Partnering for People & Education

The State of Illinois and the USTA

ILLINOIS Suggested Agenda Who We Are Why We Are Here Overview of USTA & Its Contributions How the USTA Has Helped Illinois How the USTA Can Do More for Illinois

Who We Are

Jon Vegosen

Chairman of the Board & President of the United States Tennis Association

Founding Member of Funkhouser Vegosen Liebman & Dunn Ltd. a Chicago corporate and litigation law firm

Barry Ford

Director of Advocacy, Education, and Public Affairs, USTA

Why We Are Here

To explore common goals and how the USTA can help Illinois

• fight childhood obesity • help underserved kids with life skills & education • make sure kids attend college • support military families

We are NOT here

to request money. . . X We are here to offer the USTA's resources and assets to support our common goals and partner with any entities that make sense

Who is the USTA? Governing body of tennis in the U.S.

750,000+ members

What is the USTA’s mission? To promote and develop the growth of tennis. Owner of the US Open Highest Annual Attended Sporting Event in the World

James Kim Jimmy Rafael Blake Clijsters Serena Connors Nadal Williams

Maria Venus Arthur Roger Sharapova Wiliams Ashe Federer Please copy or open the hyperlink below: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jo4-y_zRNic But we’re so much more than the US Open. The US Open grosses over $200M a year

The USTA gives back $50M+ each year to communities across the country Every day, the USTA is making tennis make a difference. Making Tennis Make A Difference Making Tennis Make A Difference Making Tennis Make A Difference Making Tennis Make A Difference Making Tennis Make A Difference Making Tennis Make A Difference Making Tennis Make A Difference

A Seamless Youth - Collegiate Continuum

The USTA is committed to developing youth in terms of tennis, education, and fitness

USTA Serves – The USTA’s Charitable Arm

President Executive Director Mary Carillo Deborah Larkin Please copy or open the hyperlink below: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fb_DcuZRo34 Priority5

Leverage the USTA’s Commitment to Education The College Imperative

“Ensure that every child has access to a complete and competitive education” and that America will “have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world.”

~ President Barack Obama A Long Way to Go

• High School drop out rate • One every 26 seconds • Over 1 million children each year!

Bob Herbert New York Times A Long Way to Go

• Then: World leader in percentage of young people with college degrees • Now: 12th among 36 developed Bob Herbert nations New York Times A Long Way to Go

• 10th in Literacy • 17th in Science • 24th in Math The USTA Has A Rich Infrastructure

…a great array of delivery systems, programs, campaigns, and publications that touch youth of all ages… School Tennis Community Tennis Associations

Junior Competition

Tennis & Higher Education Task Force Determine how the USTA can best promote the importance and value of every American youngster obtaining a college education –

and drive home the idea that tennis is the sport of opportunity for achieving this vitally-important goal. A Message of Hope

“Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. Sport can awaken hope where there was previously only despair.”

~ Nelson Mandela USTA – Military Partnership • Teamed with Michelle Obama, Dr. Jill Biden, & “Joining Forces” • Bring tennis to military service members, veterans, & their families • Impacting 4,000 National Guard & Reserve Service Members Tennis Is Fun, Easy to Learn Accessible & Affordable Just ask Stefanie Graf, Andre Agassi, & Michele Obama Please copy or open the hyperlink below: http://www.usta.com/videos/usta-teams-with-first-lady-michelle-obama/ How the USTA has helped Illinois.

National Junior Tennis & Learning (“NJTL”)

• Co-Founded by Arthur Ashe in 1969

• Focuses on underserved youth. Diverse constituency

• Combination of tennis, education, & life skills

• Over the past 5 years, USTA has given over $87,000 to NJTL’s and impacted over 2,000 children in Illinois

Schools Tennis

• Exposure of kids to the health benefits of tennis

• Helps them get and stay physically fit

• No cut programs – inclusiveness

• So far, 57 schools in Illinois

How can the USTA do more for Illinois?

Are the USTA’s activities consistent with the priorities of Illinois and the Office of the Governor?

How can the USTA better promote in Illinois that tennis is the antidote to childhood obesity and the sport of opportunity for a lifetime?

What can the USTA do to expand our NJTL, school, education, and military initiatives to help Illinois?

Next Steps