Siem \u201cSam\u201d Woldeab picked up a tennis racket at age 7 as a fun summer activity. His family lived across the street from the Helix Charter High School tennis courts, so it was an easy choice.<\/p>\n After a few lessons, however, he knew<\/em> tennis was his sport. Recently, the United States Tennis Association\u2019s Player Development program confirmed<\/em> that choice as Woldeab was one of eight top U.S. players named to the 2017 USA National Junior Team.<\/p>\n Woldeab, 15, is a sophomore at Helix High. He is ranked No. 2 in both the U.S. and Southern California in the Boys\u2019 16\u2019s Division. As a USA National Junior Team member, he will receive training opportunities, coaching and travel assistance to play select USTA National Championships and ITF junior tournaments this summer.<\/p>\n \u201cI really want to go pro,\u201d said Woldeab, a 6-foot 1-inch teen from La Mesa. \u201cI know it will be hard but I have the drive.\u201d<\/p>\n In 2008, Siem joined clinics led by Coach Lois Szepaniak and Coach Stan Jefferson at the East County Community Tennis Association Junior Programs. He also occasionally played in the site\u2019s NJTL classes and on Junior Team Tennis squads. It was clear this was a life-changing opportunity.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the beginning, Siem was just like all of the other kids,\u201d Szepaniak said. \u201cAfter his first season of Junior Team Tennis, he fell in love with the game. He knew this was going to be a big part of his life. You could just see it when he played. He had passion and that made the difference.\u201d<\/p>\n Woldeab is a first generation American born child to immigrant parents from Eritea, East Africa. His father, Tewolde \u201cTed\u201d, and mother, Semainesh, have worked hard to give Siem and his 13 year-old sister, Winta, the opportunity to play tennis.<\/p>\n Ted is a taxi driver on the graveyard shift, and Semainesh is an accountant, who works a traditional day shift. They are firm believers in the importance of education. During the summers, they tutor their children and prepare them for the next grade level in many core classes. As a result, Woldeab maintains a 4.6 GPA with challenging courses.<\/p>\n \u201cOur plan is never to leave the kids by themselves,\u201d Ted said. \u201cWe are there first to keep them out of trouble, and second, to help them get an education with a scholarship. If it works out they play professional tennis, that is a gift.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Going](\"https:\/\/lamesacourier.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/web-MAIN-siem-fh-GREAT1.jpg\")
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