BIG RAPIDS - In honoring its top teachers, coaches, volunteers and managers, the United States Professional Tennis Association honored Ferris State University's Tom Daglis, director of Professional Tennis Management, with the association's most prestigious honor - the Alex Gordon Professional of the Year award.
"Knowing some of the past recipients of this award, I was truly humbled and honored to be selected to be in their company," Daglis said of receiving the award. "I was pleasantly surprised to be awarded the USPTA's most cherished distinction."
Founded in 1927 and currently the largest tennis teaching organization in the world, only 30 people in the history of the USPTA have received the Alex Gordon Professional of the Year award.
A USPTA Master Professional, Daglis has been involved in the tennis industry for more than 25 years. Currently, he serves as the USPTA national board vice president and the co-chairman of USPTA's Testing and Certification Committee. His other involvement in the USPTA includes serving as president of the Southern Division in 1995 and 1996, and as president of the Georgia Professional Tennis Association in 1990 and 1991. He was awarded the Pride of the South Award and has been honored as the Southern Professional of the Year, Georgia Professional of the Year and the 2003 George Basco Tester of the Year.
Daglis also serves as general manager of the university's Racquet and Fitness Center, and is the founder and president of Peachtree Tennis Promotions, Inc., a tennis promotions and consulting company for tennis events and projects. Through Peachtree, he has successfully orchestrated tennis workshops on a national level and recently returned from China, where he was invited to help strengthen tennis programs there.
He has worked with several accomplished players, such as Paul McNamee (world No. 1 doubles ranking), Peter McNamara (world No. 1 doubles ranking), Andres Gomez (top five singles world ranking), Vistas Gerulaitis (top five singles world ranking), and Kim Warwick (top 25 singles world ranking). Daglis himself played in college for the 11th ranked Columbus State University and was ranked No. 2 singles and doubles in the USPTA Southern Division.
Outside of the USPTA, Daglis works with several charities. He has led juvenile diabetes charity tennis clinics, American Heart Association tennis clinics and the Georgia State Games Wheelchair Clinic.