By Linda Shepherd, 2026 ALTA Board Chairman
First, I would like to say how honored and excited I am to serve as the 2026 Chairman of the ALTA Board of Directors.
My dedication to ALTA began in 2004 when I volunteered as a Sunday Women’s coordinator. I was immediately hooked on this wonderful organization — one that truly cares about its members and values its volunteers.
From Sunday Women’s coordinator, I was honored to serve as an overall coordinator for Sunday Women, followed by roles as Secretary of the ALTA Foundation, President of the ALTA Foundation, Vice President of the Sunday Women’s League, First Vice President of ALTA, and ultimately President.
So, I started volunteering in 2004, but ALTA league play itself began much earlier — on Jan. 24, 1971, following a public meeting held at a local hotel. At that time, a group of prominent Atlantans sketched out the basic concept of organized league play. Unsure whether it would be successful, they moved forward and launched the leagues that spring. A small but dedicated group of volunteers sat around a table, processing team rosters and manually creating schedules. The response was overwhelmingly positive — everyone wanted to be part of it. Membership dues were just $5 for adults and $1 for juniors.
Today, we essentially do the same work, but on a much larger scale and with the benefit of modern technology. At its core, over all the years, the structure of ALTA league play has not changed, which is why it has been so successful.
By 2023, we already knew that pickleball would be ALTA’s next great adventure. I was fortunate to help put the finishing touches on the league, and pickleball was officially off and rolling.
Now, as Chairman of the Board, I have the opportunity to establish and support various committees that oversee the business of ALTA — yet another meaningful way for me to invest my time and energy into this organization. With that, comes a list of goals for the ALTA leadership in 2026.
We will continue to update our IT system, making it easier for members to use our website. Adding new pickleball leagues will help grow that sport in our area. We continue to improve our junior program — updating scoring rules for our 15U juniors and moving Junior Challenge Ladder matches to the summer season to reduce conflicts with school and other obligations.
We also are launching our first-ever media partnership with Cumulus Media. Our first outreach is intended to bring in new members. Listen for radio spots on New Country 101.5 and Q99.7. First-time ALTA members will also have the opportunity to enter a sweepstakes to win some great prizes. ALTA is setting impressive goals to help these new members learn about our great organization and help them find ALTA teams located throughout the Atlanta area.
The board also will continue its support of the ALTA Foundation, the nonprofit community outreach arm of ALTA. It supports programs such as the START program, a tennis development program in several Title 1 high schools that, without ALTA’s support, would not otherwise have tennis programs. The foundation also awards scholarships to college freshmen who have participated in ALTA’s junior programs. These scholarships would not be possible without the generosity of a gift from L. Keith Wood, a longtime and deeply dedicated ALTA member.
As we move forward in 2026, celebrating 55 years since league play began, ALTA will continue its long-standing traditions of bringing people together across our great city and creating friendships that truly stand the test of time.
