9/17/2009 11:05:00 AM Parks director receives U.S. Tennis award
Lucy S. Garvin, left, president of the U.S. Tennis Association, presents the 2009 USTA President’s Award to Jodie Adams, director of the Springfield-Greene County Park Board, as USTA Awards Committee chairwoman Carolyn S. Riley looks on.
Jodie Adams, director of the Springfield-Greene County Park Board, was presented with the 2009 U.S. Tennis Association President's Award in New York earlier this month during the U.S. Open.
The annual award recognizes individuals who have given unusual and extraordinary service to the sport of tennis in the pubic interest, according to a news release. Previous recipients include Billie Jean King, Lindsay Davenport, Mike Bryan and Rob Bryan.
Adams, a member of the Missouri and Springfield sports hall of fames, has won more than 400 junior and adult tennis tournament titles in the past 40 years.
She also was part of the USTA board's efforts to develop a partnership with the National Park and Recreation Association, which resulted in the Tennis in the Parks program. For more than 10 years, TIP has promoted lifelong healthy activity and improved tennis programming, with a focus on facility development, maintenance, advocacy, training and instruction.
"Jodie has been a major presence in our sport for more than three decades and one of the true driving forces behind the growth of the game," said USTA President Lucy S. Garvin, in the release.
One of Springfield Business Journal's 2003 Most Influential Women, Adams has served on several USTA national committees in the last 25 years.
In 2009, Springfield was recognized as a USTA Top 10 Best Tennis City and was recently named the location for the USTA's 2013 National Public Parks Championships.
