LG Grad, Standout Coach is Newest Honoree
Fayette Co. Record’s Athlete of the Week
La Grange high school alum Theresa Urbanovsky has experienced what it’s like to be a player and a coach at some of the most elite stages. She is now the head softball coach at Judson High School in Converse, about 15 miles northeast of San Antonio, and has led her team to it’s first ever state tournament appearance.
“We’ve been hitting the ball really well,” said Urbanovsky. “We’re very consistent with hitting home runs.” The Rockets have tallied 59 total home runs for the season. “Our numbers have been off the charts with home runs against good, quality pitching. That’s been something that I think has separated us from our opponents because we’ve been scoring so many runs.”
The team has an overall record of 34-2 overall.
They have a junior third baseman, Destiny Rodriguez, who is committed to play softball at the University of Tennessee as well as a junior centerfielder, Keely Williams, who is going to play at Texas A&M University. Both Rodriguez and Williams are ranked top 40 in the state and Williams is one of 32 players in the country that was selected for the United States junior Olympic softball team. Her dad, Rodney Williams, is from Flatonia and is an assistant coach for Judson along with being the head coach of the football team. Rodriguez is mentored by University of Texas softball phenom and current U.S. Olympian Cat Osterman.
“They’re in conversation almost everyday,” Urbanovsky said. “Just being that person in her ear. Cat’s been a big influence within our program.” Urbanovsky graduated from La Grange in 1989 and played basketball, volleyball, and softball. She had interest from college coaches in all three sports, but decided to pursue volleyball and softball. Urbanovsky started her college career at Wharton Junior College and then received a scholarship for volleyball at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio. She also played for the softball team and was the starting third baseman. Urbanovsky began her coaching career at St. Mary’s and was the assistant volleyball coach while still playing for the softball team, eventually taking over the softball program in 1994 and becoming the head coach while remaining the assistant coach for volleyball until 1997. “I don’t even know how I did this, when I look back,” said Urbanovsky. While waiting to see about opportunities in the public school system, Judson High School reached out to Urbanovsky in 2001. Running the softball program and teaching at the high school, Urbanovsky was allowed to be an assistant volleyball coach at Trinity University in San Antonio and served there from 2002 to 2004. She was recognized due to her previous experience coaching in college. During Urbanovsky’s tenure at Trinity, the volleyball team was ranked top five in the nation for division three. Urbanovsky then realized she couldn’t balance both because of the constant travel.
“I was flying out every weekend”, Urbanovsky said. “To carry on that kind of load, it was crazy. Trying to balance college and high school, I had to make a decision and I made the decision in 2004 just to go straight high school and fell in love with being a Rocket.” Urbanovsky has been the coach at Judson ever since and has produced a legendary career that is still in bloom, giving her the nod for this edition’s Athlete of the Week.
Question: What’s your greatest memory of being a student-athlete at La Grange high school?
Answer: “I would definitely say getting the opportunity to play my career with my sister. One of the biggest things was when we won at Southwest Texas to go to (volleyball) regionals. She was our middle and I was the outside hitter. I remember capturing a picture of us, too. Just the opportunity getting to play side by side with her and getting to play in the big games at regionals at Kingsville.”
Question: Where does making it to this year’s state tournament rank among your accolades as a coach?
Answer: “It’s definitely one of the highlights. It’s the biggest platform I’ve ever been on as a high school coach. With this group of kids, it’s not been our goal to win state. It’s been our goal just to embrace our moment, so this journey has been something unique. For me, it’s more the journey rather than the accolade of being at state. Everybody thinks getting to the top is ultimately where you want to get to. That’s not it. It’s actually the process that you’re going to remember.”
Question: How does coaching at the high school level compare to the college level?
Answer: “It was a great experience getting to coach at the highest level with the programs I was involved with. I think they’re just two different identities. I don’t weigh one better than the other. With opportunities coaching at both levels, I just remember the process of the teams and the relationships that I had with the different people that I’ve coached. The group at Trinity, I’m still really good friends with those girls. It’s almost 20 years ago and we’re still connected. The group I coached at St Mary’s, I’m really close to also. Very close knit. Each one of them are part of my life journey. I think it’s created the experience to prepare me for where I’m at right now with this group of kids, that we’re having this chance and this opportunity to play.”
Question: If one of your players tells you they want to play college ball, what do you say to them?
Answer: “I just tell them if it’s what you want, then you’re going to have to put your work into it. Make sure that you prepare yourself for that opportunity. I believe any one of our kids can play at the next level. You have to commit to the preparation of what it takes to play at that next level. When I was trying to decide if I was going to play volleyball, basketball, or softball with my scholarship offers, my volleyball coach told me ‘You need to go play softball. That’s your best sport.’ I know that was one of the reasons I decided to play volleyball and I didn’t accept the scholarship to go play at Southwest Texas. Even though that was my biggest offer with a division one school. I decided to go play volleyball. I wanted to prove them wrong because I knew I was just as good in volleyball, if not better. I think that was a wrong thing she said to me. But for me, it was a motivating thing and I used it as an opportunity just to show that I was good enough to play that sport. The biggest role for me as their coach is to make sure that I give them the tools and power them to know that they can go and play at the next level. I have to keep them accountable for their actions so they understand that can be a difference maker whether or not they’re going to have that offer or that opportunity. If the kid is not disciplined enough to play at the next level, it’s hard for me to make sure they understand that they’re going to have to change their work ethic to be able to play past their high school career.”
Question: Who’s an athlete you idolized growing up?
Answer: “The person I looked up to was Rose Jones. She was one of the most decorated athletes at La Grange High School. Rose was just this amazing athlete that ran track at Texas A&M-Kingsville. She was also great in basketball. Her son played professional football for the (Dallas) Cowboys. She just finished her career at UT (University of Texas) as an assistant coach for women’s track. Before that, she was at Westbury. She played with my mom in softball. I was the bat girl and was probably four or five. If I asked her to hit a homerun for me, she’d hit a homerun. Ever since I was in middle school when she was winning state championships at Westbury in track, she brought me in during the summer. I’d go workout in Houston and she’d let me stay with her. She’s kept up with my career at Judson. Definitely the strongest role model or mentor that I’ve had in my life and she was one of the best from La Grange.”
Question: What do you like the most about the city of San Antonio?
Answer: “The family environment. It’s a big city with a small town mentality. It reminds me of what a community is like, like La Grange. It reminds me of what Coach Williams and I share with our connection of La Grange and Flatonia, being so close. Everybody knows everybody. I feel like our city is behind us with our program. They’ve fallen in love with our team. I don’t think you get that in most big cities. That’s something unique and special about San Antonio. I fell in love with San Antonio when I went to school at St. Mary’s and I couldn’t imagine finishing up my career anywhere else. It’s been my home.”
Question: How do you spend your time when you’re not coaching or teaching?
Answer: “That’s probably a majority of my time, but I love spending quality time with my family. I love just being able to get out and travel when I have the opportunity. I love fishing. One of the things I get to do is an annual fishing trip. All that fun stuff on an air boat. I’ve been doing that for a while. For me, it’s just quality time. If I can get away, get to La Grange, and go spend some time with my parents and my niece and nephew, that’s my getaway.”
Question: What’s your favorite restaurant?
Answer: “I love all good quality food, so I don’t think I have a favorite. I’ve only been to a couple of restaurants in the past 15 months, but right before COVID, me and my team went to Grist Mill in New Braunfels. It’s a neat restaurant. Whenever we do our team pictures in New Braunfels, I always take them there. That’s probably one of my favorites when I have the opportunity to take my softball team out and do something fun.”
Question: If you could go back in time and change something about your sporting career, what would it be?
Answer: “I don’t think I ever took my career for granted, but I don’t think I was as mature as these kids to understand the moment I was in. Knowing what I know now and seeing the maturity of my team has allowed me to appreciate the maturity of these kids. They’re not your normal teenager. They’re so mature and just smart kids. They understand life and they’re embracing each moment. I don’t think I was that smart. I understood it because that was my work ethic and that was my habit, but I didn’t really know the value of it like these kids do. If I could go back, I would go back to just embracing and not taking for granted those moments that I had. Especially those moments that I got to share with my sister and getting to play my high school and college career with her.”
Question: How would you describe sports and what they can do for people?
Answer: “They’re empowering. They’re life changing. I think they’re the foundation of who we are. When you understand how to work within a team, accept a role, and be the best that you can be, it creates a culture or mindset that you won’t want anything less. I think with my experience playing at St. Mary’s, every one of my teammates at St. Mary’s is family. It’s special love. What I experienced as a college player is the same thing I’m witnessing within our program in getting to see the best level with this group of kids that we’re coaching. I know each one of these kids is going to leave knowing that they will go back and remember this being a life changing moment that created something so much bigger for them. Whatever they plan on pursuing with their personal or professional careers and just being the person that they are. For me as a coach, I want these kids to leave better people. I just want them to realize that they can do whatever they want. I’m pretty sure if you ask one of my kids, they’re pretty confident that they’re ready for the next stage of their life from the experience they’ve had playing within our program. Ultimately, that’s our mission. For these players to become servant minded where they sincerely love and care about people and want to do for others. I think that’s what we’re seeing in this program. The kids are for others and they’re reaping the rewards of their commitment to excellence.”
Recent FCR’s Athlete of the Week
April 16: Ilse Salinas, RT-C Track
April 23: Keagan Supak, Fayetteville Baseball/Track
April 30: Bravion Rogers, La Grange Track
May 7: Briana Vavra, Schulenburg Softball
May 14: Trenton Barnes, La Grange Baseball
May 21: Parker Vitek, Fayetteville Baseball
May 28: Logan Fritsch, Fayetteville Baseball
June 4: Theresa Urbanovksy, LG Grad/Judson Coach
* Read about the new honorees in our Friday editions.