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The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is
one of the largest, non-profit, volunteer, sports
organizations in the United States. A multisport organization,
the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and
development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.
The AAU
was founded in 1888 to establish standards and uniformity in
amateur sport. During its early years the AAU served as a
leader in international sport representing the U.S. in the
international sports federations. The AAU worked closely with
the Olympic movement to prepare athletes for the Olympic
games. After the Amateur Sports Act of 1978, the AAU has
focused its efforts into providing sports programs for all
participants of all ages beginning at the grass roots level.
The philosophy of "Sports for All, Forever," is shared by
nearly 800,000 participants and over 50,000 volunteers. The
AAU is divided into 57 distinct Associations. These
Associations annually sanction more than 34 sports programs,
250 national championships, and over 10,000 local events.
Programs offered by
the AAU include: AAU Sports
Program, AAU Junior Olympic Games, AAU James E. Sullivan
Memorial Award, AAU Youth Excel Program, and the AAU Complete
Athlete Program. Programs administrated on behalf of the
President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports include
President’s Challenge and the Presidential Sports Award.
In 1996, the AAU joined forces with Walt Disney
World. Later that year, the AAU relocated its national
headquarters to Orlando, Florida. More than 40 AAU national
events are conducted at the Disney’s Wide World of Sports®
Complex. Disney’s Wide World of Sports features a double-deck
7,500 -seat baseball stadium and baseball quadraplex, a
fieldhouse that accommodates up to six hardwood courts, a
softball quadraplex, two youth baseball fields, a tennis
complex, a track and field complex
four multi-purpose performance fields sized for international
soccer and sand volleyball
courts.
Mission
Statement
To
offer amateur sports programs through a volunteer base for all
people to have the physical, mental, and moral development of
amateur athletes and to promote good sportsmanship and good
citizenship.
Vision Statement
To offer amateur
athletes and volunteers opportunities to develop to their
highest level through a national and local network of sporting
events. Through participation in AAU, we achieve our dreams as
athletes and as valued citizens of our
communities.
Sports
for All, Forever
History of the
Games
The AAU Junior Olympic Games
began 33 years ago at the nation’s capitol, Washington D. C. ,
with two sports; swimming and track and field. The inaugural
games marked the first time in the history of the AAU Youth
Sports Program that two national championships were held at
the same time.
"There is nothing junior about it" has become the theme
of the AAU Junior Olympic Games over the years as the event
has blossomed from 523 participating athletes in 1967 to over
14,000 registered participants in 25 sports in 1999. The AAU
Junior Olympic Games hope to continue to expand and flourish
into the 21st century as the popularity of sport and the
attention of the youth in America intensifies.
The AAU Junior Olympic Games are known as the largest
national multi-sport event for the youth of America today. It
has become the showcase event of the AAU Sports Program. The
AAU Junior Olympic Games prides itself with the nation’s most
outstanding athletes year in and year out.
The Games popularity has exploded to now represent all
50 states, several United States’ territories, and American
citizens on foreign soil. More than 25 different cities have
hosted the Games since its beginning. In 1998, the seven-city
Hampton Roads region of Virginia, was the site of another
highly successful and well-received Games. The AAU Junior
Olympic Games returned to its roots in 1999 when Cleveland
hosted the 33rd AAU Junior Olympic Games. The AAU conducted
the first Junior Olympic Track and Field Championships in
Cleveland in 1949, giving rise to the organization's Youth
Sports Program. A half-century later, the AAU's signature
event is coming home to celebrate a 50-year anniversary. While
the sports world continues to grow and change, one thing still
remains the same, the AAU's commitment to the youth of
America. Sports, for All Forever!
AAU Junior
Olympic Games Alumni
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Isaac and
Laura Altman. Isaac is the National Director for Salsa,
Dancesport and Swing 