Induction Year: 2021

 

Carolyn Moody’s tennis story began in Odessa where as an elementary schooler she took part in a summer recreation program with lessons by Bob Smith. When her family moved to Midland, she began playing for Bob Mapes at Midland High School in the #1 singles position and lettered all three years. She also played many of the Highway 80 tournaments.

 

After college at North Texas State and Texas Tech, marriage and motherhood, Carolyn became very active in the Austin tennis community.  She played women’s, mixed doubles and husband/wife leagues and became involved in the early development and expansion of the Austin Women’s Tennis Association that she became President of, as well as developing and promoting the Austin Tennis Foundation and the Capital Area Tennis Association.

 

Carolyn also organized the Austin area Central Zone Division of the Texas Tennis Association’s Junior Girls Development Program. The goal was to facilitate and implement the skill development, tournament play and subsequent advancement of girls ages 10-18 from local to state and national level competitions. Through both the Texas Girls Youth Development and Junior Wightman Cup programs, these players were ultimately striving to compete in national age division championships of what is now the USTA.

 

In 1972 she was named to the TTA’s Executive Committee, and six months later was hired as the first full-time paid Executive Director of the organization and its only employee.  Its office was in her garage, and from there she managed and supported all operations statewide to include volunteer involvement, staffing, programs, sponsorships, promotions, rankings, tournament scheduling and publications. She also wrote a regular tennis column for the Austin American Statesman newspaper.

 

During her time as Executive Director, Carolyn grew the organization to 10,000+ members and set the stage for Texas to become one of the largest USTA sections and one recognized nationwide as the gold standard of many programs. She served on many USTA committees and helped form a partnership with the National Tennis Foundation as well as becoming the Southwest Regional Director of the National Junior Tennis League.

 

In her life beyond the TTA, Carolyn continued to work in tennis and used her vast skillset learned during her TTA tenure to work with World Championship Tennis, the Virginia Slims of Dallas and the Maureen Connelly Brinker Tennis Foundation.

 

The Texas Tennis Hall of Fame honors those who served and contributed to the phenomenal growth of the sport over the years, and Carolyn Moody was there in the beginning and made a significant difference towards its success.

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