Rising talent: freshman tennis player comes close to State

Game, set, match! Samantha Velasco stands next to Hebron coaches Cowgill and
McGinnis after winning her match for third place.
“Let’s go!” Sam yells, hitting the ball down the line as she watches the girl fail to return
it. Even after playing for an hour in the heat, with sweat pouring down her face, Sam
has a smile, hugging her dad as she receives her bronze medal.

After placing second at the district tennis tournament, freshman Samantha Velasco
traveled to McKinney to play in regionals on May 8th, competing for a spot to go to
State. Though only finishing third, she was the first Hebron player to ever place so high.

“Every time I win or lose, I’ve learned to be happy, or be grateful that I played that
tournament, and played that match,” said Sam. “I’ve learned to be grateful for my
achievements.”

Sam came to America four years ago, emigrating from her home country of Venezuela
due to a corrupt government. She’s had success in the past, being number two in her
country and winning many tournaments. She’s brought her talent and love for tennis
with her, winning even more after moving to Texas.

“I got involved in trying to teach Samantha and her brother Miguel a little bit of what I
knew,” said Sam’s father Juan Velasco. “One thing led to another, they were doing
pretty good at tennis, and I started coaching them.”

Juan had been playing tennis himself ever since he was around seven years old, having
over forty years of experience today. He taught Sam when she was young, and is a
large contributor to her current success in the sport. He has lots of knowledge with
tennis, and coaches many other players as well.

“It’s a sport that I find to be very challenging and difficult, and I’m able to overcome
many situations,” Juan said. “It’s also a mental game, so it makes me focus on every
match.”

Sam has fought long and hard for her position in the sport, all the while trying to adapt
to being in a new country, and with having to learn an entirely new language. She
currently has a 7.2 UTR, which stands for Universal Tennis Rating. The UTR is a global
system that rates the skill level of tennis players, providing a consistent rating based on
a player's match results. Gaining a 7 at such a young age is rare.
“Tennis is a really fun sport, as I get to meet new people and make new friends,” Sam
said. “I like how people are very nice, and the environment in tournaments is nice as
well.”

Sam’s father isn’t her only coach, as she has many people to help her improve in the
sport. William Darnell, a friend of Juan's, also assists in teaching her everything she
needs to know about the physical and mental aspect of tennis.

“I was extremely impressed seeing Sam for the first time, especially her work at the
net,” said Darnell. “I think she’s surprisingly very mentally strong for her age. She’s able
to push through things that would bother other players.”

After joining the Hebron Tennis team, she is number one on varsity, having the highest
UTR out of all the girls. Many of her teammates, along with the coach, have showed
their support as she moved on to play in the very competitive regionals tournament.

“I have been a big supporter of her,” said Darnell. “Watching her grow and get better as
a player has been fun to watch.”

Sam continued to go on and compete in regionals, a few matches making it to three

sets as she played through sweat and the blazing sun. She won her first two matches
before losing her third, putting her in a position to play for third. Ultimately, Sam placed
third overall, one rank short from making it to State. Despite this, Sam was the first in
the school's history to place so high, making her placement a big accomplishment.

“It inspires me, seeing the people around me being proud of me,” Sam said. “I like
seeing how well I'm doing for the school and for myself.”