For many years, touch football has been an endless source of pleasure for Ian Handsaker. And never was that more pronounced than when he got the chance to play the sport he adores with his family.
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The veteran touch referee, 58, has also given much of himself to the sport. And he will be forever remembered as the first ever recipient of life membership at Tamworth Touch.
The honour was recently bestowed on the Essential Energy employee, who grew up in Barraba and came to Tamworth in the early 1980s.
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"Congratulations to Ian Handsaker, who was recognised for his hard work and dedication to Tamworth Touch over many years with our first ever life membership. Well done Ian. Very well deserved!" the association announced in a Facebook post.
Handsaker said winning the award was "an honour". "I feel pride ... and it's a privilege. Great. As my motto is: no refs, no games."
He believes in that motto so much that when there was a netball coaching shortage last decade [his three daughters played the sport], he became a level-one netball coach.
His daughters - Tatum, 27, Katelyn, 26, Yolanda, 21 - no longer play touch, and neither does he. But he fondly remembers playing in the same team as them, alongside his wife of more than 30 years, Tracy. He has also played with his son, Izaiah, 16.
All four of his children are qualified touch referees.
That was my main aim: to play touch with all my kids ... and that was the best part of it.
- Ian Handsaker
"That was my main aim: to play touch with all my kids ... and that was the best part of it," Handsaker said.
"When you have three girls in one side and your wife [too], it hits home. It's just something every parent wants to achieve: to do something with their kids."
In a final note, Handsaker's love of touch once drove him to play in the Tamworth, Barraba and Manilla competitions - all in the one week!
