Kyle Mangas, is shown with his parents Ann and Tim after Warsaw won the 2016 sectional championship (Photo provided by Ann Mangas

WARSAW – Kyle Mangas is a hard-working, humble young man who gives and commands respect.

The WCHS senior also happens to be a very talented basketball player.

The attributes that define Mangas and the love for the game that he is possesses are in his bloodlines.

The game of basketball is both a passion and a common bond for the entire Mangas family.

Kyle’s parents, Tim and Ann, were both players at Wawasee High School in the 1980s. Tim scored 1,030 points in high school and went on to play at DePauw University. Ann was a sophomore on Wawasee’s state runner-up team in 1985 that went 23-2 under coach Dale Brannock. His older brother Jake, now a student at Indiana University, was also a hoops player for the Tigers.

Ann Mangas, who was also a standout volleyball player at Wawasee when she was Ann Vitaniemi, says that the sport is a way of being able to spend quality time together as a family.

“Basketball has always been a part of our lives and we enjoy it,” said Ann, who is a second-grade teacher at Milford School. “It’s a way for us to do something together and to spend time together as a family. Kyle has had a passion for basketball his whole life and it’s just a lot of fun to watch him play.”

Kyle Mangas is having a stellar senior season for the Tigers (File photo by Nick Goralczyk)

The younger Mangas is enjoying a stellar senior season on the hardwood for the Tigers. The 6-3 guard is averaging 21.8 points-per-game for his 13-6 team and leads them in basically every statistical category. Mangas, an Indiana All-Star candidate, has moved into sixth place on the program’s all-time scoring list with 1,231 career points.

Mangas, who was the IFN Player of the Year in 2016 after leading the Tigers to conference, sectional and regional championships in a 25-2 season, credits his parents for their devotion to him and the game he loves.

“They both have been big influences on me and have always been there for me,” said Kyle of his parents. “I definitely think that it has helped me a lot that both of them were very successful athletes.

“My Dad has always taught me and coached me. Not to mention the thousands of shots that he has rebounded for me in the gym. He’s also the one who I look to for criticism. There’s always things that I need to work on and he’s always there to help me with those. My Mom is my biggest supporter. She’s there at every game. She’s also the one who is checking every day to make sure my grades are good and my homework is done. ”

Tim Mangas has been in the gym for thousands and thousands of hours with his youngest son. The elder Mangas knows a thing or two about success on the hardwood. He averaged 23.1 points-per-game as a senior at Wawasee after averaging 18.3 ppg. his junior season. He also hit a game-winning shot to beat Warsaw 63-62 during his senior year playing for coach Gary Goshert.

Kyle (left) and Jake Mangas have both been consummate student-athletes at WCHS (Photo provided by Ann Mangas)

“Basketball is our family time together,” remarked Tim. “We’ve always been together, all of us, either at high school or AAU games. It’s something that we just try and soak up as a family. We just love spending the time together in the gym and we have loved watching our boys play the game over the years.”

The elder Mangas points to the work ethic of his son as a big reason for his success.

“From Day 1, Kyle has always been the player in the gym dripping with sweat,” related Tim. “He goes hard all the time. His work ethic is just unbelievable.”

“It’s been a combination of the coaching he has received, his work ethic and his ability that has made him an outstanding player. I’m just amazed when I watch him play how he can adapt within a game to make a positive impact somehow. He can make an impact on a game in so many ways and somehow he figures out a way to get it done.”

Kyle possesses a tireless desire to excel, along with uncanny unselfishness on the court. The star guard, who has led his team in scoring the past two seasons, can score in a multitude of ways and is an outstanding passer and highly-underated defender with his 6-8 wing span.

Ann Mangas, who has been a teacher for 26 years, points to the importance of basketball as a tool to the bigger picture. Brother Jake was ranked No. 1 in the Class of 2015, served as valedictorian and was Academic All-State in both basketball and football, where he played quarterback for the Tigers. Kyle is also a strong student in the classroom as he prepares to head to Indiana Wesleyan University to continue his playing career next season.

“Basketball is just a gateway to open opportunities,” said Ann. “Education has always been the top priority and the focal point for us with both of our sons. We’ve tried to raise well-rounded sons. Basketball is important to our family, but it’s just one part of our lives.”

The younger Mangas has handled his many  successes and a few failures on the court along the way with the same class and humility.

That fact has not been lost on his biggest fan and top supporter either.

“Kyle has worked so hard and been so self-motivated,” noted Ann. “I’m just very proud of his work ethic and how humble he has been through it all.”

Well said and so true.