Shane Cashen wins 2026 Janet Louer USTA Junior Team Tennis National Organizer of the Year Award
Ten advocates for the sport of tennis at the grassroots and local levels were honored with national awards at the 2026 USTA Annual Meeting and Conference in Orlando, Fla.
WATCH: Shane Cashen honored with Janet Louer USTA Junior Team Tennis (JTT) National Organizer of the Year Award
Shane Cashen of Kaneohe, Hawaii, was selected as the recipient of the Janet Louer USTA Junior Team Tennis (JTT) National Organizer of the Year Award. Cashen was honored during the USTA Annual Meeting & Conference held in Orlando, Fla.
Cashen has served as a dedicated tennis provider for 15 years, most recently with Lokahi Tennis, delivering comprehensive year-round programming across all junior age groups in the Hawaii Pacific section. In the past year alone, Cashen reached over 1,700 participants through an extensive slate of offerings, including 46 junior tournaments, 27 junior circuits, and three seasons of Junior Team Tennis (JTT). Beyond competitive play, the program provides vital community resources, including free youth clinics, special-needs clinics, and fundraiser boot camps, while also supporting high school varsity tennis.
“Shane has built something that goes well beyond a traditional program,” said Brian Vahaly, USTA President and interim co-CEO. “Through his leadership, Lokahi Tennis has become a place where young people are challenged, supported, and connected, with a clear pathway from community play into competition. His ability to create that environment is what sets his work apart.”
The USTA annually awards the Janet Louer USTA Junior Team Tennis National Organizer of the Year Award to an individual who positively influences children’s lives and substantially impacts their community. The award is named after Janet Louer, who was instrumental in the development of junior tennis during her lifetime. As the administrator for USTA JTT in Georgia, Louer built the state championships into the largest youth team tennis state championships in the nation. Her expertise was also used in developing the Section and National Championships for the program.
USTA Junior Team Tennis emphasizes the benefits of tennis, including teamwork and fitness, for players of various ages and skill levels. A competitive, multi-week program, USTA Junior Team Tennis encourages boys and girls, ages 6 to 18, to compete with teams from the same geographic region in five age divisions: 8 & under, 10 & under, 12 & under, 14 & under, and 18 & under.
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