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By June 1994, Laura kicked off a series of tennis activities under the umbrella of the Southlake Tennis Association to draw in adults and juniors and introduce organized tennis to the community.   

• June 94 – A kickoff tournament was held for players ages 17 & older 

• June 94 – Clinics and round robins were hosted for ages 7 & up 

• June 94 – Junior team tennis begins practices with more than 80 participants 

• Fall 94 – First season of adult league play with approximately 100 participants 

• Nov 94 – First city-wide tournament for adults and juniors 

• Nov 94 - First high school scholarship awarded 

These inaugural activities are the foundation of tennis as it is today in Northeast Tarrant County.  

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Laura recruited a few tennis players and teaching pros from the area to join the STA board to oversee and manage the rapidly growing adult and junior tennis programs.  Within its first year of play, the adult tennis leagues grew to approximately 350-400 players playing throughout the year.  In line with the city’s newly formed Parks, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan, Laura saw an opportunity to lobby for the inclusion of a top-notch municipal tennis facility for the city’s rapidly growing tennis community.  In addition to Southlake Tennis Center, NETT has worked with city governments in the development of new tennis facilities throughout the area (Colleyville City Park, Wagon Wheel Tennis Center, Lifetime Fitness Tennis, The Birch and the proposed Flower Mound Tennis Facility.  

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Laura’s vision for a competitive tennis league expanded quickly.  By the end of 1997, leagues had grown and expanded beyond the Southlake borders and with over 45% of play then outside of the City of Southlake.  It was then that Southlake Tennis Association was renamed to Northeast Tarrant Tennis Association (NETT).  The vision of a world class tennis center became a reality with groundbreaking in 1998 and doors opening in 1999.  Today, Southlake Tennis Center is the largest public tennis facility in Northeast Tarrant County and has been awarded Facility of the Year accolades by USTA National, USTA Texas Section, PTR and TIA.  

Laura inspired many volunteers to step up to the STA/NETT board and groomed many of us to be long term tennis advocates and volunteers.  Over the years, NETT’s tennis leagues have seen more than 45,000 adults participate in our leagues and junior players grew to over 500 before handing off to the Greater Fort Worth Tennis Coalition. Laura’s vision for an independent league system to supplement other league play in the DFW area, produced a financially independent organization that could put money back into the tennis community.  Through the league revenues, NETT has contributed over $500,000 back into our tennis community, distributed nearly $200,000 in scholarships and grants to our junior tennis players, funded over $70,000 to support Junior Team Tennis and under-served youth in our area, and donated over $45,000 to facilities in our area.   

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With a USTA CTA of the Year award and dedicated volunteers in place, Laura moved on to an equally productive career at the USTA Texas Section. During her tenure at the Texas Section, Laura was instrumental in the development of the Greater Fort Worth Tennis Coalition (a coalition of Tarrant County CTAs established to oversee the Fort Worth USTA Leagues).  This concept was first promoted by Laura in the early 2000’s.  While not well received at that point in time, it was a visionary concept that took hold years later.   Now retired from the USTA Texas Section, Laura has come full circle and rejoined the NETT Board.  She serves as the VP of Outreach for NETT, liaison between our board, the USTA, our community managers, and tennis facilities.   

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Laura has dedicated her life to playing and serving tennis.  The tenacious teenager that fought her way on to the Virginia Slims tour, facing some of the tennis legends, Laura brought her court tenacity to our local tennis community.  She took the bull by the horns and taught us all that hard work and commitment pays off…. on and off the court.  Her vision of tennis in our community was the foundation of and the catalyst for tennis in Northeast Tarrant County.   

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