Public Parks Launches Long Career For Jodie Adams

It’s incredibly difficult — almost impossible, really — to talk about tennis in Southwest Missouri without mentioning Jodie Adams. The same can be said for Adams and public parks.

July is National Parks and Recreation Month, the perfect time to take a look at Adams and her influence on tennis and public parks in Missouri.

Adams grew up on the public tennis courts in Springfield, thanks in part to the influence of her brother Tom. Those early lessons laid the groundwork for a playing career that saw her go undefeated in her four years at Parkview High School before a successful career at Missouri State University.

She didn’t forget her roots after college. Dan Kinney, then Director of Parks for the Springfield-Greene County Park Board, gave Adams her first full-time manager position in 1980, at the newly-built Gillenwaters Tennis Center. He also gave her several other sports management opportunities. Adams was hooked.

“I immediately switched from the goal of pursuing a professional tennis playing career to a life-long career in the parks and recreation field,” Adams said.

From teaching tennis lessons on the public courts, to serving as a playground director and a day camp counselor, Adams has just about experienced every aspect of the parks and recreation field.

“Parks and recreation has taught me over the years that all people deserve to have equitable access to high quality recreation facilities, programs and park spaces,” Adams said. “Parks and recreation opportunities promote the development of healthy communities. In addition, a vibrant parks and recreation department can encourage major economic growth to help communities grow and prosper.”

And, in Springfield, tennis has been intertwined with community growth and prosperity. The parks department maintains more than 15 outdoor public tennis facilities, as well as Cooper Tennis Complex. That commitment to tennis grew in 1996 when the Park Board, thanks to the generosity of the Harry and John Cooper family, acquired a World TeamTennis franchise, the Springfield Lasers. 

“The key to continuing to build the ‘tennis movement’ in the Springfield-Greene County metro area was to expose citizens by the masses to the sport of tennis,” Adams said. “This movement was supported by the USTA at the national, sectional, district and local levels by offering neighbor and complex tennis play days and programs. The movement also included the development of the tennis spectator enthusiast.”