LAC Volunteer Spotlight: Juliet Graham

A long-time tennis fan, Juliet never grew up participating in the sport herself, but that all changed when she started helping out at USTA NorCal districts with her sister.

“My sister had been playing tennis and working at the USTA as a TSR, so she would come work at district events and stay with me,” she said. “I would hang out with her while she was there, and eventually, I started working the events with her myself.”

Fast forward a few years later, and USTA NorCal asked Juliet to serve as a Local Area Coordinator (LAC) volunteer for USTA NorCal Adult Leagues and help Adult Leagues captains and players throughout the entire season. And what initially started as a way to bond with her sister, has now turned into almost 20 years of volunteering.

As an LAC, Juliet is available to help players in her area with finding teams, answering questions, offering suggestions, and solving problems at the grass-roots level.

“People have questions, and they need someone who they can call and help them navigate through it all,” Juliet said. “It’s a tough job because people want solutions, but it’s nice to help them with their questions and find answers, especially for the beginners.”

And while it’s rewarding to help people navigate the Adult Leagues system, one of her favorite aspects as an LAC is working at events.

“I love the atmosphere of the championship events, and it’s fun for me to be there and help make it a great experience,” she added. “I love connecting with people, so it’s nice to see people that you get to know from over the years. These are big, time-consuming events that need people to help run them, and I like to be there for others and help make it a great time.”

Over the years of her volunteering, Juliet caught the tennis bug herself and has been playing and captaining teams in USTA NorCal Adult Leagues for over 10 years. She plays in two leagues every season and has played in everything from Adult 18 & Over and Adult 40 & Over to Mixed and Combo leagues.

“I am always ready to get out there and hit, and I love staying active so tennis is really beneficial for keeping you fit,” Juliet said. “I also love the camaraderie tennis builds. Whether you’re out there with a teammate or opponent, we all have a shared interest in tennis so it makes it easier to feel connected. I’ve made some great friendships, and it’s so fun to see everyone when you make it to districts and sectionals.”

And that's one of the main reasons Juliet continues her commitment as an LAC.

“I love working at all of the districts here because I know how fun it is to play in those tournaments and how nice it is to have people working them so you can play and enjoy them,” she said. 

As an LAC, Juliet covers the Sacramento area, but she is committed to going where she is needed. She plans on working at Sectionals this year, and says she wants to continue helping out at tournaments for the foreseeable future.