a technique even half as good as his. Not only in the ring, but in the weight room he's a monster! The amount of weight he moves is insane. He is the ultimate mix of strength and athleticism. He is constantly trying to be better and has a non-stop motor that inspires me to be better.
Q: Have you played any other sport besides track and field?
A: As said before I was a big football kid in high school. My mom never let me play football when I was young because of the injuries that come along with the sport. So once I was able to do football, I let the reigns go and went crazy. Football was the time of my life and it was one of the most fun things I have ever done! Suiting up for Friday Night Lights is an experience I will never forget. Outside of football I played soccer from kindergarten to 8th grade, basketball for a couple of years and wrestling for one year. It was a lot of fun playing those sports but I could never fall in love with them since you have to run…a lot. And when I throw, the most running I do is a lap when I warm up so I'll take that all day!
Q: Some athletes listen to certain songs or eat their favorite candy before a game, do you have any rituals or routines before a meet?
A: My routine includes two playlists that I listen to, one before I warm up and one while I warm up. The playlist I listen to before I warm up is a collection of music to loosen up and gets me feeling good. That playlist includes artists like YG, The Notorious B.I.G., and my favorite artist, Bruno Mars. Then my warmup playlist consists of four songs that turn me up and gets me juiced up for competition. It starts with "Narcos" and "Walk It Talk It" by Migos, and ends with "Work REMIX" by A$AP Ferg and "El Chapo" by The Game and Skrillex. When the bass hits on the last two songs, I lose myself and get extremely hyped up to throw! I've got to listen to at least one of those two songs before I throw.
Q: When you're not training for a meet, what do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
A: In my spare time, I love to watch sports, preferably football or baseball but if I have free time I'm watching whatever sports are on! That's what I love to do but more than likely you'll catch me studying or reading for my classes in my free time. Studying or doing school work is not my first choice, but it's the choice I have to do when I have free time. Other than that I'm always vibing to music, I love music. My music pool is large, varying from country to hip hop to pop, and even some guilty pleasures that no one knows I listen to. As long as the music has a good beat and I can vibe to it, I'll listen to it.
Q: What are some of your aspirations after you graduate from UC Irvine?
A: After graduating from UC Irvine I plan on attending physical therapy school, becoming an athletic trainer or even a coach. I've loved helping people since I was a kid and all three of those professions fit what I want to do, helping people get better or be better. I've known sports my whole life so I'd love to stick with sports for the rest of my life.
Players Mentioned
Throws
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