ONE of the hardest working coaches and administrators of sport in Griffith has been honoured for his years of dedication, with loyal tennis servant Duncan Adams receiving the NSW PSSA Service Award at a gala ceremony.
Adams extensive accomplishments were noted in front of a room full of his peers, something the man of the moment did not see coming.
"It was very unexpected, I was at the state carnival at Canberra and there is a official dinner which is normally held and the regional sports organiser and the state convener called up and gave me the award," Adams said.
"It's nice to be recognised because I've had a long association with running sport in the Griffith PSSA area but my main passion has been tennis."
Despite describing tennis as a tough sport for young players to be recognised in, Adams said he took great delight in helping players of all skill levels reach their potential and in the process representing themselves, their school and their city.
"We obviously do our school trials which then move onto zone and onto Riverina and State and I've been fortune enough for the past four years to take the state side to the nationals," he said.
"So you're looking at the best 12 and 13 year-old players in the country, but it all starts here at the grass roosts and it;s a thrill be to be able to foster their growth from a very early age.
Adams' list of accomplishment is an exhaustive one, having been the Riverina PSSA tennis convener and manager for 12 years to go with his role as state manager of the NSW Bruce Cup team for four years.
The local coach's integrity and honesty were also highly valued as a state selector with officials saying Adams always put the children in his team ahead of everything else.
Adams' involvement with tennis outside of the PSSA system as also recognised with his countless hours working with all players as a coach and mentor being noted.
The tennis guru said the next generation are also in good hands, with dedicated people set to be the coaches of the next batch of talented players
"We're now seeing players like Lachlan Bates who is now a teacher, and is now following in my footsteps and Andrew Noad's footsteps in that he's teaching and coaching so it's wonderful to see," he said.
