Lynn Goldberg was just eleven years old when she first learned tennis at summer camp. It was her favorite camp activity. Since there were no opportunities to play year-round tennis in New York City, where she grew up, Lynn had to wait all year to play again at camp. And it was always worth the wait!
Due to the limited tennis opportunities in NYC, Lynn didn't play high school or college tennis but when she moved to Maryland, in 1973, tennis was booming and she began playing again. In 1988, when she moved to Raleigh, Lynn began playing league tennis. She really enjoyed being on teams — meeting new players and cheering on her team members. Lynn still plays tennis at least twice a week.
“Tennis is a great sport for getting exercise, meeting new people, being with friends, and having fun.”
When Lynn first met her husband, Allan, she made it very clear that if he was going to date her, he would have to start playing tennis. Allan was just fine with that. He took lessons and clinics, then started playing on teams. “It was addicting,” he said.
Both Lynn and Allan have made an impact on the tennis community in Raleigh — helping to grow and promote the game. Lynn started her journey promoting tennis under the tutelage of North Carolina Tennis Legend, Cy King, at Millbrook Exchange Tennis Park. At the time, in 1990, Cy was the Raleigh Parks and Recreation Director of Tennis and he hired Lynn to coordinate USTA League tennis. A role she held for 30 years!
In 2004, Lynn’s role transitioned from being managed by Raleigh Parks and Rec Department to the Raleigh Tennis Association (RTA). As the RTA LLC, she coordinated all of the USTA Leagues offered at the time (USTA Adult, Combo, and Mixed Doubles) in the Raleigh area. Lynn received top honors for her efforts in that role and was honored as the 2006 North Carolina Tennis Association’s Local League Coordinator of the Year. Way to go, Lynn!
"I enjoyed working as the Capital Area Local League Coordinator for 30 years. The best part of the job was getting to know the players and the captains. I feel fortunate to have worked in a tennis-related field."
In 2017, Lynn and Allan were honored as the USTA North Carolina Family of the Year. The award, given by J. Blount and Dargan M. Williams, recognizes the contributions of the state’s families to tennis in North Carolina. Lynn considers this her greatest tennis achievement.
Two of Lynn’s three children are avid tennis players as well — just like their mom. Her younger daughter played #1 at Sanderson High School and went on to play varsity tennis at UNC-Wilmington. Her son was a High School State Doubles Champion who went on to play tennis at UNC-Chapel Hill. Her older daughter, who decided that tennis was not for her, focused on academics and music.