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Our Founder

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The Dream of Laura Gilbert

Laura Gilbert, inducted into the Texas Tennis Hall of Fame in 2023, has dedicated her life to playing and serving tennis. Her tennis career began at the age of 10 and by age 16 hit a high in the junior rankings at #2 in the USTA 18 & Under division. At the age of 17, Laura hit the “Big Time” and joined the Virginia Slims professional circuit. She played against notable players: Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Billy Jean King, Evonne Goolagong and Tracy Austin. She reached a high of #25 in the world of the women's rankings. Playing doubles with Stan Smith against Billy Jean King and Arthur Ashe and snagging a win over Chris Evert are two of the memorable events of her career. Sadly, Laura suffered a career-ending shoulder injury against Martina Navratilova in her second year on the circuit.

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In 1993, Laura saw an opportunity to bring organized tennis to Southlake, Texas, a budding upscale community with a rapidly growing population. With several master-planned neighborhoods featuring tennis courts and a significant number of active women at home with their children, Laura knew Southlake was well-poised for organized tennis. Her vision for tennis in our community is the foundation for tennis in Northeast Tarrant County.

The Catalyst for Tennis in Northeast Tarrant County

In 1993, Laura established the Southlake Tennis Association (STA), a Community Tennis Association under the umbrella of the USTA. By June 1994, Laura kicked off a series of tennis activities under the umbrella of the STA to draw in adults and juniors and introduce organized tennis to the community. These inaugural activities are the foundation of tennis as it is today in Northeast Tarrant County.

  • June 1994 | A kickoff tournament was held for players ages 17 & older

  • June 1994 | A kickoff tournament was held for players ages 17 & older

  • June 1994 | Junior team tennis begins practices with more than 80 participants

  • Fall 1994 | First season of adult league play with approximately 100 participants

  • Nov 1994  | First city-wide tournament for adults and juniors

  • Nov 1994  | First high school scholarship awarded

From Vision to Reality 

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 350-400 players playing throughout the year. Laura’s vision for a competitive tennis league expanded quickly and has seen more than 45,000 adults participate in our leagues since inception. The junior tennis players grew to over 500 in a year before being handed over to the Greater Fort Worth Tennis Coalition.

Facilities to Support Demand

As participation in tennis increased, Laura rallied tennis players throughout the area to support her efforts to lobby community leadership for the inclusion of a top-notch municipal tennis facility for the city’s rapidly growing tennis community. Her vision of a world-class tennis center became a reality with the opening of the Southlake Tennis Center in 1999.

 

In addition to Southlake Tennis Center, Laura has worked with numerous 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.

Laura Makes Her Mark for Tennis in Texas

Laura’s passion for tennis inspired many volunteers to also be long-term tennis advocates and volunteers. These and many other volunteers have been committed to carrying out Laura’s vision to make Northeast Tarrant County a premier tennis community.

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With a well-established organization and dedicated volunteers in place, Laura moved on to an incredibly productive career at the USTA Texas Section, serving the Section throughout Texas for over 20 years. After retiring from the USTA Texas Section, Laura came full circle and returned to the NETT Board to serve for an additional 5 years. Laura now serves as an advisor to NETT.

 

As a born and bred Texas girl, a University of Texas alumna and a longhorn cattle rancher, Laura showed the entire Texas tennis community how to take the bull by the horns and get the job done….both on and off the court.

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