Amateur Athletic Union facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Amateur Athletic Union

Abbreviation	AAU
Formation	January 21, 1888; 137 years ago (1888-01-21)
Founder	James E. Sullivan
Founded at	New York Athletic Club
Type	Amateur Sports Organization
Headquarters	Lake Buena Vista, Florida, US
Membership	700,000 athletes and coaches nationwide
President/CEO	J.B. Mirza
Website	aausports.org

The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is a sports group in the United States. It helps grow and support amateur sports and physical fitness programs. The AAU has over 700,000 members across the country. This includes more than 100,000 volunteers. The main idea of the AAU is "Sports for All, Forever." This means they believe everyone should be able to play sports.

The AAU started on January 21, 1888. James E. Sullivan and William Buckingham Curtis created it. Their goal was to set clear rules for amateur sports. For many years, the AAU led most national championships for young athletes in the U.S. It also represented U.S. sports in big international groups.

The AAU used to work closely with the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee. They helped U.S. athletes get ready for the Summer and Winter Olympic Games. In 1949, they started the AAU Junior Olympic Games. Athletes from 8 to 16 years old could join. Many future Olympic stars have competed in these yearly events.

In the 1970s, some people felt the AAU's rules were old-fashioned. For example, women were not allowed in some races. A new law in 1978 changed how sports were organized. This law created separate groups for each Olympic sport. Because of these changes, the AAU focused more on helping young athletes. It also started organizing national sports events for kids.

History of the AAU

Before the AAU, there was another group called the National Association of Amateur Athletes of America. The AAU began in 1888. William Buckingham Curtis helped start it. The goal was to make sports rules the same for everyone. In its early years, the AAU was a big leader in sports. It helped U.S. athletes get ready for the Olympic Games.

The AAU held its first events on April 6, 1888. These included boxing, fencing, and wrestling. They took place at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City.

The AAU organized the main USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships from 1888 to 1978. In 1923, the AAU held the first track and field championships for women.

The first national men's basketball championship by the AAU was in 1897. The 23rd Street YMCA from New York City won. The first AAU women's basketball tournament was in 1926. The Pasadena Athletic & Country Club Flying Rings won that event.

After a new law in 1978, the AAU changed its focus. It started offering sports programs for people of all ages. These programs began at local and regional levels.

Today, the AAU has 56 different local groups. They run 34 sports programs and 250 national championships each year. They also hold over 30,000 events for different age groups. More than 500,000 people take part. Over 50,000 volunteers help out.

Women in AAU Sports

In 1914, the AAU stopped women from competing in some events. Later that year, they allowed women in a few swimming events. But by 1916, they thought about stopping women from swimming again.

In 1922, the AAU in New York City allowed more events for women. However, they still stopped women from running races longer than half a mile. They thought it was too hard on women's bodies. But by 1923, the AAU let women compete in most sports, including basketball. The AAU held women's basketball tournaments from 1926 to 1970.

In 1961, the AAU still did not allow women in road running events. Even if organizers let a woman run, her results were not official. In 1970, the first New York City Marathon ignored these rules. They let women run, even if their scores would not be official. For the 1971 New York City Marathon, the AAU allowed women to run. But they had to start 10 minutes before or after the men. Or they had to run on a separate course. By 1974, women spoke up more about these unfair rules.

Ice Hockey Changes

Before 1936, the AAU helped manage ice hockey in North America. This was with the Amateur Athletic Union of Canada. Later, the Canadian group split from its national union. Then the AAU stopped its agreement with the Canadian group. This agreement had allowed players to move between countries.

In 1937, the AAU told the Eastern Amateur Hockey League (EAHL) they could not have Canadian players. The EAHL's leader, Tommy Lockhart, decided to leave the AAU. He made a deal with the Canadian group. He then started the Amateur Hockey Association of the United States (AHAUS) to run ice hockey. The AHAUS and the Canadian group joined to form a new international hockey group. This group later became the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) in 1947. The IIHF chose AHAUS as the main hockey group in the U.S., not the AAU.

Even with this decision, the AAU sent its own team to the ice hockey at the 1948 Winter Olympics. The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee supported the AAU. Its leader, Avery Brundage, even said the U.S. would not go to the Olympics if the AHAUS team was chosen. The problem was fixed just before the Olympics began. The International Olympic Committee allowed the AHAUS team to play. But they could not win an Olympic medal.

Changes in Sports Control

A new law in 1978, called the Amateur Sports Act, changed things. Many felt the AAU was not managing Olympic sports well enough. Other sports groups started to form. For example, USA Gymnastics began in 1963. This was to help American gymnasts do better in the Olympics. USWF started in 1968. It wanted to be the main group for amateur wrestling. The world wrestling group, FILA, agreed. It did not want big "umbrella" groups like the AAU.

The International Track Association started after the 1972 Olympics. Before this, track and field athletes had to be amateurs. This meant they could not earn money from their sport. Any money they got was often secret. This meant many American athletes stopped playing after college. But athletes from other countries could keep playing. They often pretended to be in the military or police. This let them keep their amateur status. Athletes had been asking for changes for years.

AAU Headquarters

The building opened as the Walt Disney World Preview Center in 1970 and currently houses the Amateur Athletic Union.

The AAU first started in New York City. In 1957, they began looking for a permanent office. In 1970, the AAU moved its main office to Indianapolis. This helped Indianapolis become known as the "Amateur Sports Capital" of the U.S. In 1994, the AAU teamed up with the Walt Disney World Resort. They signed a 30-year agreement.

Because of this deal, many AAU national championships are held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. This complex is in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. In 1996, the AAU moved its main office to Walt Disney World. More than 40 AAU national events happen at the complex. The AAU office is in the old Walt Disney World Preview Center building.

AAU Programs

The AAU offers many programs. These include the AAU Sports Program and the AAU Junior Olympic Games. They also have the AAU James E. Sullivan Memorial Award. Another program is the AAU Complete Athlete Program.

The AAU also helps with the President's Challenge program. This program is for the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. The AAU has 33 national committees. These groups organize activities for specific sports.

The AAU is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. This means it does not have to pay certain taxes. This status was given in 1996.

Sports Offered by AAU

The Amateur Athletic Union offers sports programs for individuals and teams. Athletes can join local teams and compete with others their age. There are teams for most sports from age 9 up to 18. This lets young athletes play for championships against others at a similar age and skill level.

The AAU offers sports programs in these areas:

AAU Junior Olympic Games

The AAU Junior Olympic Games is the biggest multi-sport event for young people in the U.S. It is the main event of the AAU Sports Program.

The Games started with track and field contests where winners were found by phone or mail. In 1949, the AAU held its first "live" national meet in Cleveland, Ohio. This started the AAU Youth Sports Program.

As the program grew, AAU leaders decided to hold two national championships at once. The first AAU Junior Olympic Games opened on August 21, 1967. Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey officially opened them in Washington, D.C. Five hundred twenty-three athletes competed in 1967. They competed in swimming and track and field. Eighteen new AAU records were set in swimming. Three new records were set in track and field.

Since 1967, the AAU Junior Olympic Games have been held in 19 states and 31 cities. The Games have grown a lot. They now have over 18,000 athletes. These athletes come from all 50 states and U.S. territories.

The AAU Junior Olympic Games have won awards for helping local economies. They won the Champions of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism Awards many times.

AAU Junior National Volleyball Championships

The AAU Junior National Volleyball Championships is another top AAU event. The first championship was on June 25, 1974, in Catonsville, Maryland. Nineteen teams from 10 states took part.

In June 1997, the championship was held at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex for the first time. It was the first volleyball event in the Fieldhouse there. A total of 127 teams attended.

In 2012, the AAU Girls’ Junior National Volleyball Championships was named the world's largest volleyball tournament. This was by Guinness World Records. The event was held in Orlando, Florida.

The 49th championship in 2022 was the biggest ever. It had 4,450 teams. This included 678 boys' teams and 3,772 girls' teams. They competed in 56 different groups. It was the largest sports event ever at the Orange County Convention Center.

This AAU event has won many awards over the years. It has been named a top event for its economic impact and as a best amateur sporting event.

AAU Cares Program

The AAU Cares program started in 2016. It is how the AAU gives back to communities. The first event was with the AAU James E. Sullivan Award. The AAU Board of Directors built bicycles. They gave these bikes to kids in New York City who needed them. Other AAU Cares events have helped pack meals for hungry children. They packed 120,000 meals in 2016 and 2017.

AAU Urban Initiative

The AAU Urban Initiative began in 2015. It aims to offer sports to areas that have not had many chances before. The program works with local governments, police, and schools. It brings communities together through sports. It also teaches life skills and helps young people grow.

United Hockey Union

The United Hockey Union (UHU) is a group of junior ice hockey leagues. It also includes a college club league. The AAU oversees and insures the UHU. It started in 2012. These groups are not recognized by USA Hockey or the International Ice Hockey Federation.

AAU Hockey also sponsors national tournaments for younger hockey players. A North American Championship for different age levels started in 2015. This is done with the Canadian Independent Hockey Federation.

AAU James E. Sullivan Award

The AAU James E. Sullivan Award has been given out every year since 1930. It goes to the best college or Olympic-level athlete in the U.S. This award is even older than the Heisman Trophy, which started in 1935.

The award honors James E. Sullivan. He was a founder and past president of the AAU. He was also a leader in amateur sports. The award looks at leadership, character, and sportsmanship. It honors athletes who show strong moral character, not just athletic skill.

Golfer Bobby Jones was the first to win the award in 1930. He won over many other great athletes. In 1944, Ann Curtis, an 18-year-old swimmer, became the first woman to win. She had won eight AAU titles that year.

In 2022, the 92nd AAU James E. Sullivan Award went to Olympic gold medalist Carissa Moore. She was the first surfer and first Hawaiian person to win this award. Other finalists included Jocelyn Alo (softball) and Bryce Young (football).

Masters Track and Field

Masters Track and Field officially started in 1968. In 1971, it became a separate group within the AAU. Now, Masters Track and Field is part of USA Track & Field (USATF).

Documentary Films About AAU

The short film The Winning Strain was filmed at the 1966 AAU Track and Field championships. It was nominated for an Oscar in 1967.

In 1999, the HBO documentary Dare to Compete: The Struggle of Women in Sports won an award.

In September 2008, More than a Game was shown at a film festival. LeBron James helped make this film. It tells the story of his high school basketball career.

The 2011 film Empty Hand: The Real Karate Kids follows four young karate players. They compete on their way to the annual AAU Karate Championship.

A 2013 AAU youth basketball film, Little Ballers, was shown on Nickelodeon in 2015. It was the first documentary on NickSports. The film was directed by Crystal McCrary. It showed the AAU youth team New Heights, which included her son, Cole Anthony.

In 2016, At All Costs looked at how the AAU basketball circuit has changed youth basketball in America.

Images for kids

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  AAU logo

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  The building that houses the AAU headquarters

See also

In Spanish: Amateur Athletic Union para niños