Hugues Laverdière, ’96, found his roots when he came into the UL Lafayette French program.
“I choose to attend UL Lafayette primarily because of the strong tennis team but also I wanted to experience my French roots in Louisiana,” he said. “My ancestors came from Normandy into Canada and some went south in Louisiana.
“It was surreal to meet the different people and see the traditions of the famous Thibodeaux and Sonnier families, for example,” he said. “To discover folk music like zydeco, jazz and blues was unreal for me. To attend the famous New Orleans music festival with my fellow students was unforgettable!”
While he was here, Hugues found more than just a vibrant culture — he learned an invaluable skill.
“One of the most important things I learned from my time at UL Lafayette was how to work in a team environment,” he said. “Because tennis is an individual sport, I never learned how to be a team player before attending UL Lafayette. Suddenly I had teammates that could help me out for many things even more than tennis.”
Hugues has been a tennis professional one way or another since graduation.
“I spent a few years on the professional tennis tour after my graduation in 1996,” he said. “Then I decided I was going to help everybody I could through tennis.
“I founded my tennis academy back in my hometown to continue to teach (the) great values that I learned at UL Lafayette,” he said. “Dedication, teamwork and the most important of all, like former coach Holden would say: follow your passions.”
Hugues sends off students with an inspiring piece of advice.
“Be passionate about what you do, embrace it, own it,” he said. “If you fail, adjust, evolve, find a solution. It’s like a tennis match: you can find a key at any point. Be alert. And most important of all: keep fighting. Geaux Cajuns!”
