NEW LENOX, IL — Tyler Koscinski would have hated the attention, but his family has made him the center of it, anyway.
As they grieve the death of the beloved 20-year-old New Lenox native in a crash Sunday, his family and their close friends have found a way to honor his memory and keep his name alive, with the creation of a scholarship foundation.
“We need something good to come from this tragedy,” his mother Kelly Koscinski told Patch Wednesday. “Keep all of our minds a little busy.”
Koscinski was in a car with nearly lifelong friend Mason Santiago, 19, when it struck the back of a semi on I-80 westbound early Sunday morning. The two were accomplished high school athletes—Koscinski in football and baseball at Lincoln-Way West, and Santiago in football at Providence Catholic High School. Both had continued pursuing their passions in college, Koscinski as an infielder at Aurora University, and Santiago as a linebacker at Saint Xavier University.
Both were known for their dedication and competitive spirits throughout their athletic careers—an inspiration behind the Tyler Koscinski Memorial Foundation. As donations pour in to a GoFundMe to support the family, Kelly Koscinski thought it could be put to use in a way that Tyler would have applauded.
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Though intense in his athletic pursuits, he had not yet determined next steps in his life otherwise, she said. His focus on baseball had been so tight, he couldn’t quite see past it. He had had been so supported throughout his sports career, though, it seemed appropriate that trickle down to other high school athletes, she said.
“Tyler’s love for athletics and his unwavering dedication to his team and peers inspire us to support the next generation of student-athletes,” the foundation’s leaders wrote in its introduction. “All donations to the foundation will be directed towards scholarships and support for young athletes in the Lincoln-Way area, ensuring that Tyler’s spirit continues to drive excellence and opportunity in the world of sports. … We want to assure you that every contribution will have a meaningful impact.”
“We want to inspire and help the athletes through the foundation,” Kelly Koscinski said, noting they will likely focus on Lincoln-Way West students. “Just like Tyler was helped.”
To date, the GoFundMe has raised nearly $33,000.
Tyler played both football and baseball, matriculating through local youth sports clubs such as the New Lenox Mustangs Youth Football and Cheerleading. He was a dual-sport athlete until he turned his focus entirely to baseball later in high school, his father Chris Koscinski said.
“Baseball became the dominant sport for him,” Chris said. “He put the work in, too, and it showed. Playing different positions, then settled into the shortstop position. Dominated that position, started hitting like a pro—hitting home runs, doubles, singles.”
He was determined to grow his skills, Chris said.
“He was a workhorse.”
That carried over into earning a buck, too. Soon after getting his license, Koscinski took a job at Chili’s in New Lenox, then also another as a barback at New Lenox staple White Horse Inn. He was a beloved face at both, community members have remarked.
“He was a great kid,” Chris Koscinski said. “We were on the next step, trying to figure out his life.”
Growing up as a middle child, Tyler always needed a little extra love, his mother joked.
“We had to love him a little bit more, because he was in the middle,” she said. “A little bit more attention from me and his dad, even his brother and sister.”
Tyler’s personality blossomed over time, making him an integral and beloved member of his team, family, and social circles.
“He was known for his infectious smile, goofball nature, competitive spirit,” Kelly Koscinski said. “He was the heart of every gathering. A leader, on and off the field. A devoted friend, passionate. So loved.”
As far as she can recall, Tyler and Mason’s friendship dates back to the third grade. It was a start of a deep connection that would span years and ultimately meet an abrupt end.
“They’ve had the same group of friends and people their entire lives,” Kelly Koscinski said. “They went off to separate high schools, all their friends intermingled. Mason’s college friends became Ty’s friends. Those two were pretty inseparable. It makes it all the more tragic.”
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“People just knew” if one of them was somewhere, the other was with them, she said.
Though deep in grief and reeling from their loss, she takes solace in knowing they were by each other’s side.
“If they had to go, I’m glad they were together, and that it wasn’t one or the other,” she said. “If it had to happen that way, it had to happen this way.”
Though six years his senior, brother Connor Koscinski adored Tyler. As they grew older, their shared interests and hobbies grew with them—snowboarding, playing catch and more—they, too became inseparable in time.
“It was honestly, probably the best thing ever,” Connor Koscinski said of being Tyler’s older brother.
The two seemed to balance each other out, he said.
“Him and I, we had different personalities, but we were always together,” he said. “Me forcing him to do something, or him forcing me to chill out for a bit.
“No matter how mad he would make me, he would always put a smile on my face.”
Connor is set to be married a week from Friday—Tyler was to have stood beside him as his best man.
“He still is and always will be my best man,” Connor said. “He was beyond excited for that. … It’s hard to even describe how much he meant to me. I know he’s always with me, and I’m always with him.”
Its founders are currently seeking 501c3 status for the foundation, Koscinski said. A website is also in the works. After Connor’s wedding, focus will shift more fully to growing the foundation, he said.
“I’m going to make sure his name never dies,” Connor Koscinski said, “and his story’s going to be told for years and years to come.”
Kelly Koscinski believes their devastating loss can churn good for others; Tyler would have wanted it that way.
“We just feel that this is now his purpose.”
Services have been set for Koscinski and Santiago.
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