RECAP: 2014 AAU FOOTBALL LEAGUE BASED NATIONALS

The AAU Football League Based Nationals wrapped up Saturday after four intense days of football! Registration started Tuesday, December 2nd and on Wednesday, pool play kicked off. Forty teams in four different divisions battled it out to try to claim the championship trophy.

In the 8U division, the Pensacola Colts and the Richmond Eagles were the two teams that ultimately made it to the championship game. Both teams were in Pool 8B during pool play, with the Eagles coming in first with a 2-0 record going into bracket play. The Colts entered bracket play with a 1-1 record. Once in bracket play, both teams shut out their opponents in the first round. In the semifinals, they shut out their opponents once again, but the scores were a bit closer. The Colts took down the Raptors 7-0 and the Eagles defeated the Steelers 13-0, advancing them both to the Championship Game. The 8U National Championship kicked off championship day on Saturday. The Eagles' offense couldn't get anything going with a tough Colts defense, and fell to the Pensacola Colts 26-6.

In the 10U division, two teams from the same pool made it to the championship again. The Wilmington Titans went 3-0 in pool play, earning the top spot in their pool. The Yoakum Outlawz maintained a 2-1 record in pool play, earning them the 2nd place spot going into bracket play. The Yoakum Outlawz had a tough day of football on Friday, playing two games against some tough competition. They squeaked out two wins, the first against the Southeast Guilford Black, 14-8, and the second, a true nail biter against the Fredericksburg Canes, which the Outlawz won 13-12. The Wilmington Titans had a fairly restful day Friday, only having to play one game in which they defeated the Apopka Raptors 6-0. In the Championship Game on Saturday, both the Yoakum Outlawz and the Wilmington Titans played great defense, keeping it a low scoring game. When the buzzer went off at the end of the game, the Wilmington Titans had the 6-0 lead, earning them the National Championship!

RECAP: 2014 AAU CROSS COUNTRY NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

The AAU Cross Country Nationals are a wrap for another year. The 2014 competition took place last Saturday, December 6th in Lawrence Kansas. The best of the best athletes from all across the country traveled to Rim Rock Farm at the University of Kansas on Friday to check in, pick up their packets and walk the courses that they would run for the championship the following day.

Races began bright and early on Saturday morning and although the temperatures were in the 40's the athletes were warmed up and ready to run! The National Anthem kicked off the event at 8:50 followed by a gunshot signaling the start of the first race promptly at 9:00AM. 12 races were conducted in the meet with a total of 12 divisions between the boys' and girls'. Awards were given after the conclusion of each race, wrapping up the day with the team awards given to the team with the highest compilation of scores.

The California Comets left Kansas back on top this year stealing back the overall team title from the Derby City Athletic Club who disrupted their 3 year winning streak, taking home the title in 2013.

Read More >>

2014 SI SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR: Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner

San Francisco Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner was named the 2014 Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year on Monday.  Bumgarner, a former Amateur Athletic Union baseball member, finished the World Series with a  2-0 record and a 0.43 ERA while leading the Giants to their third title in five years.  Madison Bumgarner joins teammates Joe Panik, Andrew Susac, Buster Posey, and Hunter Strickland as former AAU members to add World Series champion to their resume in 2014. 

San Francisco Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner had a performance for the ages in the 2014 postseason, earning him this year's SI Sportsman of the Year Award.

The 25-year-old lefthander threw a record 52 2/3 innings in the playoffs and gave up just six earned runs for an absurd 1.03 ERA. He struck out 45 batters in his seven appearances, walking only six and giving up 28 hits.

Photo: Robert Beck/Sports Illustrated
In Game 7 of the World Series against the Kansas City Royals, Bumgarner came on in relief of starter Tim Hudson on just two days rest after throwing a 117-pitch, four-hit shutout in Game 5. What he did over the next five innings (two hits, four strikeouts, no walks) will certainly go down in baseball lore.

Sportsman Triple Play: Get reprints of Bumgarner's SI covers

The Royals simply had no answer and could do nothing with the majority of his 68 pitches, enabling the Giants to leave Kansas City a World Champion for the third time in five years.

Bumgarner is the first San Francisco Giant and the seventh MLB pitcher (Johnny Podres '55, Sandy Koufax '65, Tom Seaver '69, Orel Hershiser '88, Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson '01) to win the award. In all, there have been 15 baseball selections – 14 players and the 2004 Boston Red Sox. The most recent was Derek Jeter in '09.

Read More >>

NORTHERN INDOOR NATIONAL DATES ANNOUNCED

AAU Athletics is proud to announce the dates for the 2015 AAU Northern Indoor National Championship! This event will taking place from
January 16th – 18th, 2015 in Rockford, IL at the newly renovated Auburn High School Fieldhouse. Packet pickup will take place on January 16th and 17th and competition will run from January 16th – 18th, 2015. The entry fee is $40 per athlete and the deadline to register is January 12th at 9pm CST.

Visit www.aauathletics.org for more information on how to register.

2014 SOUTH TEXAS/ARKANSAS AAU ALL-STAR GAME

On December 14, 2014 the Arkansas AAU Youth Football League and the South Texas AAU Youth Football League will once again will battle it out at AT&T Dallas Cowboys Stadium. The All-Star teams from both AAU leagues athletes in 6u (Flag), 8u, 10u and 12u tackle will take the field. We will also have a special 12u game that will involve AAU teams Memphis, TN vs. Pensacola, FL.

With the purchase of a ticket, everyone will get a tour of one of the top NFL facilities in the Nation and field access for pre-game pictures. You will also get great seating to see outstanding youth football games. The tour will take place at a pre-determined time.

Purchase tickets online NOW. All tickets ordered online are "Will-Call", so please have a copy of your receipt to pick up your tickets!

To register your athlete, CLICK HERE.
To order your spectator ticket today, CLICK HERE.

For more information, contact Rod "Chico" Tanner at 210-788-4200 or by email at rodtannerjr@yahoo.com.

INLINE HOCKEY OFFICIALS TEST

Attention Inline Hockey Officials! The Officials test for 2014-2015 is now available! Please visit www.aauhockey.org, to complete the test and become certified to officiate this season. To find upcoming Officials Clinics in your area, please contact AAU National Hockey Chair, Keith Noll, at slapshot@wwt.net.

CLICK HERE to view the 2014-2015 USARS Handbook.

MASTERS INLINE CUP

AAU and Team USA are pleased to announce the Masters Inline Cup! This international event will take place from
May 28th – 31st, 2015 in Dusseldorf, Germany. Athletes will arrive May 25th and official training will begin on May 27th. The entry fee is $700 per player and includes 8 nights hotel with breakfast, fees, licensing, insurance, and a general manager. Athletes must be born in 1977 or before.

For more information, email gil@scorezone.com.

WINTER YOUTH NATIONAL DEADLINE APPROACHING

Registration is now open for the 2015 AAU Winter Youth Nationals! This highly competitive folkstyle event is taking place from January 3rd – 4th, 2015 in Ralston, Nebraska at the Ralston Arena. The entry fee of $45 per athlete is due by January 2nd, 2015 at noon. Late registration will be available for an additional $20 per athlete if the tournament limit of 1200 athletes is not met.

Do not delay! CLICK HERE to register your athletes today!

LET'S PLAY HOCKEY EXPO INCLUDES MANY EXCITING EVENTS IN 2015

The 26th annual Let's Play Hockey Expo returns with many new and exciting events on March 6-7, 2015 at the St. Paul RiverCentre.

The world's largest consumer hockey trade show which normally over attracts 40,000 hockey players, coaches, parents, families, retailers and administrators from the Upper Midwest will now host hockey players from around the United States and beyond.

The show is held in conjunction with the Minnesota Boys' State High School Hockey Tournament, one of the largest high school sports tournaments in the country that attracts over 110,000 fans. Many new activities and product categories have been added this year.

Product Categories:

APPLY FOR THE 2015 AAU HIGH SCHOOL SULLIVAN
AWARD

The 2015 AAU High School Sullivan Award is back and we need YOUR applications! This award is available to high school seniors who are or have been an AAU participant in any sport. The AAU High School Sullivan Award and Scholarship Program emphasizes certain qualities in the individual athletes, including leadership, character, sportsmanship, academics and accomplishments in their sports.

The AAU Sullivan Committee will be awarding a total of $35,000 in Scholarship Funds to eight (8) different recipients; four (4) male and four (4) female athletes. The top female and male winner will receive a $10,000 scholarship provided to the school they choose to attend the following year. The six remaining finalists will each receive a $2,500 scholarship to the school that they choose to attend.

Winners will be chosen through both electronic and personal reviews from all of the completed and properly submitted applications. The deadline to apply is April 1st, 2015 and the scholarship winners will be announced in June.

Last year, Audrey Faulhaber and Nathan Sherfey were recognized as the two winners of the 2014 AAU High School Sullivan Award. They were selected from hundreds of deserving applicants and were each awarded the top scholarship prize of $10,000 to the school of their choice. For the full story on Audrey and Nathan, CLICK HERE.

To apply for the 2015 AAU High School Sullivan Scholarship Award, CLICK HERE.

Scholarship Management System provided by WizeHive

Follow us on FACEBOOK to keep track of EVERYTHING AAU, including the Sullivan Award and High School Sullivan Award! Have a Twitter? Follow @TheRealAAU for all the latest updates and news about the AAU!