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Hennessy Foundation Hosts Leadership Breakfast With Attorney Phil Aurbach

The USTA-Nevada organization and The Marty Hennessy Junior Tennis Foundation recently invited Phil Aurbach to speak at their June "Leadership Breakfast." The Foundation deals with at-risk youth, with the goal to instill in them an attitude of excellence, assist them in their tennis career, and help them find their passion in life. The mission of the Foundation is to inspire children in need through mentoring, tennis and education. In addition to on-court instruction, the Hennessy Foundation helps with academic tutoring, peer mentoring, college and leadership seminars as well as financial assistance with tournament and traveling costs. Tennis has been the tool and common denominator that helps the Foundation achieve its goals.

Phil, a native of Nevada, spoke to 22 young women and men about goals, hard work and persistence in tennis had helped him achieve success. Phil explained how as a freshman he went out for the Clark High School tennis team and was told there were 13 on the squad and it was being cut to 12, and he was #13. Phil's goal was to play high school sports but he didn't have much talent. He then washed tennis courts and strung tennis rackets for tennis lessons and his senior year was #2 in the state in doubles. Because of his hard work at tennis and high school grades he got a tennis scholarship to Mesa Community College in Arizona where he played #2 singles and then got a scholarship to Western Kentucky University where he played #6 singles. Phil used tennis to help him with college tuition which, along with hard work and good grades allowed him to get into law school. He is now an owner of one of the few local law firms with 40 attorneys including 14 other owners.

In over 30 years of practicing law, Phil has brought cases to trial before juries and judges, been an arbitrator and mediator as well as argued cases to the Nevada Supreme Court.

Inspired by one of his clients, Herman Ahlers, Phil recently started playing National Tennis Tournaments. In 2007 at the age of 71, Herman, a 6'4" serve and volleyer who beat Phil 6-2, 6-1, took Phil inside his house and showed Phil that he had 10 gold balls. To get a gold ball, you must win a national championship in your age division. In 2007, Herman was ranked #1 in the world in the 70 and over age bracket and #1 in the US.
Herman was on the Crawford cup which is the Davis cup counterpart for 70 and over players. In 2007 the US lost the Crawford cup to Australia in New Zealand on grass. Afterward, they played the world championships. Herman beat all 3 guys on the Australian team (including Mark Woodforde's dad, Ray) and Herman got to the finals of singles and doubles.

Thinking it would be fun to play national tournaments, Phil found that the hardest part was to convince his wife that it is an exotic vacation going to Boise for the National 55 Indoors Championships instead of Paris. In 2008, Phil got points for just entering, and for going one round in the qualifying or one round in the main draw of various US tournaments. Phil started out 2008 as #348 in the 55 year old & over bracket. By the end of the year he was ranked 104. It got him hooked. In 2009 he was ranked #40 in the nations, but decided he should have gone for a #80 ranking since that much competition required knee surgery in November 2009 and shoulder surgery in January 2010.

Phil concluded his leadership talk with a poem. Phil's partner, Al Marquis, writes cowboy poetry.

A Higher Hill
I fix my eye on distant ridge:
And trudge on day-after day;
To reach that goal that I've set,
There's dues I gotta pay.

After much work, sweat and toil,
Upon the ridge, I arrive;
I've made my goal - set long ago,
And I'm happy to be alive.

But behold, in the distance;
A peak that is even higher;
On I plod with new resolve,
It's not in me to retire.

Distractions seem everywhere;
I long for an easier way;
But I focus upon that point,
From that goal, I will not stray.

A few more steps, then on top;
I smile and sign relief;
Now a life of contented bliss,
Is my strongly held belief.

But the elation of goal attained
Soon begins to fade away;
I stare at other distant peaks,
Am I a quitter, if I stay?

Is it a mistake to walk away
And go searching God knows where?
Or am I a fool to stay secure
And never know what's out there?

Phil urges people to join him by donating to the
Marty Hennessy JT Foundation
PO Box 60117
Las Vegas, NV 89160
501(c)3 Non-profit Organization #C24478-2004