2023 Family of the Year Award

Congratulations to the winner of the 2023 USTA Texas Family of the Year Award, the Jim Longbotham Family.

Established in 1975, the USTA Texas Family of the Year Award is presented to a family that contributes to and represents the promotion and development of the growth of Texas tennis. Learn more about this award.

There’s a little town outside of Waco called Groesbeck (population: 4,200). And if you’ve heard of it, it's probably because you know the Longbotham Family. They’ve been growing Texas tennis since the 1960s, quite literally… In 1963, Tom Longbotham (a high school doubles champion) helped build the first tennis courts in Groesbeck. The following year, his son, Jim, would join the first Groesbeck tennis team. 

Over his decades-long career as a high school no-cut coach, Jim Longbotham averaged 50 players per year and was instrumental in bringing mixed doubles to Texas High School Tennis. He led players to State for 25 consecutive years and produced 5 individual State champions, multiple tennis pros, high school coaches, and two D1 College Coaches – one of whom being his daughter, Lauren. He is a former TTCA president, member of the TTCA Coaches Hall of Fame, and namesake of the TTCA Leadership Award.

Coaching his three daughters, seeing their success on-court, and witnessing their continued participation and passion for growing Texas tennis, is a source of great joy for Jim. 

His youngest daughter, Megan, is a former USTA Texas staff member and currently volunteers with USTA at a national and section level. She’s a fierce leader in Texas tennis and has a knack for thinking outside the box, bringing the game to unique environments and showing that tennis IS for everyone. 

Jim's oldest daughter, Lauren, was a high school champion, D1 athlete, and three-time ITA Coach of the Year. She also somehow managed to pull her dad out of retirement to join her coaching staff at Auburn, where she would become the winningest coach in program history. Lauren and her family have since made their way back home to Texas. She recently took up her dad’s post as the Tennis Coach at Groesbeck High School. And naturally, her son, Courtney, caught the tennis bug and is already enjoying playing in USTA Tournaments.

Lauren and her husband, Stephen, co-founded the Groesbeck Tennis Academy, which provides programming for rural and underprivileged communities in Central Texas. A highly-sought after junior player and former junior member of Team USA, Stephen now serves as the academy’s Director of Tennis and Head Tennis Pro. 

And last, but certainly not least, is Colleen, the glue that holds this family together. She’s the ultimate tennis parent, not only to her three girls, but to the countless young tennis players who have been a part of the Groesbeck tennis community. 

Four generations later, hundreds of tennis professionals, players, and families are forever linked with this small town tennis community thanks to Tom, Jim, Colleen, Megan, Lauren, Stephen, and Courtney. And Texas Tennis is all the better for it.