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Following, you will find more information related to Coach Cleland who started his tennis career at Hauser when Tom Canright was the coach.

During a recent conversation, I asked...

Q: Please share about your sports journalist career from 1983-1996.

A: "I began working at the Muncie Evening Press newspaper while still in college at Ball State University. I covered high school football and basketball games on the weekends. Then I accepted a full-time job at that paper in 1985. A few years later, I became sports editor, which is a position I held for seven years. I then served as a sports editor for one year at The Star Press, which was a merger of the Muncie Evening Press and The Muncie Star newspapers. In 1996, I decided to switch gears and go into education, so I went back to Ball State and received my teacher certification. During my time as a sports writer and sports editor, I was able to cover many amazing events, including the Cincinnati Reds game on Sept. 11, 1985 when Pete Rose broke the all-time hits record with his 4,192nd hit; the 1988 baseball All-Star Game in Cincinnati; the 1986 PGA Championships in Toledo, Ohio, when Bob Tway holed out from a bunker on the 18th hole to beat Greg Norman; and the 1990 NCAA men's basketball tournament in which Ball State beat Oregon State and Louisville to reach the Sweet Sixteen before losing by two points to eventual champ UNLV. I also once interviewed Michael Jordan after a Pacers/Bulls game and covered hundreds of high school, college and professional games in just about every sport."

Q: When did you start teaching at Delta and what courses?

A: "I began teaching at Delta High School just north of Muncie in April 1998 and have been there ever since. I have taught newspaper and yearbook every year. These take me all the way back to Hauser where I contributed to the newspaper and yearbook staffs with a lot of classmates, including 1980 Hauser graduate Timothy Andrews, who went on to a long journalism career of his own. We also worked together at the Ball State Daily News while in college. For the past 15 years, I also have taught telecommunications; my class produces a daily 5-minute news, sports and weather broadcast. Other classes that I taught in the past but no longer teach include U.S. History, creative writing and mythology.”

Q: Which coaching/teaching stat/stats and award/awards are you most fond of?

A: "Probably the most impactful activity that I've been a part of has been SmashCancer. I was a co- founder of this event in the spring of 2012 along with the Yorktown High School girls' tennis coach, Jini Morgan. This is an annual event in which archrivals Delta and Yorktown compete in a girls' tennis match but also combine forces to raise money, with 100% of the profits going to local cancer beneficiaries. We have raised $114,000, with much of it coming $3 or $4 at a time through shirt and sweatshirt sales. This match draws several hundred fans every year, which is a big crowd for a high school tennis match! Cancer survivors hit out honorary first serves, and players from both teams wear special shirts in a variety of colors that represent a specific type of cancer that is important to that player. It takes a lot of work to sustain such an event, but it is worth it because we provide hope and support for a lot of people with cancer. We also help teach our young athletes the importance of serving others and making an impact in their community. [You can see photos and learn more about this event at www.smashcancer.org.]

As far as on the court, I am most proud of our current streak of winning 32 consecutive boys' tennis sectionals, especially considering that the other schools in our sectional -- Muncie Central, Yorktown and Muncie Burris -- have all had strong teams and great individual players at times during that span. Another fact that I am fond of is that we are a no-cut program. We regularly have 30 or more players on our boys' and girls' teams each season. That's pretty difficult with seven courts at Delta, but we make room for anyone who wants to be a part of Delta Tennis. In the spring of 2024, I received notification that I had been selected for the National High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame. That's a special honor because it recognizes a lifetime of service to student-athletes in the sport of tennis."

Q: What are the most important traits of a good tennis coach and a good tennis player?

A: "I think a good coach -- regardless of the sport -- is someone who holds athletes to high standards but who also never gives up on someone. Constantly teach and reinforce fundamentals. Run purposeful and organized practices with high energy. Help players gain confidence so they can achieve levels that are higher than perhaps they can even imagine. Keep the game fun. And integrate life lessons into everything every day.

I think a good tennis player is someone who first and foremost loves the game and plays with passion. The next most important trait is to be an efficient mover. If you can move well on the court, you can make up for some swing flaws. But if you cannot move well, it doesn't matter how good your strokes are because you don't get a chance to hit those beautiful strokes if you cannot get to the ball. Finally, the best players understand how to manage mistakes. Tennis is a mistake-based game -- the majority of points end with an error. You have to be able to value every point but then mentally move on to the next point quickly without stressing out about the last mistake. That's easy to say but very hard to do."

I know Coach Cleland's former Hauser tennis coach, Tom Cnaright, has stayed in contact with Tim and other former Hauser players over the years and has even attended a few of the Delta matches. It is my hope to meet up with Tim and Tom in the near future to discuss tennis and other subjects. I think it will be an extremely interesting session as has been the case with these two articles.