Fifteen-year-old Lukas Hanc recently returned from the United States Futnet Competition in Chicago where he received a silver medal. Futnet, or soccer tennis as it is also known, is popular around the world, especially in Europe as it was developed in Czechoslovakia in the 1920s. Hanc also represented USA in the World Championship in the Czech Republic in November 2014 where his team placed ninth among 18 teams.  “I have great passion for this unique sport that requires the skills of soccer, gymnastics, karate and tennis,” said Hanc, a Point Loma High School sophomore.
Hanc, whose parents are natives of the Czech Republic, learned the game from playing with his father and his friends on the weekends. 
“At the tournament, I was very nervous playing against athletes I had looked up to my entire life,” Hanc said. “But everyone was very friendly and I learned so much from playing with more experienced players. It inspired me to work harder because we are far from the best.”
Hanc was the youngest player on any of the 11 teams competing, the average age being 28. “It was great playing for a stadium filled with fans, but probably the most emotional moment of the tournament was to stand in front of the United States flag at the ceremony and realize that I was representing my country,” Hanc said.