|
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. |
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 500,000 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 President뭩 Council on Physical Fitness and Sports include President뭩 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 Disney뭩 Wide World of Sports® Complex. Disney뭩 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.
If you are interested in sports participation, the AAU is the place to start.
|
To
join the AAU or to get more information about these exciting events,
including those at Disney뭩 Wide World of Sports?Complex,
contact the AAU National Headquarters (407) 934-7200.
|