CCHS senior Braden Delamater prepares to serve while warming up at Bishop Park in preparation for a match. Delamater has been on the tennis team for three years, and believes the team dynamic has remained strong throughout his time on the team. “We’re all really, really good friends, and I think that’s what helps us, our team chemistry,” Delamater said. “We’re all just like brothers, like outside of tennis, we still hang out and stuff. I think that’s really an advantage of ours, we really want each other to do well.” Photo courtesy of Braden Delamater
Clarke Central High School senior and tennis player Braden Delamater reflects on his tennis journey and the effects COVID-19 has had on his final season with CCHS.
Variety editor Natalie Ripps: Will you start off by telling me how long you’ve been playing tennis and how you began?
Senior and tennis player Braden Delamater: I’ve been playing tennis since I was about, I think 7 or 8. I got started because my mom actually played for (Clarke Central High School) and she grew up playing tennis. My sister, who was a couple years ahead of me, played tennis as well, so it was just kind of in the family for me to start. I initially didn’t really want to, I just played baseball, but I got started and I just fell in love with it.
NR: Could you tell me a little bit about the tennis team and how that dynamic works?
BD: Yeah, so there’s three lines of singles and two lines of doubles. I’m a singles player. I’ve been a singles player junior and senior year and I played with (CCHS alum) Jack Byrne (in) doubles freshman and sophomore year. It’s really cool because tennis, for me, I’m by myself on the court, like I don’t have a teammate out there. So it’s kind of like a personal sport, but also I’m working towards a team cause and then all the doubles players are obviously working together. It’s just really cool. I really like tennis because the team aspect of it even though I play singles, I’m not with a partner. The team still matters a lot and we still cheer each other on and everything.
NR: Would you guys say you’re a pretty tight team?
BD: Yeah. We’re all really, really good friends, and I think that’s what helps us is our team chemistry. We’re all just like brothers, like outside of tennis, we still hang out and stuff. I think that’s really an advantage of ours, we really want each other to do well. Win or lose the end of the day, we’re still friends, we’re still like brothers in and out of tennis. Everything about tennis is amazing. The bus rides, actually being at the matches, cheering on teammates, I love everything about it.
NR: Throughout your years on the team, how has that team dynamic changed?
BD: I think something that’s been awesome for us is that there’s always been a really good set of leaders on the team. My freshman year, specifically, Jack Byrne was a senior and Chris Dellaria and they were really good leaders. Throughout every year, whether it’s (CCHS alum) Zach Donegan, whether it’s (CCHS alum) Elijah Gabriel, all those people, we just always have older guys that have been really good leaders. No matter their skill level at tennis, they’re just really good leaders, and they help cheer on the team and keep it positive. So I’ve tried to do that this year, along with some other seniors as well, like (CCHS seniors) Alex (Robinson) and Max (Bardner), but honestly, we just have a really good group of guys and a really good core. But having good leaders really just sets us up for success.
NR: So is there anything specific that you do to ensure that you’re being the best leader you can be?
BD: I think of always being positive. I’m really uber-competitive, and so it’s sometimes tough to stay positive and tennis really is like a mental sport, and so it’s tough to stay positive sometimes, it’s tough to say, “Every point’s new point,” But, I just have to do that. I just have to really think about being positive and being uplifting for the guys, because if they see me freaking out about a point or just being negative about a point, like if I hit a ball out, and I’m super negative about it, and people look up to me even a little bit, then they’re gonna think about doing the same thing and that will not improve your tennis at all. So, it’s just stuff like that, just little things.
NR: So do you think that that kind of positivity, as you mentioned, could be translated to bigger situations such as what’s going on right now?
BD: So it’s really tough as a senior, specifically, because I feel like everything’s getting taken away. Like, I don’t know if tennis season is gonna continue, we don’t know about prom. It’s just tough, but staying positive, like teaching yourself to stay positive in sports is sometimes super helpful for life. Sometimes when I get most in my head and most negative is if I’m just playing really badly in tennis, and so if I can turn that into positivity and be like, “Hey, it’s fine, look at the bigger picture.” It’s just a game, it’s just fun, then trying to apply positivity to this situation. It’s obviously tough for everybody. It could be a lot worse, like I might miss senior prom or tennis season, but it could be a lot worse for me. So, trying to find the positive and silver lining in everything is really important and I think tennis does help with that and it helps my mentality to be honest.
NR: So have you been playing tennis outside of school at all during this break?
BD: Yeah. I actually just got back from a lesson. I’ve been working out, playing tennis as much as possible, because right now I’m betting on tennis, even though it doesn’t look super likely, I’m still betting on tennis coming back, and us still having our season. Other teams could be out there working, so we just got to do the same thing. I’m just trying to, with the whole (social distancing) stuff, I’m trying to get out and work out and run and play tennis and stuff like that just to stay active. also good just for mental health, going out and running and being active.
NR: Would you say tennis and staying active has helped you kind of cope with the situation?
BD: 100%. 100% it has. My family’s super active and they always tell me (to exercise), because sometimes I’m really lazy and I don’t mind staying in my room all day, but it’s really, really good for my mental health and mental strength to be able to go out and run. After my run, my mind’s a lot clearer, and I’m a lot more positive, and even though I’m tired, I just feel better. Tennis is the same way. Whether I go out and hit the tennis ball (or do something else active), it feels a lot better and it really helps my mental health completely. Activity and sports, whether it’s tennis, running or whatever, is really helping me cope with everything that’s going on.
NR: What were your hopes for the senior season?
BD: Honestly, it’s just it’s so tough because talking about this really makes me feel like we could do it, but I really do think that we had a chance to get to the Region Championship and attempt, or at least try our best, to beat Buford in the Region Championship, because this year, they have like nine freshmen, so they’re really, really young team. We played them and lost but we really felt like we had a shot if we played them in the Region Championship and did a couple things differently. That was honestly the main goal, was if we could win region my senior year, that would have been unbelievable. That’s still the goal right now until the season gets canceled, if it does.
NR: Even if you might have not reached that goal yet, were there any improvements or personal goals you did reach during the season?
BD: I would honestly just say that the big thing with my senior year was just (to) enjoy it, because I kind of felt that with cross country earlier this year, that I really just wanted to enjoy every single moment of this season because it would be my last season doing cross country or tennis for (CCHS). I think honestly, a personal goal of mine would just be to enjoy it and enjoy every moment and enjoy the bus rides and the team dinners and the matches, everything like that. My personal goal going into the season was just, other than the region title, it was just that. It was just (to) really enjoy my time, because I’m never going to get this back. So I really want to enjoy it while it lasts.
NR: Do you have any advice or things to say to other student athletes who are experiencing the same thing as you right now with their seasons in pause?
BD: What I would say is just stay active, whether you’re doing your sport or just going for a run or a swim, or if you’re biking, just staying active, because one thing for me is it’s tough from going from full tennis focus, working out like four times a week, practicing almost every day of the week, to nothing in (self-isolation). Mentally and physically, it’s tough. Even if you’re not working out five times a week and training super hard, try to go for a walk or go for a run every day.
