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| 1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| 2 | WHEREAS, On May 21, 1881, the United States Tennis | ||||||
| 3 | Association (USTA), originally known as the United States | ||||||
| 4 | National Lawn Tennis Association, was founded in New York | ||||||
| 5 | City, New York to create rules and standards for the emerging | ||||||
| 6 | game of lawn tennis; and
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| 7 | WHEREAS, The USTA is the nonprofit, national governing | ||||||
| 8 | body for tennis in the United States and leads the promotion | ||||||
| 9 | and growth of the sport at every level of play, from beginners | ||||||
| 10 | to professionals at the US Open; and
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| 11 | WHEREAS, The USTA is the largest tennis organization in | ||||||
| 12 | the world, with over 550,000 members from every corner of the | ||||||
| 13 | country; and | ||||||
| 14 | WHEREAS, The USTA proudly partners with local tennis | ||||||
| 15 | programs to showcase the important health, social, and | ||||||
| 16 | educational benefits of tennis and to make the sport available | ||||||
| 17 | to everyone, regardless of age, environment, condition, or | ||||||
| 18 | ability, through its USTA Adaptive grants; and
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| 19 | WHEREAS, The latest research by the Physical Activity | ||||||
| 20 | Council shows that more than 23.6 million Americans played | ||||||
| 21 | tennis in 2022, an unprecedented 33% increase in participation | ||||||
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| 1 | over 2019 and the highest number of players since the PAC study | ||||||
| 2 | began in 2007; and
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| 3 | WHEREAS, By increasing the accessibility of tennis for | ||||||
| 4 | Illinoisans of all ages and ability, the USTA has contributed | ||||||
| 5 | to making Illinois communities happier and healthier; and
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| 6 | WHEREAS, The USTA has declared the month of May as | ||||||
| 7 | National Tennis Month to encourage players, organizations, | ||||||
| 8 | facilities, retailers, tennis manufacturers, and more to | ||||||
| 9 | promote local programs and activities at parks and facilities, | ||||||
| 10 | to showcase tennis and spread the word about the sport and its | ||||||
| 11 | benefits, and to help players and non-players alike find | ||||||
| 12 | courts and play opportunities in their communities; therefore, | ||||||
| 13 | be it
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| 14 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
| 15 | HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
| 16 | we declare May 2023 as "Tennis Month" in the State of Illinois | ||||||
| 17 | and extend to all those affiliated with the USTA our sincere | ||||||
| 18 | best wishes for the future; and be it further
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| 19 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
| 20 | presented to the USTA as a symbol of our respect and esteem.
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