SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) - A Springfield man has been honored as a hometown hero. Springfield Parks and Rec Employee Steve Athas was acknowledged for his decades of dedication to youth sports.

Wellpoint, a health benefits company serving the Massachusetts Group Insurance commission, held the event along with 98.5 The Sports Hub. This includes his 48 years at the Clodo Concepcion Community Senior Center at Greenleaf.

Athas shared with Western Mass News what helped him to keep involved in youth sports after all these years, “Well, the things that have kept me going is seeing the smiles on kids’ faces, playing each and every day, all the different games and sports that I’ve been involved in.”

The celebration was held at 11 a.m. on Friday morning at Picknelly Field on Columbus Avenue in Springfield. Mayor Domenic Sarno was in attendance for the honor ceremony.

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