The AAU was founded on January 21, 1888, with the goal of creating common standards in amateur sport. Since then, most national championships in the United States have taken place under AAU leadership. From its founding as a publicly supported organization, the AAU has represented US sports within the various international sports federations. It has grown over the years to become one of the leading and most influential associations.
01/21/1888The AAU conducts its first championships for boxing, fencing and wrestling on April 6 at New York’s Metropolitan Opera House.
04/06/1888A.G. Mills, a member of the AAU Board of Governors, introduces a plan which calls for the AAU to reorganize into a union of Associations (now called Districts) rather than an association of clubs. What will later be known as the “Mills Plan” passes unanimously, creating the first five AAU Districts – Atlantic, Central, Metropolitan, New England and Pacific Coast.
01/01/1890The AAU conducts the first National Men’s Basketball Championship. The winner is the 23rd Street YMCA from New York City.
01/01/1897AAU President George J. Turner concludes his national convention address in Baltimore by announcing that women's swimming will be recognized by the organization.
01/01/1915Six teams compete in the inaugural AAU Women’s Basketball tournament held in the Los Angeles Athletics Club crowning the Pasadena Athletic & Country Club Flying Rings as champions.
04/01/1926The AAU honors golfer Robert Tyre “Bobby” Jones, Jr., as the first recipient of the James E. Sullivan Memorial Award given in recognition of the founder and President of the AAU. Other finalists for the award are Barney Berling (athletics), Clarence De Mar (athletics), Tommy Hitchcock (polo), Helen Madison (swimming), Helen Wills Moody (tennis), Harlon Rothert (all-around), Ray Rudy (swimming), George Simpson (athletics) and Stella Walsh (athletics).
03/05/1930Following five hours of debate, AAU President Jeremiah T. Mahoney withdraws his proposed amendment to boycott the Olympic Games in Berlin, Germany. Instead, a resolution was passed stating the certification of the U.S. athletes for overseas competition will not be construed to imply endorsement of the Nazi government.
01/01/1935The AAU authorizes a program that encourages and monitors physical fitness among America’s school-aged children with the assistance of Dr. Robert Grueninger.
06/04/1942Ann Curtis, an 18-year old swimmer from San Francisco, becomes the first woman to receive the AAU James E. Sullivan Memorial Award. Curtis, who turned down movie offers to continue training for the Olympic Games in London, captured AAU titles in eight events during the year.
01/01/1944A Junior Olympics program designed to develop young athletes in the U.S. is introduced at the AAU Annual Convention on December 5 in New York City and receives approval. Past AAU President Willard Greim is elected first President of the international basketball federation, F.I.B.A. while serving as AAU Men’s Basketball Chair.
12/05/1948The Junior Olympic program conducts the first AAU Junior Olympic regional track and field competitions in Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Oregon and Texas, followed by a national meet in Cleveland.
05/05/1949AAU sanctions the first AAU California Beach Volleyball Championships in Manhattan Beach, CA as an adult open event.
06/22/1957The search begins for a permanent national office site for the AAU rather than renting office space in New York City.
08/15/1957A Congressional Blue Ribbon Arbitration Board is appointed in an effort to produce a final and conclusive settlement between the AAU and the National College Athletic Association (NCAA) over which organization has control over college athletes, both in the U.S. and internationally. The head of the independent arbitration panel is the famous labor negotiation Theodore W. Kheel.
01/01/1966This event marks the first time that two national championship events are held at the same time. It is also the first time that the national championships in swimming and track and field are determined on a direct competitive basis instead of through telephone and/or mail entries.
08/21/1967The AAU moves its National Headquarters to Indianapolis, serving as a catalyst which eventually bills the city as the “Amateur Sports Capital” of the United States.
11/01/1970Future Olympic Gold Medalist, Greg Louganis competes in the AAU Junior Olympic Games Boys 11-12 Diving Championships at Gonzaga University.
07/25/1972A total of 19 teams coming participated in the inaugural AAU Junior National Volleyball Championships in Catonsville, Maryland. The teams represented 10 states and competed for 3 National Championship titles.
06/25/1974The 95th Congress of the United States passes the Amateur Sports Act, which states that no one organization may govern more than one sport. On addition, it requires vertical integrated national governing bodies immediately be instituted for all Olympic sports. The decision decentralizes the power of the AAU, but returns the organization to the basic principles upon which it was founded: to maintain amateur sports and to protect the mutual interests of its members while advancing and improving amateur sports.
11/08/1978At the AAU Junior Olympic Games in Santa Clara, CA, Jackie Joyner-Kersee wins a gold medal in the girls long jump competition. Joyner-Kersee, regarded as one fo the all-time greatest athletes in the women’s heptathon and long jump, went on to 6 Olympic medals, 3 of which were gold.
08/01/1980Former AAU Junior Olympians account for 18 individual and 12 team gold meals at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles during the summer. Leading the gold medal count is track and field star Carl Lewis with four, followed by swimmers Rowdy Gaines, Tracy Caulkins and Mary T. Meagher with three each.
08/25/1984The AAU expands its program services, receiving authority to administer the Presidential Sports Award from the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sport. The AAU also coordinates the AAU/Mars Milky Way All American Award, selecting and recognizing the outstanding male and female high school athletes in the U.S.
04/15/1987During the summer Olympic Games in Seoul, Korea former AAU member athletes account for 30% of the medals won by the United States. Swimmer Matt Biondi leads all medal winners with seven (five gold, one silver, one bronze).
09/17/1988Gussie Crawford becomes the first woman elected as President of the AAU in the 100-year history of the organization.
09/20/1988AAU forms the 2nd Century Committee to focus on its future working towards the goal of providing “Sports for All, Forever.”
10/01/1989The XXV AAU Junior Olympic Games sets a participant record with 5,866 young athletes ages 8-18 competing in 13 sporting events at Tallahassee, Florida, July 27 – August 3. In boy’s basketball, Chris Webber lead his team Detroit Superfriends to a gold medal and was named to the AAU All-American Team. Webber was a future NBA #1 overall draft pick and 5-time NBA All-Star.
08/04/1991The event took which took place in San Pedro, California crowned five champions, including Kimberly Loeffler/Jenny Peterson (12U), Tracy Lindquist/Chrissie Zartman (14U), Shawny Lopez/Raini Lopez (15U/16U), Malaika Naulls/Joi Thomas (17U/18U) in the girls’ divisions and Frankie Bencun/Anthony Dobay in the boys’ 14U division. This event had over 300 teams in 2016 and continuously features athletes from over 30 states
08/10/1994AAU Congress approves a 30-year alliance with The Walt Disney World Company, relocating its National Headquarters to Orlando, Florida. The AAU is one of the three major tenants in Disney’s hundred million dollar sports complex along with the Atlanta Braves and the Harlem Globetrotters.
10/07/1994The AAU hosts its first event, AAU Karate National Team Championships and Chinese Martial Arts Championships, at Disney’s Wide World of Sports complex. At summer’s end, AAU sets record with over 20,000 athletes competing in 44 events at the new complex during the first summer.
06/01/1997A total of 127 teams attend the National Championships, which was the first volleyball event to be played in the Fieldhouse at Disney’s sports complex. These teams represented 20 states and Puerto Rico and competed for 4 National Championship titles (Ages 12, 14, 16, 18).
06/19/1997In an historic meeting, the AAU and the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) convene on Marco Island to discuss the challenges of AAU and High School sport programs. The AAU adopts a national policy precluding sports agents, agencies and representatives from membership in the AAU.
11/15/1998Kelly and Coco Miller become the first siblings to share the AAU Sullivan Award, making the second year in a row that a female basketball player(s) took home the prestigious award following Chamique Holdsclaw’s win in 1998.
04/02/1999The grand funds are used for local clubs and teams to start new football programs.
01/01/2001AAU announces a 10-year plan for the AAU Junior Olympic Games event which includes a rotation with the cities of Detroit, MI; Des Moines, IA; Hampton Roads, VA, New Orleans, LA and Knoxville, TN.
02/09/2003Mark Ballas and Julianne Hough, cast members of Dancing with the Stars, partnered to win AAU Junior Olympic Games Dance gold medals in the Junior Open Latin Championship division. The event was held in Detroit, MI.
07/29/2003AAU forms partnership with USA Today for the AAU James E. Sullivan Award. This year’s award is presented to gymnast Paul Hamm who receives over a half million votes.
04/01/2005Eight-and-a-half years and more than a thousand events since Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex officially opened on March 28, 1997, the 220-acre sports complex at Walt Disney World Resort welcomed its One Millionth Athlete on Monday. Desirre Wilkerson (Louisville, Ky.), a 13-year-old girls’ volleyball player from the Kentucky Indiana Volleyball Academy (KIVA), was officially honored as the One Millionth Athlete. Wilkerson and her teammates from the KIVA Red 13-and-Under girls’ volleyball squad participated in a morning ceremony at registration for the 32nd Annual AAU Junior Volleyball National Championships.
06/14/2005The inaugural West Coast AAU Junior Olympic Games is held on the campus of the University of California Davis with 6 sports including baseball, boys’ basketball, girls’ basketball, diving, jump rope and wrestling.
06/28/2006The semi-finals and finals of the AAU Division I Junior Boys’ Basketball Championship at Disney’s Wide World of Sports are televised on ESPNU. Team Breakdown of Florida Gold Coast wins the championship.
07/17/2007Robert Griffin III – Broke the National Record in the 400 Meter Hurdles, beating the competition by almost a full 2 seconds. Went on to win the Heisman Trophy in 2011, becoming the 2nd overall pick in the NFL Draft. In 2012 he won the 2012 Offensive Rookie of the Year award and is currently the quarterback for the Cleveland Browns.
08/06/2007AAU opens dialogue with the NBA then partners with the NCAA to promote “the good of the game.” Mr. Wallace Renfro of the NCAA addresses AAU Congress as the keynote speaker. The AAU provides free college coaches packets & admissions to NCAA coaches attending AAU events.
10/01/2008The largest AAU Junior Olympic Games concludes in New Orleans, LA with 18,087 athletes and coaches in 18 sports. This also marks the largest track & field competition with 12,644 athletes. The event finishes just days prior to Hurricane Katrina.
08/06/2011The AAU Girls’ Junior National Volleyball Championship named the largest volleyball tournament in the world by Guinness World Records. The event was held at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports and the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL.
06/27/2012With over 20 countries represented, 424 teams play over 1,100 games in the hockey championships.
07/06/2013Championship games played in the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, FL
12/08/2013The Battle of the Borders between rival AAU football leagues in Arkansas and Texas is held in AT&T Stadium.
12/27/2013Gatorade joins forces with AAU to provide a million dollars of product to AAU athletes at events.
02/24/2015The Ohio State’s Ezekiel Elliott named 85th AAU Sullivan Award Winner over Olympian’s Simone Biles (gymnastics) and Katie Ledecky (swimming) with approximately 100,000 votes cast for the finalists.
04/19/2015Teams from Mexico, Caribbean and US compete in the first AAU Baseball International Championships in Ft. Lauderdale, FL.
09/24/2015AAU Cares, established by President Goudy as a way of giving back to the community, kicks off the 86th AAU James E. Sullivan Award. With the assistance of New York State Senator Kevin Parker, bicycles are assembled by the AAU Board of Directors and presented to underprivileged New York City area youth.
04/13/2016AAU Proud is established to encourage the involvement and provide an introduction of sports to young children. At the AAU Baseball 9U/10U Grand Nationals at ESPN Wide World of Sports, the Baseball Little Sluggers takes place offering drills and activities for ages 3 to 8.
06/07/2016The 50th AAU Junior Olympic Games takes place in Houston, TX with 18 sports and over 16,000 participants. Carl Lewis, 9-time Olympic gold medalist, lights the torch at the Celebration of Athletes
07/31/2016The official name change of AAU Athletics is made to AAU Track & Field. The goal of this change is to develop a brand that will resonate with mainstream culture and be more recognizable to fans, sports enthusiast and future partners.
11/01/2016AAU Gussie Crawford Lifetime Achievement Award established to honor Gussie Crawford, voted the first female president of the AAU, as a trailblazer in amateur sports. The award recognized those athletes whose efforts have paved the way for great change in amateur sports. Jesse Owens posthumously awarded during the AAU Sullivan Award Ceremony.
04/11/2017Wisconsin Volleyball All-American Lauren Carlini announced as the winner of the 87th AAU James E. Sullivan Award in a ceremony at the New York Athletic Club. A member of the bronze medal-winning US National Team at the 2016 Pan American Cup, Carlini is the first four-time All Big Ten pick in program history.
04/11/2017The day is a celebration to recognize the beginning of District Championship season for more than 60,000 AAU track and field athletes.
06/01/2017Hosted by Jam On It, The Pacific Rim Basketball Championships are held at the Hawaii Convention Center. Over 140 teams comprised of 60 teams from outside of Oahu compete on 13 courts over a 3 day period for a chance at the AAU title.
07/03/2017As part of the AAU Cares initiative, the AAU assisted those impacted by Hurricane Harvey. Numerous AAU Districts, Sport Committees, clubs and individuals donated money to AAU Cares4Houston to aid in the relief efforts in the Houston area. AAU President Dr. Roger J. Goudy along with AAU national staff delivered non-perishable items, bottled water and AAU t-shirts/apparel to Houston. Joining in the efforts was 5-time Olympian and track legend Carl Lewis who is a Houston native.
09/08/2017AAU launched the new website through Blue Star/Stack Sports
03/01/2018AAU launched the new website through Blue Star/Stack Sports
03/16/2018Dr. Roger Goudy was re-elected to a second term as President/CEO
10/01/2018The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), one of the largest, non-profit multi-sport amateur sports organizations in the world, announced Dr. Roger J. Goudy of Madison, Ohio, won another four-year term as President/CEO during elections at the 126th AAU National Convention held at the Hilton Cleveland Downtown. Dr. Goudy, the 47th president of the AAU, is the first AAU President from Ohio since 1947.
Read more » 10/27/2018National Fitness Foundation and AAU announce partnership as AAU becomes the administrator for the Presidential Youth Fitness Program.
03/18/2019The National Fitness Foundation and AAU announce partnership as AAU becomes the administrative arm for for the Presidential Youth Fitness Program (PYFP).
Read more » 03/19/2019This is the first time AAU Junior Olympic Games are in Greensboro, North Carolina. AAU Junior Olympic Games had a record track participation of 13,601.
07/24/2019Partnering with the local YMCA chapter, 2,000 packages were put together in an assembly line process involving the 240 plus AAU leaders at the Conference. Hygiene kits included such items as a toothbrush, toothpaste, washcloth, bar of soap, shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, and an encouragement note for recipients. The event was part of the AAU Cares initiative.
09/26/2019