GIRLS (Spring)
Brenda Lionas, Northville - Division 1

Growing up in Tecumseh, Brenda Lionas’ greatest athletic influence was her father, Ron Spagnoli, who was so respected as a teacher and coach that he was inducted into the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan (BCAM) Hall of Fame Fame. For her part, she was a three sport athlete who went to play softball at the collegiate level but tennis wasn’t one of them in that the school had no program. “I attribute my love of coaching, desire to constantly improve myself, and hard work ethic from him,” she says. “He had a tremendous amount of success and titles.”

But Coach Brenda accomplished something that her fabled father never achieved: a state title. “For me, personally, being able to share the State Championship trophy with him was heartwarming and an incredible feeling for both of us, with a special conversation I will cherish forever,” she says.

It certainly wasn’t easy. In fact, an outright championship, one not to be shared, came down to the final match at 1S wherein Utica Eisenhower’s player lost, thus denying  Coach Mike Pearson a share of the title. For Northville’s part, victory came at the hands of team depth: Both 3D and 4D were state champions at their flights.

To be sure, in recent years, the neighboring communities of Northville, Novi, and Clarkston have produced some of the best D1 tennis teams in the state, so powerful as to rival the Ann Arbor schools. Although the Mustangs finished at No. 10 in the state the previous year, these girls started this past season by winning the Ann Arbor Quad. “With a traditionally strong Pioneer team top to bottom, that was a tremendous confidence builder and positive way to start the season,” she says.

Her kids also beat Troy High School, a significant notch. “We had many defining moments during the season, but I really think the regular season match against Troy was a turning point because we could see we were right on the cusp of breaking through,” she says. “Each doubles team was a new partnership with the exception of our 4 doubles who played 5 doubles last season so the players had to learn to embrace their new roles, build chemistry, trust the process and trust one another.”

Even though her 3D and 4D lost their dual matches to Troy -- both in three sets -- they avenged these losses when it really counted: 3D in the semis of the state tournament and 4D in the finals.

Why the comebacks? Brenda works as much on the mental aspect of competition as on stroke production and strategy.  “Even though the losses seem to always linger, we learned that if we don’t have grace in losing, then we close our minds to growing,” she says.  “The talent was always there; we just had to learn to believe and allow ourselves the freedom to play to win, rather than playing not to lose.”

Case in Point:  “We lost to Novi during the season 3-5, but many of the matches went to set or match tiebreaks,” she recalls.  “We knew Novi had a strong team this season and we measured that match to learn where we needed to work harder.  Although we fell short against them in both our conference and regional, we competed well at every level.  We saw them again at the state tournament in 3 singles, 4 singles, 2 doubles and 3 doubles, and stepped up, dialed in and won those tough battles in those huge moments in 3 of the 4 flights.”

Yes, this is a team that was runner-up in both the conference and regional tournaments, but emerged as state champions. “I told this team they were special from the start and continued to remind them of that all season long,” she says. “I strongly believe that it was the growth mindset that turned a good team into stronger, mentally fit team at the state level.”

“We had a goldfish mentality,” she continues. Girls are so self-critical and dwell on their mistakes rather than moving forward quickly. Goldfish have a three-second memory. I told them to think like a goldfish and it just took off from there. Goldfish are hungry, gritty, and they forget about it. I designed a T shirt for them. They were even drawing goldfish on their arms to motivate them during matches. Their mindset became their reality.”

Certainly, this was not a team of superstars as witnessed by the outcomes of the singles players at the final tournament. But a sign of a good coach is how much progress they make during the season as evidenced by some key turn-arounds.

GIRLS (Spring)
Richard Menzel, Trenton - Division 2

Rich Menzel has spent a long time developing (read: not inheriting) tennis players at Trenton High School. To be specific, he completed his 53rd season this past spring. “We don’t get the players who take lessons all the time,” he says. “We just get kids who compete and do the best they can. We turn them into tennis players.”

In this regard, Rich was honored 14 years ago as Boys Coach of the Year. He had developed good teams an old fashioned way: recruit good athletes from other sports to play. In this case, it was from the hockey team.

“Hockey players have great hand-eye coordination,” he explained at the time. “This translates well to tennis. They are great athletes and they learn quick.”

But although there are exceptions, females generally don’t play hockey. “The girls season is a bit different,” he says.  “As a coach you need to be a bit more relaxed when working with them. We try our best to improve skills, attitude and the willingness to do the best they can.

A nice example this season is that I had a 3D team that had never played tennis but they improved over the season so much that they became league champions.”

It also helps if they are smart. This past contingent had a team GPA of 3.966.  “Doing well in the classroom and conducting themselves on the court are paramount to building a successful program,” he says.  “Both the boys and girls teams are always academic all-state every season.”

Beyond the classroom, this season was a very good one for the girls. The team notched an 8-1-1 overall record, tied for 1st place in the League with Gibraltar Carlson and placed 2nd at Regionals, thus qualifying for “states.”

Why? Yes, kids, not coaches, win tennis matches but Trenton players are blessed to be led by a very experienced coach. Rich has been at the helm of Trenton tennis for 42 seasons, amassing a record of 331 wins. He himself played for Trenton High School all four years albeit in mostly a JV role.

He got his start by coaching JV at nearby Woodhaven under Hall of Famer Tim Coleman.  “As my JV girls coach, he made it fun, made sure everyone played in the matches and still they almost always won,” says Tim. “I knew that players moving up from the JV team would have a great base of knowledge and quickly adjust to the varsity.”

“He wasn't the most talented player on the team but he knew how the game was supposed to be played,” says Vince Preuthun, former Trenton head coach.

Indeed, Rich’s father had played for MSU in the mid-1950s. “I had a Theory of Coaching class in college (WMU),” explains Rich, “and I had to do a coaching experience.” So he went to Vince and his assistant Jim Stewart and asked if he could help.

The result was yet another significant stint as a JV coach which prepared him to eventually take over a program that Hall of Famer Tony Malinowski had overseen for 39 years. After all, he had received mentoring from Vince (DSA, 2022) and Jim Stewart (Assistant Coach Award, 1996).

“Rich belongs in that upper echelon of coaches who may not have possessed the greatest talent in his sport, but he sure knew how to bring out the best in his players,” says Vince.  “For that, he deserves high marks.”

This is Rich’s ninth season of coaching the varsity girls team at Trenton, putting together a 58-13-5 record. Moreover, at the end of each spring season, he oversees the Annual Honor and Glory Tournament on Memorial Day weekend. This is the oldest tournament in the state other than the state finals.

For that, he is already in the record books. Add a second Coach of the Year Award.

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GIRLS (Spring)
Scott Cummings, Croswell-Lexington - Division 3

 Scott Cummings grew up in Port Huron where he played tennis under Steve McCalmon and Hall of Famer Al Wright. He started late, going out for the team for the first time in his junior year. Nevertheless, he must have been a good athlete: He played 3D that year but at 2D during his senior campaign, he helped his team qualify for “states” and with his partner reached the quarterfinals.

 This experience propelled him into helping out with the Croswell-Lexington tennis team after college. Having graduated from Central Michigan in 2000, this 8th grade teacher was invited to coach JV for both boys and girls in 2003. As a result, he was a natural to take over in 2009 given not only the garnered experience but also his day job teaching math to many of these players. This kind of daily contact on two levels is invaluable.

He describes the spring 2025 campaign as both special and surprising. “After all, at 2D, 3D, and 4D, each doubles team had one girl who had never even picked up a racket before the season started,” he says.  “After a tie in our first dual match and a 3rd place finish in our first tournament, I felt like we had some potential.  For some reason, things just started to click, and we went on a winning streak. Many of the wins were by a 5-3 score, so we were not dominating anyone.  We were just getting clutch wins when we needed them.”

The team went on to capture the Blue Water Area Conference (BWAC) title for only the second time. This is a league has been the playing field of two Hall of Fame coaches: Almont’s Dean Sousanis and Armada’s Dave Fredette.

We had only won the BWAC once before, in 2018,” he says. “This year, we were able to go undefeated in league.  Then, in another close finish, we won the league tournament by just two points.  We only had one flight champion, but seven of the eight flights made it to the semifinals”

Finishing in second place by two points in the regional behind St. Clair meant that this squad qualified for state competition for the first time since 1999; in other words, before Scott took the helm. “It was especially satisfying, since we had fallen just one point short in both 2018 and 2022,” he says.

To be sure, good coaching is one thing but in the BWAC, actually fielding a 12 person team is just as challenging. This is especially true in the fall. As with many public schools -  especially in D4 -- Scott has had to deal with football being king in terms of acquiring the best athletes. If true, this leaves the others to play the remaining sports which include soccer and cross country. Indeed, in 2025, only six of eight schools in the conference even sponsored boys tennis.

But he has succeeded where others have fallen short. “I had 13 boys this fall (2025), and have fluctuated between 12-18 for the past few years,” he says. “The numbers for girls have been slightly better.  We have had 16-20 girls for the past several years.  But we are still fighting with track, softball, soccer, and golf  (yes, some C-L girls can play golf on the boys team because the school doesn’t have a girls team) to get girls playing tennis.”

Scott gives much credit to assistants Scott Pomeroy and Mike Zielger who have been with him for over ten years. But Armada’s Dave asserts that it is Scott who is now the dean of BWAC for both boys’ and girls’ seasons. “His knowledge of the rules comes in handy when needed at league tournaments,” he says.

“Scott’s teams have always been competitive in the BWAC,” he continues.  I think when CL won the  Girls 2025 League Tennis Championship, it probably was the first time that a team other than Almont or Armada had won the championship.”

“Personally, I think that Scott is a fantastic person,” adds Dave whose 60 seasons and 58 years of coaching high school tennis (this is not a misprint) put him in a position to evaluate. “His players respect him. He is known as a grass roots coach, one who promotes the game from the ground up, not one who inherits players”

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GIRLS (Spring)
Damien Arthur, Allegan - Division 4

Although Allegan is essentially a rural community, its tennis program has flourished for decades due the leadership of one man. Battle Creek Central and Western Michigan University’s  own Gary Ellis made this high school synonymous with tennis success. Gary not only led the Tigers over 43 years to multiple league and regional titles but he  also served high school tennis outside of his community in a multitude of capacities. And to top it all off, the board of education renamed the tennis facility in 2003. Allegan players practice and compete on the Gary Ellis Courts.

Imagine taking over a program which was once led by this paragon. How about the prospect of assuming the reins having competed on the very same team and under the very same coach whom you are now replacing. Big shoes to fill?  An understatement.

Introducing Damien Arthur.

It must have been pretty daunting. Even after Gary stepped down, the Allegan boys won the state title under Jennifer Aldrich (MHSTeCA COY in 2012 and president, 2021-2023.) and Damien’s cousin Seth. At that time Damien served as the JV coach which meant that he was once again close to the program.

Even more, he had previously played for Allegan all four years and was all state in doubles the last two. He then went on to compete for Alma College three of his four years there and served as a captain on those last two squads.

It should be noted that no fewer than four Allegan’s assistants (Jennifer Conrad, Alva Morgan, Jesse DeBoer, and Walt Kaechele) have received the MHSTeCA Assistant Coach Award. Surrounded by an abundance of experience and support and a tradition that he himself was a part of, Damien came to the varsity position well prepared. Maybe not so daunting after all.

Consider what he has accomplished: After nine seasons under his belt, Damien has put together  an overall record of 88-31-13 as varsity coach. His teams have won 18 Tournaments with five of those being conference championships and another five being regional championships. With one exception, all of his teams have finished in the top 10 at the final tournament.

One might describe this past girls season as”typically successful.” His girls went 8-1-5, an indication that they experienced plenty of good competition beyond the league and regional, both of which they won (most likely because of those close matches). It is no surprise that they  took 6th at the state finals. In addition, Damien contributed to the greater good by not only hosting the conference and regional events but also three Saturday tournaments, one of which his team won.

Damien has played a major part in putting together a joint league (SAC and Lakeland conferences) tournament that includes amazingly 13 high schools. It is a two day event with rat-tail matches that trim it to the conventional eight slots with the usual consolation matches (see Pete Luczyk article for a similar effort). 

But as with Gary, Damien’s service to the sport, both locally and state-wide, extends beyond winning matches and tournaments. He has had a place on the MHSAA State Seed Committee for four years, an arduous task that demands both competence and the respect of his colleagues who will expect both a command of information and a reputation for fairness. He is also on our board of directors.

And he has had to balance all this while maintaining a day job as a Reliability Maintenance technician in Kalamazoo at Zoetis, an animal pharmaceutical company.

Finally, to think that this very successful individual in our sport might have foresworn tennis in favor of football had it not been for the fact that in his high school freshman year, the school dropped its ninth grade team. Damien decided to opt out of JV football in favor of tennis because of his then-small size. 

He didn’t look back which has been –over much more than his four high school years -- to Allegan tennis’ benefit. (Let the record show that he is currently 6’5” and weighs 220 pounds).  Yes, it’s amazing how the trajectory of one’s life can pivot on one seemingly insignificant thing.

He’s a good one,” concludes Gary. “The program is in very good hands.”

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BOYS (Fall)
Stephen Nellis, Utica Henry Ford - Division 1

“We’ve been consistently good for the past four years but the level of success we had this past year was unusually high,” says Steve Nellis.

This is quite an understatement.

• Steve’s Falcons dominated the White Division of the Macomb Athletic Conference They went undefeated, not only going 6-0 but 45-3 by flight. That means that these players won 45 individual matches. That also means there were many 8-0 team outcomes. That means most flights didn’t lose a league match.
• They won three contests against opponents in the Red Division, the upper echelon of the conference.
• They won the District Quad, the first time in Steve’s tenure with the team.
• They garnered the most points in the regional than ever before.
• They won four of the six tournaments they entered.
• They beat Utica Eisenhower for the first time in Steve’s 13-year tenure at Ford.

All of this success resulted in well-deserved honors. Steve was voted Macomb County Coach of the Year and the squad was voted Macomb County Team of the Year. These are firsts, one that  usually go to coaches and teams from Utica Eisenhower and Romeo.

But why did such a strong squad not qualify for the state tournament? Consider that his players went up against Troy (2025 state champion, as it turns out), Bloomfield Hills (the runner-up), and Troy Athens (9th in the final tally).

Furthermore this past season’s success means that they will move up to the Red Division next season. Even so, they know that they will be able to compete. Although Steve graduates six seniors, six juniors are returning.

To be sure, Steve looks beyond the wins and losses. “My best accomplishment has been to get my kids to fall in love with the game,” he says. “Within the past few years, these boys have fully committed to the game, taking lessons, attending group clinics and camps, and playing in tournaments.”

Steve came to the Ford post as a student teacher. Because he had played for Sterling Hgts Stevenson in high school under Hall of Famer Mike Barnes, he volunteered to help with the girls team. Before the following spring, the coach could not return and Steve was there to step in. Varsity  Coach at Ford is the only high school tennis post he has ever had. It has been 13 years.”

That makes him somewhat of a veteran in a venerable conference that includes Mark Sobieralski, Annie Michol, and Mike Pearson, all of whom have been honored by the MHSTeCA with Coach of the Year or Hall of Fame or both. Steve is currently the Vice President of the Macomb County Tennis Coaches Association.

"Coach Nellis has built a tennis program that reflects his character, defined by integrity, respect, and an unwavering commitment to his athletes,” says Annie (who was inducted into the Hall of Fame last year).  From personally walking the halls in order to invite students into the sport, to strengthening both in-season and off-season training, to seeking tougher competition and more tournaments, he has created a culture of excellence that inspires everyone around him.

“His leadership extends beyond his school as a supportive friend, colleague, and valued member of the County Tennis Association Board,” she continues. “He has earned the deep respect of players, families, and fellow coaches alike.

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BOYS (Fall)
Pat Dalton, Midland - Division 2

“I grew up in Hemlock, MI where I played High School Tennis for Hall of Fame Coach Ron Kunold at Hemlock High School,” says Pat Dalton.  “It is because of him that I started coaching tennis.  I came up to hit with him after graduating college and he asked me to come to a couple of practices and I got the itch instantly and he made me a volunteer assistant immediately.”

Indeed, Pat spent five years as an assistant at Hemlock before moving on to guide the program at Midland’s Bullock Creek High School. He had no opportunity to play college tennis in that he studied chemistry at Saginaw Valley State University which didn’t have a tennis team.

Therefore when he took a take a job as a Quality Technologist in Water Solutions at Dupont, he was also eager to keep into tennis. He did such a good job at Bullock Creek that he was voted Regional Coach of the Year by his peers in 2017.  “We made strides to become a competitive program,” he says.  “However, I wanted to challenge myself more and applied at Midland High and was lucky enough to get the job.  I love being a Chemic.”

To be sure, crosstown rival H.H. Dow is “the team we all strive to be” (Pat’s words), but the Greater Midland Tennis Center produces plenty of excellent players to go around and the community has developed quite a tradition ever since the state tournament under the flight format was hosted there in 1977. Since the MHSTeCA established our Hall of Fame, Dow and Midland High School have Joe Haskins, Bill Baum, and Terry Schwarzkopf inducted into it.

Therefore, playing Midland means you are in for a contest. This past season, the Chemics lost to Dow and tied Lapeer but notched a good win over Traverse City Central for only the third time in the school’s history. They went 12-1-1 before entering the regional where they qualified for state competition as a third place finisher. On two Saturdays, they won the Jim Teal Invite and the Flushing Quad, the first time that has been accomplished since 2021 (which incidentally was the last time Midland qualified as a team).

“It was a good year because of the seniors on the team,” says Pat.  “They were 100% all in and knew if we didn't make “states’, it wasn't going to be a good year.  They were key to getting the rest of the team out and hitting during our summer program.”

Pat also credits his assistant coaches, Josh Katzinger and Linda Heinrich “who bring big hearts and huge investments into our program. We are a three-headed monster.

He also gets support from retired Coach Baum who has become the team’s statistician. “He’s been a big help; it’s been going on for five years.” In return, Pat holds a tournament in his honor: The Bill Baum Invite.

“Pat is restored continuity to the boys tennis program at Midland High,” says Bill.  “When I retired after the boys season in 2009, the boys team had eight different coaches over the next ten years.  I would always try to meet with a new coach before the season to go over many items a new coach would need to know.  It got very frustrating to do this on almost a yearly basis until Pat came along.  Next year will be his 7th year at the helm, and I think it is so important for the players to have that stability.”

“I think what makes Pat such a great coach is that he truly cares about teaching the game of tennis and mentoring young men,” says Terry. “He cares about winning, but not at the expense of character. Pat expects kindness, positive attitude, and total effort from his team. At the end of the day, regardless of win or loss, if his team represents him, the school, and the game of tennis well...then that day is indeed a success.”

“Being in the shadow of the Midland Dow program can't be easy  but Coach Pat does a great job with what he has,” says Denny Green, coach at Petoskey High School. “We play in an eight-team tournament hosted and run by Pat at the Midland Tennis Center every year. He does a great job of both running the tournament and making everyone feel at home. His teams are always competitive and his players and parents are some of the best. They exhibit great sportsmanship and are very hospitable.”

“Another strength of Pat’s is his even keeled demeanor,” says Bill.  “You can’t tell by looking at him whether the team is losing or winning, and I think that his calmness rubs off on the players.  Also, his integrity is beyond reproach.”

Unlike most high school tennis coaches, Pat doesn’t work at the school during the day but “I thankfully have a job where community service is encouraged.  “I have a job in which I can finish up at home after tennis is completed.”

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BOYS (Fall)
Rob Killips, Ludington - Division 3

Tennis at Ludington High School has been so successful over the years that former coaches talk about it using the words tradition and legacy. It started with Hall of Famer (2005) Tom Kudwa who was so effective that he was named Coach of the Year three times. With the help of his backyard tennis court where he gave lessons to his young daughter and her friends, these kids began to dominate when they got to high school although it took a few years. Conference championships, regional trophies, and trips to the state finals ensued.

The reins were eventually turned over to Cliff Perez, another Coach of the Year and Hall of Famer (Class of 2020). Tom credited Cliff with keeping tennis alive in Ludington through his abundant energy and positive attitude. In addition, Cliff established what remains a very strong middle school program.

And then there is Larry Brown who, upon retirement from the Jackson area where he was a Coach of the Year, took over the Ludington girls program a couple of years after he moved to the Pentwater area. Larry’s achievements and abilities are documented earlier in this banquet program in that he is to be inducted into the Class of 2026. Cliff has called him a Godsend in terms of continuing a Ludington tradition.

Finally, it would be remiss not to mention Judge Jeff Nellis. He and Lily Bradley work with the Ludington middle school kids wherein at the end of each season, Jeff hosts an area-wide tournament that is so appreciated that he received the MHSTeCA’s Distinguished Service Award in 2023.

This is the tradition and backup support that Rob Killips inherited when he took over Cliff’s position. A former  Ludington High School regional champion at 2D who is currently a history teacher at the high school, he applied and was accepted.

He has certainly not disappointed. This past fall, his kids put together a season that included a conference title, a regional championship, and a Top Ten state finish. Over the past decade at the helm, his teams have won eight out of ten Coastal Conference titles, brought home two regional trophies, and been to the final dance seven times. Five second place regional finishes have been too often been at the hands of always-powerful of Traverse City St.Francis. “We bounce around between Divisions three and four,” he says.

Rob gives much credit to Rob Killips Sr. who is his assistant. Having played in high school and two years at Lake Superior College, his father was very qualified to help Tom for many years while Rob’s sisters played for the Orioles. “He has helped me when he could during my tenure, and has helped me full time for the last three seasons since his retirement.”

Indeed, tennis has been a Ludington family affair. Rob competed for the school as did his sisters but so did his sons. Robby played for his father four  years, the first two at one doubles, his junior year at two singles (regional champ) and his senior year at one singles (Honorable Mention All State). “My son Landon also played for me the last two seasons at three doubles after switching over from football.”

“He is huge on building relationships and instilling sportsmanship in all of his players, but also letting them be themselves and a little fiery, just not over the top,” says North Muskegon’s Cody Liverance, himself a former Coach of the Year. “I think that's why I was able to connect with him so well, because I was striving to do the same with my players.  He's definitely someone I would've loved to play for when I was in school”

Cody fondly remembers a state tournament in which his 1S qualified but not the team while Ludington advanced all flights. “Since we had seen each other so much during the season -- between a conference dual and tournament on top of seeding discussions and other late night texting conversations -- it was easy for each of us and our kids to pull for each other that weekend,” he says. “Watching his kids root on the lone North Muskegon player and our small contingent there to support the boys from Ludington really epitomized what ‘small school’ high school sports is all about.  The same guys who had competed against each other all season and tried to beat one another were now rooting for each other out of familiarity and local ties, which was something that both Rob and I valued and why we got along so well.”

“Three things come to mind about Rob” says Larry:

1. He listens to his players
2. He researches his opponent’s players and finds out their strengths and weaknesses.  He then works with his players on ways to attack them so they can have a better chance for success    
3. He has this passion for statistics and numbers.  When it’s time to go to seeding meetings he is excellent in figuring out based on wins and losses where our players fit into the mix.  He knows the stats on everyone.  He does his research.

Indeed, the community of Ludington has been blessed with superb tennis leadership. Add one more name to the list.

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BOYS (Fall)
Matthew Baleja, Paw Paw - Division 4

“We knew coming off last year that we were going to be in the hunt in the fall of 2025, says Matt Baleja. “We had six returning sophomores.”

Matt had good reason to be optimistic. Those six youngsters were joined by three more from last season’s squad. These nine had put together a 5-1-1 conference outcome, placed second in the league and 5th at the regionals. “It was a decent rebuilding year with half of the team made up of freshmen,” he observes.

This fall’s squad eclipsed his expectations. They went undefeated in conference play, a first in school history. In addition, going into the league tournament tied for first, these kids clinched still another trip to the final tournament by placing second to a very solid Berrien Springs group, one that ultimatedly finished third in the state.  “Our only losses were to Top Ten teams in D4 and qualifying teams in D3,” he says. “Moreover, we triumphed over perennial powers Allegan and Kalamaoo Christian (9th at the final tournament).

This team performed well throughout the campaign. “We went 9-1-3 with a 2nd Place at the Portland Tournament behind University Liggett (state champion), 2nd Place at the Paw Paw Invite behind DeWitt, 1st Place at the Paw Paw Quad ahead of Kalamazoo Christian, Lansing Christian, and Brandywine, and 4th at the Allegan Invite behind Lumen Christi (state runner-up), Ludington and Allegan,” he says. “In the conference, we were 5-0-2 and went into the league tournament tied for 1st with Sturgis and Vicksburg.  We had a great conference Tournament and met and/or improved on our seeds at all flights, but ultimately took 2nd place by one match to Sturgis who won the tournament and took the conference.  We finished in 2nd place for the 2nd straight year.

To be sure, it isn’t as if Paw Paw tennis teams have never been truly successful.. The Red Wolves could be found at the state finals 11 of the previous 17 years. There are two regional trophies in the school display.

Matt played high school tennis for Ithaca, a team in the shadows of our sport ever since Donn Gates coached there at the beginning of the MHSTeCA formation. This made his ascendancy to the head job at Paw Paw a good fit in that the Red Wolves were not often to be found in D4 echelons. But as with Scott Zerlaut at Grant and Jim Niebling at Portland, he is a superb example of what a coach can accomplish.

He credits the support of his athletic directors through the years which has enabled him to build a tradition from the ground up “to the point where our team is shooting for the state finals each and every year.” Given that he operates summer programs which are full and sponsors winter elementary clinics, “I am looking forward to where our team can go in the next few years.”

But there is much more to this gentleman than establishing a strong D4 program over 20 years in an area that doesn’t have the advantages that larger communities enjoy in terms of developing high school tennis players .

One of principal reasons why the MHSTeCA has maintained its level of excellence is that we have experienced superb leadership at the vital post of secretary-treasurer. After all, if you work in a school, you know that it is, in effect, run by the secretary and the janitor. In terms of our tennis association, the first person at the secretary post was none other than Bob Wood. He was followed by Tiger Teusink (the two were in every way the founder and the foundation of the MHSTeCA). Allegan’s Gary Ellis took over from Tiger and proved to be every bit as superb in the job.

Gary then talked Matt into assuming the arduous post, in spite of the fact that Coach Baleja is the father of not only an older daughter but much younger twins. He is truly a busy man.

The secretary-treasurer’s is mutli-faceted and time consuming. “I have been around since the very beginning,” says Ed Waits. “I  worked very closely with Bob, Tiger, and Gary over the years. Matt is every bit as diligent as they were. He gets things done and he does them right. He is a major reason why the MHSTeCA is still as effective as it is.”

To be sure, you receive a Coach of the Year designation because of what you do on the court. Matt demonstrated that eight years ago when he received a Boys Coach of the Year Award. Add one more, much deserved.

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