Amateur Athletic Union
From Free net encyclopedia
The Amateur Athletic Union, widely known as the AAU, was formed in 1888 to help support many different teams and players in almost every sport, and has sponsored many tournaments throughout the United States. It helps to get players noticed and direct them toward a good college or into the right environment in their community. The summit AAU events are the annual AAU Junior Olympic Games. Until the 1970s it was the recognized governing body for many prominent sports in the United States, such as swimming and track and field, but it gave up its jurisdiction with the decline of amateurism.
AAU Sports
The following is the list of sports that the AAU actively sanctions. Those sports in bold are included in the AAU's annual Junior Olympic Games competition.
- Aquatic - Diving
- Aquatic - Swimming
- Aerobics
- Athletics (Track & Field)
- Baseball
- Baton Twirling
- Bocce
- Basketball
- Cheerleading
- Chinese Martial Arts
- Cross Country
- Dance/Drill
- Field Hockey
- Football
- Golf
- Gymnastics
- Inline Hockey
- Jump Rope
- Judo
- Jujitsu
- Karate
- Lacrosse
- Power Lifting
- Indoor Soccer
- Softball
- Surfing
- Table Tennis
- Taekwondo
- Trampoline/Tumbling
- Beach Volleyball/Volleyball
- Weightlifting
- Wrestling
AAU Junior Olympic Locations
Recent locations of the Junior Olympics
For previous years (back to 1968), see AAU Junior Olympic Games
The rotation beginning with Hampton Roads, VA begins again in 2006, and will rotate through the 5 cities of Hampton Roads, Knoxville, Detroit, Des Moines and New Orleans for the foreseeable future.