Tom Schuman, a retired journalist living in Province, has released a new book called Why Not Us?, according to InMaricopa. The book follows his longtime interest in sports and looks at the potential of his alma mater, Ball State University.
Schuman spent 12 years covering sports for small media outlets in Illinois before spending 23 years with the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. He said sports often helped open conversations throughout his career, including one with former Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels that started with talk about the Dodgers.
His interest in sports began long before his reporting days. Schuman grew up a devoted Cincinnati Reds fan, with some of his earliest memories tied to listening to games on a family transistor radio. He later played baseball and tennis in high school, then softball as an adult.
Schuman said his connection to Ball State grew during his college years, when he wrote for the student newspaper and often covered the men’s volleyball team. At a reunion, a conversation about the team’s chances of winning a national title sparked the idea behind the book title, which became a recurring theme among alumni.
Now living in Maricopa, Schuman said he and his wife found community in Province through pickleball and a writers’ group. He said the new book is about more than volleyball or statistics, and is instead centered on the people and shared connections that sports can create.
