2016 AAU MEMBERSHIPS NOW AVAILABLE

Purchase 2016 AAU athlete, non-athlete and club memberships TODAY! Expedite fees for license & certificates are waived until October 1, 2015.

Current AAU memberships expire August 31, 2015. So, don't delay, get your membership TODAY. MORE INFO

2015 AAU JUNIOR OLYMPIC GAMES - JOEL FERRELL AWARD WINNERS

The AAU, along with the assistance and the guidance of the Joel Ferrell family, established the Joel Ferrell Outstanding Performance Memorial Award to recognize the athletic ability and sportsmanship of an athlete representing each official sport at the AAU Junior Olympic Games. In addition to the award presented at the Games, each recipient's name will be engraved on a special plaque at the AAU National Headquarters.

Joel Ferrell, a former aerospace engineer, made numerous contributions to the AAU. He held several positions with the AAU, including the presidency from 1976-78. He was also a vice president of the USOC. In December 1988, he passed away in his hometown of Tullahoma, Tennessee.

Below is a short biography of each of the 2015 AAU Joel Ferrell Award winners. Congratulations to all.

Baton:
The winner of the 2015 Joel Ferrell Award for Baton Twirling is Frances Novella. Novella was nominated by multiple judges and was the Advanced All Around Champion. She participates with the Solid Gold Twirlers and is a long-time supporter/member of the AAU. The twirler takes part in all AAU baton activities, including the showcase for many years and is noted as an "amazing twirler".

Bowling:
Max McKinney took home the 2015 AAU Joel Ferrell Award in Bowling at the 2015 AAU Junior Olympic Games. The Virginia native was the top vote among the other bowlers and coaches.

Cheerleading:
Hailey Hacker was honored with the Joel Ferrell Award for Cheerleading. The 14 year old competes with Gotta Flip and is from Columbus, Ohio. According to the 2015 AAU Junior Olympic Games Cheerleading results, Gotta Flip walked away with five gold medals!

Read More >>

AAU MEMBERS NAMED TO AVCA ALL-AMERICAN TEAM

West Coast AAU Junior Olympic Games champions Abril Bustamante and Skylar Caputo are two of the four elite high school beach volleyball players from across the country who were recently announced as members of the second annual American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) High School Beach All-America Team last week.

The tandem came out on top of the 52-team field at the West Coast AAU Junior Olympic Games which weighed heavily on the committee's decision. Bustamante and Caputo earned their spot in the Games by claiming the top spot in the Winter Classic Open at Dockweiler State Beach in California. Caputo also earned the title of AAU Player of the Year 2015 and the girls finished first in the NVL RIZE (Port St. Lucie, Fl.), Dig the Beach: Siesta (Siesta Key, Fl.) and the Florida Tour Series #4 & #5 (Pompano Beach, Fl. & Siesta Key, Fl.) this season.

Read More >>

YOUNG POWERLIFTER PREPARES FOR AAU WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Originally posted on grandlakenews.com by Dannie Oliveaux

COMMERCE – They say, "Dynamite comes in small packages."
That's certainly true of Damiyah Smith.

Damiyah, a fourth-grader, is preparing for the 2015 AAU World championship set Sept. 26-27 in Las Vegas.

Each morning, the 9-year-old girl spends about an hour training and lifting weights.

That's not a problem for Damiyah. Her parents, Jason and Kristenee Smith, own House of Steel in downtown Commerce. Her mother also competes in fitness competitions.

"We're hoping she will bring home four goal medals and set four more world records," her father said.

Damiyah advanced to the world championship after her record-setting performances at the 2015 AAU Junior Olympic Games in Hampton Roads, Virginia. earlier this month.

Read More >>

Miss America Parade & the AAU

The Middle Atlantic District Baton Twirlers have secured a place in the Miss America Parade.

Diane George, the AAU Middle Atlantic Baton Twirling Chair will have around 40 twirlers, who will be marching in the parade in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Diane has informed us that Philadelphia's Channel 6 will carry the parade.

Diane and her twirlers are equipped with an AAU banner and hope that this will bring a lot of positive attention to the AAU and the AAU Baton Twirling Program.

As you read below, this is a great event and we are proud of our AAU Members for their participation in it.

With the 2015 Miss America Pageant on ABC coming up soon on Sunday, September 14,at 9:00 p.m. EST, broadcast from Atlantic City, New Jersey, that means it is also almost time for the annual Miss America Show Us Your Shoes Parade, on Saturday, September 13! The parade, which begins in front of historic Boardwalk Hall at Connecticut Avenue and lasts from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., is two miles long and it draws almost as much excitement as the Miss America competition, itself.

Read More >>

AAU STRENGTH SPORTS ATHLETE MAKES BID FOR 2016 YOUTH OLYMPIC GAMES IN LILLEHAMMER

Fifteen-year-old Noah Crofton, an AAU Junior Olympic Games and world champion strength sports athlete from Shreveport, LA, is vying for a Team USA slot in bobsled for the 2016 Youth Olympic Games in Lillehammer, Norway.

Two weeks prior to the 2015 AAU Junior Olympic Games in Virginia, Noah passed the first hurdle to making the team by achieving a qualifying score above 300 points during a USA Bobsled combine in Dallas.

Shortly after that, he co-captained the Jets Barbell national team to AAU Junior Olympic Games team championships in powerlifting, weightlifting, the All-Sports combine and Feats of Strength in Hampton Roads, Virginia. Noah also captured AAU Junior Olympic Games gold medals in both powerlifting and weightlifting.

Read More >>

TWO YEARS AFTER TRAILER FILLED WITH EQUIPMENT STOLEN, RACHINE YOUTH FOOTBALL BETTER THAN EVER

Originally posted by Fox 6 Now

RACINE – Football news doesn't always come out of Green Bay. In Racine, fans are being treated to a big comeback story. In November 2013, thieves stole a trailer containing vital equipment for the Racine Gladiators Youth Football Team – and now, that equipment has been replaced. This, thanks to members of the community, who have stepped up for the kids in a big way.

Racine Gladiators Youth Football players know you've got to look the part to play the part.

Read More >>