Phenoms : With Talent Beyond Their Years, These Athletes Will Likely Leave Their Marks

They range in age from 9 to 16.

They are aberrations, youngsters whose athletic skills place them beyond their years.

The flashy word for it is phenom. The not-so-flashy description is athletically gifted.

Flashy seems to be a better fit, because once these gee-whiz kids get noticed--and it usually doesn’t take long--they become the buzz of their sporting community.

Flashy or not, the bottom line is the same: They can play the game. And they can play the game at a higher level than most.

They are impact players of the youngest order. And the highest.

Larry Wang: Tennis

As Sam Olson watched Larry Wang hit crisp volleys, top-spin forehands, slice backhands and kick serves, he kept trying to remind himself he was watching a 9-year-old. Then Olson began talking tennis with Wang and he nearly fell over.

“He’s as focused as most 16-year-olds and his game is more developed than a lot of 16-year-olds’,” said Olson, who has worked with some of the top junior players to come out of the county, including Eric Lin and Kevin Kim. “This kid is much further along than Eric or Kevin were at that age.”

While many 9-year-olds are struggling to get the ball over the net, Wang is already serving and volleying.

“I like to think I’m an all-court player,” he said. “If I get an advantage, I like going to the net.”

Wang lives in Anaheim and is coached by his father, James Wang. Last week, Larry attended a tennis camp at the Vic Braden Tennis College in Coto de Caza. There he was instructed by Olson and tennis pro Mark Walpole, who was impressed by Wang’s knowledge of the sport.

“He can name any player on tour and tell you how he plays,” Walpole said. “Technically, he’s very, very sound. The way he moves, his mannerisms, he looks like a 14-, 15-year-old.”

Maybe that’s because he’s already been playing for five years.

“I hit my first ball over the net when I was 4,” Wang said.

Although he’s only in the fourth grade, Wang often plays in 12-and-under tournaments and he practices with his brother, Michael, who’s 13. When Wang isn’t playing tennis, he’s usually watching it on television or reading about it.

His favorite players?

“I like Michael Chang and Pete Sampras,” Wang said.

But Walpole said Wang plays more like Andre Agassi.

“He’s got a forehand that looks like Agassi’s,” Walpole said. “He’s got the stuff. The great thing about Larry is he already has the work ethic. He loves to play and that’s something you can’t teach.”

Walpole and Olson said they wouldn’t be surprised if Wang became a very good player some day.

“The Couriers, the Agassis were great at 9 or 10,” Walpole said. “Even Sampras, you knew he was going to be great at 10.”

Said Olson: “These are the kind of kids you see on television in six years. A lot of times by this age, you can pretty well tell.”

But Wang, who also plays ping pong, soccer and practices kung fu, said he isn’t completely sold on the idea of becoming a pro tennis player.

“I might want to become a doctor or a tennis player,” he said.