By Dongyun Kwon
Over 40 years of dedication to the local tennis club has finally paid off for Alan Honeycombe.
The Healesville Tennis Club life member was presented with a Tennis Service Award on Friday 30 August.
Tennis Victoria events and recognition manager Tanya Helliar said Tennis Service Award is an award to recognise those who have demonstrated their long-term volunteer contribution to the sport of tennis in Victoria through significant service to a Tennis Victoria affiliated club, centre or association.
“Alan was nominated by the Healesville Tennis Club for the award in recognition of his dedicated and outstanding service to the club,” she said.
“The board reviewed the nomination and approved a Tennis Service Award for Alan.”
Honeycombe felt honoured by the unexpected award.
“I received it during the tennis club’s trivia night and the secretary must have organised for this to be given to me that night,” he said.
The Healesville Tennis Club legend first joined the club in 1978 when he and his wife moved to Healesville from Mortlake as he got a teaching position at Healesville High School.
Honeycombe has devoted himself to the club on and off the court since then.
He said he has served the club in different roles over the last 46 years.
“Over those 46 years, I spent some years as president and some as vice president but mostly as the senior convenor, that’s the person who organises the senior tennis teams to make sure it all runs smoothly every week,” the award winner said.
“I was on the committee for about 45 years and did a lot of work around the club as a maintenance officer, fixing things, changing nets.
“Over the period of time, we’ve done a huge number of upgrades to the tennis courts too. When I first came here, there were only four courts but now we’ve got six en tout cas courts that are all synthetic grass with LED lighting.”
On the court, Honeycombe has been a part of many premiership teams over his time with Healesville Tennis Club.
His best effort is his consistent presence on the court throughout the years, playing every season.
“I probably played in about eight premiership teams,” Honeycombe said.
The award recipient said he jumped into tennis once he found out he wasn’t very good at cricket.
“As a young person, I played cricket for quite a while, but then decided tennis was more to my liking because it just seemed to be more suitable to the game I enjoyed.”
The nomination for the Service Award is open and can be made via the Tennis Victoria website, tennis.com.au/vic/recognition/serviceawards
Ms Helliar said volunteers are the lifeblood of the sport.
“From the formal positions of president, secretary, or treasurer through to the volunteers who maintain the courts, manage the teams, find fill ins and enter the scores, there’s so much that happens behind the scenes for players to enjoy their time on court,” she said.
“Volunteering is also a wonderful way for people to stay involved and connected to their club even if their playing days are slowing down.
“Tennis is a sport for life, and for everybody, Alan has championed encouraging people to play.”
