Hall of fame 2023

Nominations and Schedule

• JULY 1, 2023 Deadline: Nominations of potential Hall of  Fame members must be submitted via the online nomination form no later than July 1st each year to be considered for  election and induction during the Hall of Fame Ceremony in December.
• Nominations will remain active for five years. If the nominee has not been selected within the 5 year time period, and new nomination must  be made.
• The information provided must be complete and include information to support the nominee’s election using the following three criteria: 1. Accomplishments in tennis as a player, coach, tournament official, teaching pro, administrator,and/ or volunteer. 2. Contributions to and impact on tennis in USTA Louisiana. 3. Sportsmanship and character.
• Election: New Hall of Fame Inductees will be elected by the Hall of Fame Selection Committee prior to September 1 each year.
• The Hall of Fame Committee Chair will notify the newly elected inductees a in person or by phone within one week of the final election.
• The Selection Committee will send a letter to the elected  inductees with congratulations and information on the Hall  of Fame Banquet and induction ceremony, to include dates, times, banquet  tickets, hotel accommodations.
• The formal induction will take place during the Louisiana Tennis Hall of Fame Banquet in December. Each inductee has a presenter,  then accepts the honor. The presenter and the inductee are allowed 5  minutes each.

The Shoptaugh Family or “nation” as referred to by their family is and has been quite the tennis “influencers” since the 1970s. Starting with the Matriarch of the Shoptaugh clan, Ruthie Shoptaugh was a huge part of making Baton Rouge tennis what it is today. She was involved in the beginnings of City Park, Bocage, and Baton Rouge Country Club. If you were a tennis player in that era, you were well involved with the Shoptaughs. She was an avid tennis player, one of the first women pros in Louisiana, tennis parent to all, and exceptional volunteer. She raised her 4 children, Johnny, Cathy, David and Mark, to be entrenched in tennis in their youth, then they went on to become extraordinary players, involved tennis parents, & outstanding volunteers enriching our tennis community having their hands in many areas. Some of these  include high school and college Coaching, coordinating Junior Team Tennis, founding and developing the YMCA, volunteering in tournaments, on staff and on board of the  LTA, and on and on. Congratulations to the Shoptaughs for this well-deserved honor of being selected into the Louisiana Tennis Hall of Fame.