Lisa Gilbride holds the New England Champion of Equality Award she was presented during the U.S. Open tennis tournament on Sept. 4 in Flushing, N.Y. Gilbride served as the CLC YMCA paddle sports director in Damariscotta for 27 years before retiring in 2022. (Photo courtesy Mike Lawrence)
Former Central Lincoln County YMCA Paddle Sports Director Lisa Gilbride was presented with the New England Champion of Equality Award at the U.S. Open tennis tournament on Sept. 4 in Flushing, N.Y.
The Champion of Equality Award honors women who have worked to make the sport more equal and inclusive. Gilbride was celebrated at the U.S. Open alongside Billie Jean King and 15 other U.S. Tennis Association representatives.
“Just getting the award was humbling and wonderful,” said Gilbride, who served as the CLC YMCA’s paddle sports director for 27 years before her retirement in 2022.
In her early days, Gilbride was a trailblazer at Providence College, where she was instrumental in launching the women’s tennis program, captained both the tennis and basketball teams, and became the first woman to earn Providence’s Athlete of the Year Award in 1975. After graduation, she coached the Providence women’s tennis team before moving on to lead a number of college and high school programs.
Gilbride led the paddle sports program at CLC YMCA for almost three decades, during which she inspired generations of young players and strengthened community wellness through innovative programs. Gilbride made tennis accessible to all with free school programs, red ball lessons, and family stay-and-play sessions that offer homework help and nutrition guidance in addition to tennis. She spearheaded partnerships with food banks, farms, and Tennis Without Borders, to further the community’s wellbeing.
Around 15 years ago, Gilbride helped launch a free tennis program for schools at the CLC YMCA, introducing hundreds of kids across ten local towns to the game every year.
“We felt there was an opportunity to bring tennis to kids who otherwise might not have the opportunity to play,” said Gilbride.
This is not the first time that Gilbride has been recognized for her impact on the sport and her community. She was also inducted into the U.S. Tennis Association’s New England Hall of Fame in 2023, and has earned numerous awards including guiding the CLC YMCA to the New England 2018 Community Tennis Association of the Year Award.
Even though she no longer plays tennis, her impact on the sport has not faded. Georgia Ahlers, who took over as the YMCA’s director of racquet sports after Gilbride, said her legacy still shapes how the tennis program is run today.
“Lisa is the most deserving of this award,” said Ahlers. “She told me her mission was to make everybody feel really important and equal.”
