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Most college-bound tennis players devote more than half of their years to countless hours of training, traveling, preparation, and competition. Most start playing well before the ripe age of 10, and they develop a feel for the sport to which they'll dedicate their junior life. And by 14, the goal of a coveted college scholarship will already be a well-developed, tangible idea.

For 18-year-old Stephanie Hoffpauir of Escondido, California, who was recently offered and accepted a scholarship to UCLA, tennis entered her life a mere five years ago.

Her father Jon, who has been involved in Stephanie's life since she was only six and adopted Stephanie at 13, has always been an active tennis player and coach. And Stephanie wanted to play, too. Jon says, "Stephanie one day wrote me a note and put it on my desk. It read 'Make me play tennis everyday.'"