Las Vegan hits books and tennis balls to win scholarship, Rudy Award

Chaparral High School graduate Edgardo Ureta gets ready to hit a forehand. Ureta received the 2009 Rudy Award for tennis, an award inspired by former University of Notre Dame football player Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger. Ureta never played tennis until his junior year of high school, but now attends the University of Hartford on a tennis scholarship.special to view Advertisement

Odyssey Charter School graduate Edgardo Ureta received one of the most famous awards in the country, and all it took was a lot of gumption.

As a junior at Chaparral High School, Ureta loved Jack Daniels and regularly suffered from weekend hangovers. He didn't stay on top of his school work and enjoyed partying with his friends.

"I was always bored and always trying to cause some kind of trouble," Ureta said.

Inspired to try playing tennis after watching a match in California, Ureta and his family looked for a local coach.

Ureta went to Sunset Park and signed up to play tennis with Leon Vernon, a tennis professional who gives lessons based on what a student can afford. After six months, he had outgrown Vernon's program, so the coach tried to secure him a spot training with the Marty Hennessy Junior Tennis Foundation.

Vernon then called Ryan Wolfington to ask if Ureta could join the foundation's elite leadership program. While leaving the U.S. Open earlier this month, Wolfington spoke openly about Ureta.

"I kind of blew Leon off a couple of times because (Ureta) was a junior in high school and only had been playing for six months," Wolfington said.

Vernon persisted, and Wolfington finally agreed to meet Ureta.

After their first meeting, Wolfington was impressed with Ureta's drive and felt he just might have something. Together, Wolfington and Ureta watched the movie "Rudy" because the former wanted to inspire the young man.

To be eligible to play tennis for the Marty Hennessy Junior Tennis Foundation, students have to maintain a 3.0 grade point average or a 3.7 average to be on the traveling portion of the team.

Ureta at the time had a 2.3 grade point average.

Wolfington accepted Ureta on the condition that he would clean the tennis courts every day to help him stay out of trouble and that he bring up his grades.

"I figured after a few days, he would quit," Wolfington said.

Ureta didn't, though, and came to the tennis foundation's center to clean the courts three to four hours a day, for six days a week for two months.

"He was still horrible at tennis, but his attitude was great," Wolfington said.

During his senior year, Ureta wanted to attend the foundation's annual East Coast Leadership Tour to visit colleges and worked to bring his grade point average up. He also transferred from Chaparral to Odyssey Charter School so he would be free to travel with his tennis team.

"It was very, very difficult, but it was something I was really hungry for," Ureta said.

During his time on the East Coast, Ureta listened to motivational speakers in addition to visiting higher education campuses. Ureta came back more focused than ever.

"It's neat," Wolfington said. "This kid, the motivation comes from within."

The mentor described Ureta as funny, good-natured and determined. In 2008, Ureta graduated with a 3.3 grade point average.

But, instead of going directly to college, he decided to take a year off and train in tennis because he wanted to play for a university. In the mornings he trained, and in the afternoons he interned for Wolfington. At the same time, Ureta called 200 schools to introduce himself and try to secure a scholarship.

His national tennis ranking went from unranked to being among the top 400 in the country. In Nevada, he was ranked No. 2 in the Boy's 18 years of age category.

By spring of 2009, Ureta received nine offers to play tennis on university teams.

In May, Ureta signed a letter of intent to attend the University of Hartford in Connecticut, a Division I school. Two weeks later, he won his first district tournament in Las Vegas.

"My whole theory is if you work your butt off ... anything can happen, and he proved that," Wolfington said.

Wolfington said Ureta's hard work paid off, because he went from a mediocre high school tennis player to being good enough to play for a major program.

"He's one of the biggest success stories," Wolfington said.

A short while after receiving his scholarship letter from the University of Hartford, Wolfington took Ureta to a meeting with him. At the meeting, Ureta met Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger, the man on whom the movie "Rudy" is based.

Ureta received the Rudy Award for tennis, which is given to students based on character and courage. With the honor, he received a Rudy jersey, helmet and plaque.

Ureta attributes his success to his own hard work, but also to Wolfington's interest in him. He said his mentor taught him to eat healthy, take care of injuries and taught him valuable life lessons. He also refers to Wolfington as a second father to him.

"You have to earn what is given to you," Ureta said. "It really made me appreciate what I had."

Contact View education reporter Laura Emerson at lemerson@viewnews.com or 380-4588.