Donna Farley retires after four decades of service to Iowa tennis and officiating

There are two distinct ways to know someone is a big deal.

One is if they go by just one name or initials. If we say “LeBron,” everyone knows we’re talking about one of the all-time greats in LeBron James. If we say “Messi,” no one questions which Messi — it’s perhaps the greatest soccer player of all time in Lionel Messi. Two-time NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is better known among fans as SGA.

The other way is to have an award signifying excellence named after them. The Roberto Clemente Award in Major League Baseball is given to the player who displays outstanding baseball talent and combines it with extraordinary community service, just like Clemente himself.

One local example is Donna Farley. She won the Outstanding Official Award from USTA Iowa so many times that the accolade’s name was changed to the Donna Farley Outstanding Umpire Award in 2008, a fitting tribute to her influence and legacy.

Nearly everyone agreed with that decision. The only one who didn’t was Farley, who is a little embarrassed by the attention.

“It was uncomfortable being given the award so many times,” she said. “But I was not entirely comfortable having the award named after me. At least I didn’t have to accept the award again.”

A Lifetime Serving

Farley retired after more than 40 years in tennis this past May. But that hardly means she won’t still be involved. After recovering from total knee replacement surgery, she will be very visible at USTA events around Iowa.

Farley started playing tennis when she was in college. Her future husband was on the Loras College tennis team, and he introduced her to the sport. Through the years, she competed in district adult tournaments and cheered on her daughters as they excelled on high school and college tennis teams.

Later, much of her attention became focused on officiating and the administration of events. Together with USTA Missouri Valley Hall of Famer Shelley George, Farley launched the Iowa City chapter of USTA/NJTL in the late 1980s. This program provided racquets, lessons and early competition opportunities for youth, and it won the national award of Sectional Organization of the Year in 1989.

Farley’s leadership also extended into tennis administration. She served as president of the Iowa City Tennis Association, vice president of the Iowa Tennis Association as well as treasurer of the Iowa Tennis Association for many years.

“As chair of the Iowa Officials Committee for 30 years from 1991 to 2021, she led by example, communicated clearly and created a supportive environment for officials at every level,” said the release announcing Farley’s retirement. “Her reliability and willingness to take on responsibility helped others advance their own officiating goals.”

Farley’s greatest tennis passion centers around the Special Olympics. She has been associated with the organization since 2006. She was selected for the elite officiating teams for five Special Olympics USA Games and the last three Special Olympics World Games (Shanghai, Los Angeles and Abu Dhabi).

“I love the passion and the enjoyment of the athletes who compete in the Special Olympics,” she said. “You can see the unbridled joy in their faces. Tennis is a lifelong sport, and many Special Olympians are involved in sports for much of their lifetimes.