Match Maker
By Brad Wolverton, Chronicle of Higher Education

Any knowledgeable college-sports fan would recognize the names Steve Alford, Mark Spitz, and Isiah Thomas, all members of the Indiana University Athletics Hall of Fame. Fewer people have heard of Dave Power, who was inducted this month — but he has had a big impact on my life.

Mr. Power played college tennis in the mid-1960s, compiling a 57-7 singles record and twice earning all-American honors. He competed against two future Grand Slam winners: Stan Smith, who played for the University of Southern California, and Arthur Ashe, who attended the University of California at Los Angeles, during an era when all of the top young American players went on to play college tennis…Unlike other coaches I had, he didn't take himself too seriously. Most instructors expected players to refer to them as "Coach" or "Mister," but this coach preferred Dave. One of my fondest childhood memories is of Dave driving all the kids at his summer camp to Dairy Queen in the back of his beater pickup truck after a long day of drills.

Most of all, I remember Mr. Power's generosity. My family couldn't afford tennis lessons, so he offered me a deal. In exchange for four hours of lessons a week and all the free court time I wanted, the coach asked me to teach weekly sessions to younger players. During my last two winter seasons in high school, I opened up his club's arctic indoor facility on Saturday mornings to tutor aspiring Boris Beckers.

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