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About The Latin American International Sports Hall of Fame

In the United States, there are Sports Halls of Fame that honor professional and amateur athletes in football, basketball, track, tennis, baseball and other sports. There are also ethnic halls of fame that recognize outstanding athletes from different groups including Italian, Jewish, Irish and blacks to name a few. But, there was not a single sports hall of fame that would recognize, honor and salute the outstanding accomplishments/achievements and contributions of our Latino/Hispanic Sports Heritage not only from the United States but also those who came to this country from Mexico, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Central and South America and from the vast talent from the Caribbean Islands. The Latin-American International Sports Hall of Fame/Salon de Ia Fama Latinoamericano del Deporte was organized in Laredo, Texas in 1974. At first it was to celebrate, honor and promote local and regional individuals who had excelled at their particular sport but soon it opened the doors to include National and International Professional Athletes. It also recognizes as Sportsman of the Year individuals who continue to preserve and enhance our Latino culture, values and educational opportunities for our youth and who contribute to the betterment of the City of Laredo and South Texas. There have been since its inception an equal recognition of women athletes inductees. It was important to find role models for our youth and the organizers wanted to include all ages, regardless of sex in their programs. The Latin Hall was also created to promote economic development and stimulate business activity in downtown Laredo when local businesses are contracted to provide services to our inductees, their families and guests who visit Laredo during the annual 3-day welcome reception, media luncheon and induction banquet celebration weekend. Through the years. (1975-2014), and with limited amount of funds the organization has, had the opportunity to help the youth of our community with scholarships and other youth activity fundraisers. Plans are to have a Latin Sports International Hall of Fame Museum (downtown) (soon) which will be a first for the United States and to provide clinics (free of charge) to instruct our youth in different sports.

Mission

The Latin American International Sports Hall of Fame was founded in 1975 to recognize individuals with good and proper standing in the community, high morals and values and who have excelled in sports and/or have contributed to the promotion of sports and goodwill in the Latino community.


Latin American International Sports Hall of Fame

47th Annual Induction Banquet

Ernesto Uribe

The journey of Ernesto Uribe begins with his birthplace in Hebbronville, Texas and leads to the beginning of his sporting career on the track team at Raymond and Tirza Martin High School in neighboring Laredo where he was raised and taken under the wings of great mentors.

 

Ernesto attributes his success to coaches and brothers Johnny and Alfonso Valls who, along with Col. Oscar Hein and Coach Albert Ochoa, guided and inspired his pathway to college after graduation in 1956. Good fortune followed through his collegiate passage as roommates and coaches continued to further help him attain two undergraduate degrees (Agriculture Education and Journalism) and then a Masters in Sociology from Texas A&M University. Here also, with the beginning of his college freshman year, he dated his future wife Sarah Meade who was from Laredo Martin as well and married in 1959. The legacy left by Uribe is that of lettering in both high school track and football where the Valls brothers coached and trained the potential they saw in this young man and who Ernesto attributes his success to for their dedication and preparation time invested in him. Entering Texas A&M College with a full athletic scholarship landed Uribe in the Aggie varsity track team where he ran all hurdle and sprint events and surprised the coaches by beating all but one upperclassman. Uribe has always considered himself a team player, and it is this discipline and training that has instilled in him the appreciation for those who have taken the time to educate and motive the younger generation. Through inspiration and motivation, Ernesto claims, leaders such as Coach Ochoa offer hope and encouragement for a college future.

A thirty-year career trek lists national and international workforce skills and experiences from around the world in various capacities in International Communication and Diplomacy. Uribe possesses in-depth knowledge of all media relations, public relations and is a Latin American specialist founded on his extensive field experience in Central America, South America and the Caribbean. Uribe recalls many bosses who were wonderful mentors and who offered their time guiding him through the intrigue and challenges of his career. He attributes his good fortune along the way to ‘someone up there watching” over him. Now retired, Uribe has amassed an interesting collection of novels, journals and other publications, many of which address Hispanic culture and academic patterns of behavior when choosing a college.

Uribe is well aware of the trends and patterns that are being set up for the future that anticipates the turning tides of the Hispanic American leading the nation as a political majority being aggressively courted by both Democratic and Republicans willing to invest academic funding sources for the future Latino votes. Primarily, because of this current state of affairs among our culture and relations with others, it is essential that the future generation must prepare with an education or any kind of training. All kinds of skills are necessary, Uribe notes, for the future generation of Latinos and all cultures of the melting pot of America.