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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives wish to recognize the life of Aaron Stephens
4and his contributions to youth sports; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Aaron Stephens is a retired Chicago public school
6teacher and is currently the director of athletics at the
7Apostolic Church of God; during his 35 years as a physical
8education teacher, he has coached thousands of aspiring
9basketball, baseball, football, and track and field athletes;
10he began his sports career playing on the red sands of Darien,
11Georgia but has created a sports legacy that is nationwide;
12and
 
13    WHEREAS, Aaron Stephens graduated from Knoxville College
14in 1969 with a Bachelor of Science in Education; while
15attending college, he excelled as an athlete and played
16basketball and baseball; he was drafted to play professional
17baseball but chose to follow his lifelong dream of being an
18educator, accepting his first teaching assignment in Chicago;
19and
 
20    WHEREAS, Aaron Stephens began his coaching career at
21Wentworth Elementary School, located in the heart of
22Englewood; he began to create sports programs that would

 

 

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1inspire students to stay off the streets and out of gangs; he
2insisted that the participants excel academically and stay
3away from gangs, drugs, and alcohol; he enjoyed teaching, but
4his personal mission was to develop athletes to reach their
5personal best and to mentor students; he co-founded numerous
6sports leagues to provide an alternative to the negative
7street life that his students experienced on a daily basis;
8and
 
9    WHEREAS, Aaron Stephens is also a deacon at the Apostolic
10Church of God in Chicago; he initiated the athletic ministry
11at his church, which includes baseball and basketball leagues
12for youth and men as well as other health and fitness programs
13and now serves as the model for hundreds of churches in the
14Illinois District of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World;
15and
 
16    WHEREAS, Aaron Stephens is a leader in his church and his
17home; he is the father of three daughters and, for over 30
18years, was the husband of Verneda; he is currently married to
19Gwen Harris Stephens; and
 
20    WHEREAS, Aaron Stephens was inducted into the Chicago
21Public League Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame on
22May 19, 2018; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Aaron Stephens's coaching career began as a way
2to inspire youth, and he remains as passionate about sports
3and developing youth as he did in his early days; what began as
4a career choice for him has become a sports legacy that will
5continue to inspire young athletes and mentor youth;
6therefore, be it
 
7    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
8HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
9we recognize the life of Aaron Stephens and his contributions
10to youth sports and wish him the best in all of his future
11endeavors; and be it further
 
12    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy a suitable copy of this
13resolution be presented to Aaron Stephens as a symbol of our
14respect and esteem.