Home Boys' Lists Girls' Lists Men's Teams Women's Teams News Photos Contributors Links Help Sign-UpOnline Store
Latest News | Categories | Authors | News Archives
 
 

News & Features

Where Are They Now?
Countdown: Conversation with Williams Champ Urban
Share:    

It's been a few years since Lex Urban walked the campus of Williams College in Massachusetts. Back in the early 2000s, Urban served as captain of the Ephs Men's Tennis Team that won the NCAA Division III National Championship in both 2001 and 2002. After graduating, Urban spent a year doing community service in AmeriCorps - and he now is a practicing lawyer in Washington, DC.

Harry Cicma of NBC Sports chatted with Urban about all things college tennis...

 

Questions and Answers

Former Williams standout Lex Urban
Harry Cicma (HC): What did you enjoy the most about playing College Tennis for Williams?

Lex Urban (LU): Without a doubt I most enjoyed the team aspect of college tennis at Williams. Junior tennis is almost 100% individual and lacks the team component that college tennis offers. The fact that I was playing my match not just for myself, but for my fellow teammates and College, made every match that much more important, and every win that much sweeter. Because of this, and the truly special thing about Williams tennis, was how much of a family the team became through our work towards a common goal. Ten years removed - wow, I'm old! - from my last match, my teammates are still some of my closest friends.

 

HC: What was the experience like of winning a National Championship?

LU: It is difficult to describe, but I would say that it was a mix of exhilaration and satisfaction. In sports, there simply is nothing better than winning a championship. The fact that it was a team accomplishment makes the exhilaration much more than any individual honor or championship because in addition to the excitement of what you have accomplished, you also have the excitement of what the team has accomplished. The feeling of satisfaction is one that anyone who sets goals and achieves them can relate to. The amount of work and time that went into being ready for that season, that match, and the deciding moments made achieving our goals incredibly sweet. It is a feeling of contentment to finally be able to appreciate everything you have accomplished over the course of that year. You simply do not forget those moments.

I can remember winning it all in 2002 like it was yesterday. The match had been delayed 4-5 hours because of rain so we were playing under the lights. We did not get back to the hotel until late that night, but we needed to get a team picture to remember the moment. We ended up using the self-timer function to take it in one of our hotel rooms. One of my teammates was in his bathrobe, a few had cigars, but everyone was sporting the huge smile that comes with knowing we had just accomplished something we would never forget.

 

Urban graduated from Williams in 2004
HC: What advice would you give a young player looking to play college tennis?

LU: I would tell them that they are making a great decision, but that it is going to be a huge time investment if they take the sport seriously. Between practicing, training, and travelling it requires some huge sacrifices in your social calendar. The rewards are well worth it, but that it is still quite difficult to resist all the "extra-curriculars" that college offers.

I would also suggest playing another sport that is team based. As every tennis player knows, being on the court for so many hours can literally drive you insane (who doesn't talk to themselves at one point or another out there?). Competing in another sport (for me it was JV basketball) can be a great outlet, as well as a perfect way to cross-train in the off-season.

Lastly, I would advise them to buy a stringer! Being able to string your own rackets is incredibly useful and a great way to make a little extra cash when trying to live on a budget.

 

HC: What were the biggest challenges of moving from the USTA juniors to NCAA Tennis?

LU: I think the biggest challenge was figuring out how to reconcile individual achievement with team success. College tennis is so different from juniors because you are playing for your team first and then yourself. At the same time, you are competing with your teammates for lineup spots - but you also have to try and bond with them in order to help the team perform better. Trying to find the balance between competitiveness and team unity was one of the biggest challenges, and most crucial to a team's success (along with talent obviously!). Our team was highly competitive on the court, but we ultimately supported one another off of it. Finding that balance is no easy feat and requires a certain level of selflessness that some people just do not have.

One big challenge I had, that was probably different than a lot of junior players, was catching up with everyone's development because I was a very late bloomer. Because of this, I did not train as hard as my peers in junior tennis and it was a rude awakening when I arrived at Williams. Ultimately, I ended up making the sacrifices and putting in the work, but finding that motivation was challenging given all the distractions that college offers.

All in all, putting in the work that was required to play and be successful at the collegiate level was one of the best decisions I've ever made. It was fun and rewarding - it left me with some great memories and some even better friends.

 

Boys Time

Earlier this week, we took a look at the top girls in the Class of 2015. On Monday, we check in with the Top 100 boys. Come by Monday morning as Tennis Recruiting keeps you up-to-date on all things college recruiting - as we continue on the Countdown to Signing Day!

 
 

About YONEX

We are honored to have YONEX as the presenting sponsor of our Where Are They Now? article series at TennisRecruiting.net.

YONEX

YONEX is a successful global company with its corporate headquarters located in Tokyo, Japan. Subsidiary companies operate around the world, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, Taiwan and China (Golf). YONEX continues to be driven to produce the most technologically advanced sports equipment to enable players, both amateur and professional, to play their sport at a higher level.

Connect with YONEX on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest, - or on their website.

 

Leave a Comment

 

More "Where Are They Now?" Features

26-Feb-2024
Cutillo Returns to Tennis to Give Back
Ryann Cutillo left tennis once she graduated from Wake Forest. But the sport drew her back through the Johnny Mac Tennis Project. Cutillo is beginning her third year as the executive director at JMTP, which is a non-profit that helps kids in underserved communities in New York play tennis.

28-Oct-2022
Sturner Ascends From BU Captain to Business Owner
Former Boston University team captain Ben Sturner credits his college experience for helping him build a successful business career. Sturner is the CEO and Founder of Leverage Agency. He is also the father of a young tennis player. He details that and more in a recent interview.

13-Sep-2022
Former Hurricane Hechtman Finds Joy Coaching Williams Sisters
Former University of Miami team captain Eric Hechtman has spent the past few months coaching Venus and Serena Williams. Hechtman began coaching Venus in 2019 and started working with Serena earlier this year before she announced plans for her likely retirement.

 
 "Where Are They Now?" Index |   Subscribe

 

About Harry Cicma

When it comes to college tennis, Harry Cicma is your man. Cicma covers tennis and other athletic stories for NBC Sports, writing articles and producing video segments.

He is co-founder and host of World Tennis a weekly tennis show on NESN, and host of of Tennis Live Radio's College Corner.

Cicma competed as a junior in USTA/New England and went on to play college tennis at Rutgers University. As a professional, Cicma competed at the ATP Newport tournament and the San Jose Siebel Open. He reached a career-high #75 in the ATP doubles team rankings and #1262 in the ATP Entry System.

In media, Cicma has run the gamut. He has worked for NBC, CBS, ABC, ESPN, FOX Sports Net, the Tennis Channel, and World Team Tennis. Cicma has announced NCAA sports as well as the US Open Tennis Championships on both TV and radio.

 
 YONEX USA
 
2018 EZONE Blue Launch Party at the Australian Open
 
Stan Wawrinka (SUI), Nick Kyrgios (AUS), Caroline Garcia (FRA), and Daria Gavrilova (AUS) joined other top-ranked Yonex players for an evening down under to celebrate ...
 
See More
 
RECENT COMMITMENTS
3/16 Sofia Cantu chooses Dallas
3/15 Jack McGary chooses Cal Poly
3/15 Aiden Sin chooses Hope
3/14 Michelle Pugh chooses OUAZ
3/14 Linda Ziets-Segura chooses Virginia Tech
3/14 Gavin Nichols chooses Nebraska Wesleyan
3/14 Bradley Gallo chooses Riverside
3/14 Sue Yan Tan chooses BYU
3/13 Sanai LeSure chooses Xavier (LA)
3/13 Chloe Qin chooses Brown

Full Listings: Boys' Commits & Girls' Commits

 
 
RECENT HEADLINES
ITA NEWS

Page updated on Monday, March 11, 2024
Contact our web team with any corrections