TITLE: Recognizing April 16, 2013, as United States Tennis Association Texas Day at the State Capitol.

SUMMARY: Recognizing April 16, 2013, as United States Tennis Association Texas Day at the State Capitol.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, The Texas section of the United States Tennis Association (USTA Texas) is an outstanding organization that is committed to encouraging the growth of tennis throughout the state; and WHEREAS, A sport that can be enjoyed by individuals of all ages, tennis helps to fight obesity in children and offers a healthy lifestyle for adults; and WHEREAS, Tennis courts in city parks offer an excellent public venue for activity and socializing, but the versatile sport can also be played anywhere from gymnasiums to parking lots and driveways, and rule changes such as shorter courts, softer balls, and smaller racquets have made the game even more accessible for children in the USTA's 10 and Under program as well as for seniors; and WHEREAS, Through USTA Texas and the state's physical education curriculum, teachers receive training and equipment, and hundreds of thousands of young Texans have opportunities to try the sport; moreover, the organization's National Junior Tennis and Learning program, founded by Arthur Ashe, provides tennis lessons and academic tutoring to thousands of low-income and at-risk children across Texas; after-school tennis for youth of all ages instills such values as teamwork, sportsmanship, dedication, and fitness; and WHEREAS, In addition to its work with students, the USTA supports the military through a variety of worthy initiatives; the organization provides wheelchair tennis programs for wounded warriors at several military bases and veterans' hospitals and has sent modified tennis equipment to Afghanistan; USTA Texas also supports tennis programs for adults and children at the state's many military bases; and WHEREAS, Through its dedication to increasing the accessibility of tennis for Texans from all backgrounds and of all ages, USTA Texas is working to make our communities healthier places in which to live, and it is indeed deserving of special recognition for its achievements; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas Legislature hereby recognize April 16, 2013, as United States Tennis Association Texas Day at the State Capitol and extend to all those affiliated with the organization sincere best wishes for continued success. Hunter Straus M. Gonzalez of El Paso Oliveira Allen N. Gonzalez of El Paso Orr Alonzo Gooden Otto Alvarado Guerra Paddie Anchia Guillen Parker Anderson Gutierrez Patrick Ashby Harless Perez Aycock Harper-Brown Perry Bell Hernandez Luna Phillips Bohac Herrero Pickett Bonnen of Brazoria Hilderbran Pitts Bonnen of Galveston Howard Price Branch Huberty Raney Burkett Hughes Ratliff Burnam Hunter Raymond Button Isaac Reynolds Callegari Johnson Riddle Canales Kacal Ritter Capriglione Keffer Rodriguez of Bexar Carter King of Hemphill Rodriguez of Travis Clardy King of Parker Rose Coleman King of Taylor Sanford Collier King of Zavala Schaefer Cook Kleinschmidt Sheets Cortez Klick Sheffield of Bell Craddick Kolkhorst Sheffield of Coryell Creighton Krause Simmons Crownover Kuempel Simpson Dale Larson Smith Darby Laubenberg Smithee Davis of Dallas Lavender Springer J. Davis of Harris Leach Stephenson S. Davis of Harris Lewis Stickland Deshotel Longoria Strama Dukes Lozano Taylor Dutton Lucio III Thompson of Brazoria Eiland Marquez Thompson of Harris Elkins Martinez Toth Fallon Martinez Fischer Turner of Collin Farias McClendon Turner of Harris Farney Menendez Turner of Tarrant Farrar Miles Villalba Fletcher Miller of Comal Villarreal Flynn Miller of Fort Bend Vo Frank Moody Walle Frullo Morrison White Geren Munoz, Jr. Workman Giddings Murphy Wu Goldman Naishtat Zedler Gonzales Nevarez Zerwas Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 1353 was adopted by the House on April 16, 2013, by a non-record vote. Chief Clerk of the House