Full Text of HR0133 103rd General Assembly
HR0133 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | HOUSE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | 3 | | Representatives wish to recognize the life of Aaron Stephens | 4 | | and his contributions to youth sports; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, Aaron Stephens is a retired Chicago public school | 6 | | teacher and is currently the director of athletics at the | 7 | | Apostolic Church of God; during his 35 years as a physical | 8 | | education teacher, he has coached thousands of aspiring | 9 | | basketball, baseball, football, and track and field athletes; | 10 | | he began his sports career playing on the red sands of Darien, | 11 | | Georgia but has created a sports legacy that is nationwide; | 12 | | and
| 13 | | WHEREAS, Aaron Stephens graduated from Knoxville College | 14 | | in 1969 with a Bachelor of Science in Education; while | 15 | | attending college, he excelled as an athlete and played | 16 | | basketball and baseball; he was drafted to play professional | 17 | | baseball but chose to follow his lifelong dream of being an | 18 | | educator, accepting his first teaching assignment in Chicago; | 19 | | and
| 20 | | WHEREAS, Aaron Stephens began his coaching career at | 21 | | Wentworth Elementary School, located in the heart of | 22 | | Englewood; he began to create sports programs that would |
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| 1 | | inspire students to stay off the streets and out of gangs; he | 2 | | insisted that the participants excel academically and stay | 3 | | away from gangs, drugs, and alcohol; he enjoyed teaching, but | 4 | | his personal mission was to develop athletes to reach their | 5 | | personal best and to mentor students; he co-founded numerous | 6 | | sports leagues to provide an alternative to the negative | 7 | | street life that his students experienced on a daily basis; | 8 | | and | 9 | | WHEREAS, Aaron Stephens is also a deacon at the Apostolic | 10 | | Church of God in Chicago; he initiated the athletic ministry | 11 | | at his church, which includes baseball and basketball leagues | 12 | | for youth and men as well as other health and fitness programs | 13 | | and now serves as the model for hundreds of churches in the | 14 | | Illinois District of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World; | 15 | | and | 16 | | WHEREAS, Aaron Stephens is a leader in his church and his | 17 | | home; he is the father of three daughters and, for over 30 | 18 | | years, was the husband of Verneda; he is currently married to | 19 | | Gwen Harris Stephens; and
| 20 | | WHEREAS, Aaron Stephens was inducted into the Chicago | 21 | | Public League Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame on | 22 | | May 19, 2018; and
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| 1 | | WHEREAS, Aaron Stephens's coaching career began as a way | 2 | | to inspire youth, and he remains as passionate about sports | 3 | | and developing youth as he did in his early days; what began as | 4 | | a career choice for him has become a sports legacy that will | 5 | | continue to inspire young athletes and mentor youth; | 6 | | therefore, be it
| 7 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | 8 | | HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | 9 | | we recognize the life of Aaron Stephens and his contributions | 10 | | to youth sports and wish him the best in all of his future | 11 | | endeavors; and be it further
| 12 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy a suitable copy of this | 13 | | resolution be presented to Aaron Stephens as a symbol of our | 14 | | respect and esteem.
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