Laura Mitchell of Virginia Beach, VA was selected as the 2008 Janet Louer USTA Jr. Team Tennis National Organizer of the Year Award recipient. Mitchell was honored at an awards banquet before more than 600 community tennis leaders at the annual USTA Community Tennis Development Workshop held on February 14, 2009, at the Hilton Head Marriott Resort & Spa on Hilton Head Island, S.C. The USTA bestows the Janet Louer USTA Jr. Team Tennis National Organizer of the Year Award upon an individual who positively influences children’s lives and substantially impacts his or her community. 

Laura Mitchell stepped in as the League Coordinator for the struggling Northern Virginia Jr. Team Tennis program – a program which has historically been difficult to oversee due to its expansive size and limited court access. With motivation, enthusiasm and a roll-up-your-sleeves attitude, Mitchell revitalized the organization into a force to be reckoned with. Mitchell literally went door to door, club to club, to seek juniors looking for more competitive matches. This hands-on approach worked. Under her leadership, the USTA Jr. Team Tennis League of Northern Virginia went from five teams registered in 2007 to 111 teams and 692 players in 2008, and from one season to three.