Tired of standing by, wishing you could play tennis with your friends? Help is on the way, and it's quick and fun and one of the greatest buys ever to hit the sports and recreation world.

USA Tennis 1-2-3, presented by Hess, and sponsored by American Airlines and Con Edison, is a proven quick-start adult tennis program that will have you playing tennis in six short weeks. Level 1, six hours of beginner instruction, is only $60 per person, or $45 each, when you register with a friend.

Adults can sign up for group lessons taught by qualified pros at hundreds of courts, conveniently located in parks, tennis clubs and school yards in New York City, New Jersey, Long Island and Westchester. It's easy to register by phone, by calling 1-877-HIT-TENNIS, or online at: www.metrotennis.com. All classes start mid to late May 2000 and continue throughout the summer. Major credit cards are accepted. Lessons will be held in the Roslyn area at Christopher Morley Park in Searingtown.

Tennis legends Pam Shriver and Patrick McEnroe, official spokesmen for this year's USA Tennis 1-2-3 program, are behind it all the way. "This is one of the best beginner adult tennis programs I've ever seen," Shriver said. McEnroe agreed, noting that USA Tennis is "fun, easy, and best of all, it gets everyone playing tennis in just a few short weeks. That means you can take the class this spring and be playing with your friends by the middle of the summer," he commented.

Classes will be offered at more than 200 participating courts in neighborhood parks, schools, and tennis clubs throughout New York City and the greater metropolitan area (including Long Island, Westchester and Rockland Counties, the Hudson River Valley, and Northern New Jersey -- all new sites this year!).

Beginning in late June, players can move onto USA Tennis 1-2-3, Level 2. In Level 2, players have the chance to compete in actual matches with other Level 1 "graduates," using the strokes that they learned earlier in the program. Professional tennis pros are on hand to coach the grads and help them to perfect their game.

USA Team Tennis is the third level of the USTA three-pronged beginner tennis program. In USA Team Tennis, players are evaluated by skill level and teamed up with other men and women. Team play allows tremendous player growth and skill level development for those starting out. Players are grouped into three divisions: advanced beginner, intermediate, and advanced intermediate.

"The basis of the USA Tennis 1-2-3 program is to create a fun environment for adults to learn to play tennis and to then continue learning and playing organized tennis matches in a non-competitive atmosphere," says USA Tennis Community Coordinator Tammi Ketler. "It's quick, it's easy and lots of fun, and the best part is that everyone who joins with a friend gets a playing partner, saves money, and helps to fight breast cancer too."