The summer of Dave Delaware's freshman year of high school was the beginning of his tennis career. Dave played for his high school team through his senior year, and then signed on as a Bison Netter in the fall of 1977. The tennis team works out five days a week from 3:30-5:30, practicing on various tennis techniques such as forehand and backhand shots, volleys and serves. Delaware stated that tennis is "90% mental and 10% skill." He added: "The tennis team is a very winning team. We're getting more recognition and support from the students and faculty here on campus. It used to be that no one would come out and watch OUT matches, and yet we'd come in first or second in the Ale. But, it's changing now with more student support." In regard to the difference between singles and doubles, Delaware remarked: "I love to play doubles. That's my favorite game. It's an Important game, too, because you have to know your partner. You have to work together." A player's attitude before a game can make all the difference between success or defeat. "Everybody on the team has their way of preparing themselves for a match. It's not like in football or basketball where you get psyched up as a team - in tennis it's more individual." With a change in rules for the Ale tournament, Dave felt that competition would be much better as individual players would be striving for more team unity , and would not just play to win and make a top Ale ranking. 136 ~ Tennis "' ..... _- l -~-
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