AAU Florida Weightlifting boasts a robust program for high school weightlifters across the state of Florida.  At a late May meet in Auburndale, 101 male and female lifters competed in three lifts – the snatch, clean and jerk and the bench press -- representing 19 teams from around the state. Competitors lifted on five platforms simultaneously, with a crowd of spectators cheering them on in the Auburndale High School gymnasium.

“We patterned AAU Florida Weightlifting like the state of Florida conducts its high school boys’ and girls’ weightlifting seasons,” says Gilbert Jones, who serves as Auburndale High School’s boys and girls weightlifting coach.  Jones is in his eleventh-year coaching boys’ weightlifting, and fifth year coaching girls. He served as meet director for the May meet, which is a warm-up in preparation for the fifth annual AAU Florida Weightlifting Florida State Championships on Aug 23, also at Auburndale High School.

“We have great representation from across the state at our AAU meets,” Jones says, “Florida High School Weightlifting used to be the clean and jerk and bench press, but we’ve added the snatch in the 2021-2022 school year. Athletes have the option to enter the traditional clean and jerk and bench press, or the Olympic class, which is snatch and clean and jerk.” 

Jones has also started a junior judging cadre, with junior lifters qualifying to judge meets, and with the addition of the virtual judge training hosted by AAU Strength Sports in the first half of 2025, some AAU Florida Weightlifting judges may become qualified to judge at the national level.  Additionally, the teen judges’ time spent training, qualifying and serving as weightlifting judges counts toward their high school community service hours – which can lead to scholarships at Florida state universities.

In addition to AAU Florida’s upcoming events, AAU Strength Sports continues to host events around the country.  The Florida weightlifters will also potentially qualify to attend the 2025 AAU World Championships in Laughlin, NV, September 26-28, which will feature the AAU World Weightlifting Championships, World Powerlifting Championships, World Feats of Strength and World Bodybuilding Championships.