For a preview of what’s in store, check out the 2008 Opening Ceremonies.

The 2009 AAU Boys’ Basketball 9U Division II National Championships are right around the corner. Descending on Disney’s Wide World of Sports from July 15-21st the young guns will set the stage for the rest of the summer’s basketball highlights. Planning on waiting to come out for the college prospects? Don’t sleep on the third graders because they have skill bigger than their shoe size.

Think that this is just another tournament? Think again. This isn’t a game of pickup in your backyard, boys and girls. The Disney facilities house double digit courts and will be rocking as teams duke it out on the hardwood. 52 teams from across the country will be making the journey to Mickey’s backyard. The boys will be representing sixteen states from across the U.S.: Illinois, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Maryland, Louisiana, Texas, Alabama, Tennessee, California, New Jersey, Florida, Georgia, Arkansas, and even Puerto Rico.

Come to Florida as center court turns into center stage. Walk in like the pros at the opening ceremonies: lights beaming down, name booming through the loud speakers, and fans cheering. Be sure to dress uniformly so the spectators can put a name to the faces as you walk into the limelight. Stick around after your introduction to enjoy all of the special guests and live entertainment. It is sure to be a show you won’t want to miss, and will never forget.

Once the festivities are through, the tournament action will heat up bringing all the madness of March to July. Pool play will allow teams the opportunity for a Round Robin forum as they earn their seeds for the final push towards the title.

After the final buzzer sounds, honors and awards will be given out to the top teams. Trophies will be given out to the top 10 squads while individuals from the best 14 teams will leave with gold, silver, bronze and more hardware hanging from their necks. The most important prize won’t have the shine of a medal or the weight of a trophy though. Teams that place in the top four will receive their choice to an automatic bid back to the Division II championships or to the Division I Championships for 2010. Teams that place between 5th and 12th will also receive an automatic bid back to the Division II Championships next summer. For a look at last year’s champions Click Here.

Step your game up and put your best moves on display at the 2009 AAU Boys Basketball 9U Division II National Championships. With 14 former AAU basketball players drafted in the first two rounds of this year’s NBA draft, come to the Wide World of Sports between the 15th and the 21st to catch your first glimpse of the NBA’s future stars.

www.aauboysbasketball.org

The U.S. Youth National Championships are swinging for the fences as they usher in the AAU National League World Series. From July 10th to the 16th, Memphis, Tennessee will play host as the elite youngsters dig in and size up the competition. Whether you are standing at the plate or standing on the mound, the crowd will be juiced as they give a standing ovation to all of the competitors.

Six months worth of competing comes down to this. The National League season opened across the country on January 1st and came to its close June 10th. After the dust settled, the teams that garnered the most points throughout the duration of the season were offered a slot in the National League World Series. The 10U (65’), 11U (70’), 12U (70’), and 13U (80’) age divisions will pit the top 8 Blue Teams (AAU members) against the best Red Teams (Non-AAU members). Ages 13U (90’) and 14U (90’) will take the top 6 Blue Teams and 2 Red Teams, while in the 15U (90’) and 16U (90’) the top 3 Blues teams will challenge the nationally ranked best Red Team.

Pool play will begin as the pitchers throw the heat and the batters swing away. When the games have finished, the pool play will determine the teams’ seeding as they launch into the double elimination tournament to see who really is the cream of the crop. The National League World Series is an invite only event with no entry fee required. Not only won’t you pay to play, you won’t even pay to stay! Teams will receive four hotel rooms for five nights free of charge. To see who took the title last year, Click Here. Come down to Gameday Baseball’s First Tennessee Fields to see who will go yard and walk away as number one.

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Tickets will be sold on site at Reno High School for the upcoming Track/Multi portion of the West Coast AAU Junior Olympic Games. Daily admission is 8 dollars or an all event pass is 15 dollars. Children 6 and under are free. Cash only.

For Photos of the winning teams, please follow:

13U Awards, 14U Awards, 15U Awards, 16U Awards, 17U Awards, 18U Awards

For a video recap Click Here

The 2009 AAU Boys’ Volleyball National Championships streaked into Orlando, Fl on June 19th. Come the 22nd, the boys proved that volleyball isn’t just a sunshine sport played on beaches, but raised the bar setting the competition on a whole new level. The boys pounded the balls, shook the walls, and made this an event to recall as they put their chips down and gave everything for their chance to be champions.

All of our teams battled to the very last point, but only several had what it takes to leap above the competition. Congratulations to the following teams for claiming the peak position: Borinquen Coqui 12 Black (12U), Orlando Gold 14 Black (14U), Tampa Bay Invaders 15-1 (15U), Orlando Gold 16 Black (16U), Orlando Gold 17 Black (17U), and Orlando Gold 18 Black (18U).

Well done to all of the teams who donned the knee pads and laced up their shoes for the 2009 championships. For the complete results of the 2009 Nationals please visit HERE. We can’t wait until next year when the 2010 Boys’ Championships comes roaring back to the lime light.

1st Place-Orlando Gold 18 Black

www.aauvolleyball.org

The 2009 AAU Boys’ Junior National Volleyball Championships are coming home to Orlando, Florida this summer. Having played its recent past in the Midwest, the 2009 tournament will be moving to the Orlando Sports Center to name its champion. Beginning June 19th to the 22nd, the boys will be back in town bringing all of the spikes and slams they have in their repertoires.

With 40 teams registered to compete, boys from the ages of 12 to 18 will storm to the net. Like the ladies’ listings, Florida saddles into the driver seat maintaining over eighty percent of the registered teams. Don’t expect the other teams to go quietly, though, with skilled opposition hailing from Puerto Rico, Georgia, North Carolina, New England, and California.

Teams will arrive from their home turfs for check in on the 19-20 and a coaches’ meeting with competition beginning the following day. Upon their arrival, each player, coach, and member of the bench personnel will receive a complimentary AAU T shirt. Submit your team photograph online with registration and have your team’s photo appear in the tournament program.

With no preliminary qualifying necessary, this year’s tournament is wide open. The rally scoring ensures an over the top, quick hitting pace to keep action peaked at all times. After the teams have powered through the competition, medals will be distributed to the members of the top four teams in each division and the collective unit will receive a team trophy. For those players who shine the brightest, All-American Awards and the Most Valuable All-American honor will be bestowed.

Whether you are an ace on the court or a jungle ball jester, the 2009 National Championships are right for you. Come to Orlando and take advantage of our discount Disney theme park tickets to fully enjoy the 2009 championships on and off the court. Please visit our website for any further questions regarding the 2009 AAU Boys’ Junior National Volleyball Championships. Join us in Florida to see which teams can set up the field, bump out the competition, and serve themselves up a gold medal!

www.aauvolleyball.org

The summer basketball season is heating up as the ladies charge into Disney’s Wide World of Sports complex in Orlando, Fl. The 2009 Girls’ Basketball National Championships will be tipping off on July 5th to the 16th. Nationals will be clearing out all competition as the girls take over Disney’s fantastic Milk House and Josten Facilities. It will take a complete effort from everyone on the floor for any one team to best the competition and take their place as the championships’ number one dream team.

The seasoned veterans will kick off the competition on July 5th until the 10th. The 19U Open division will pull their J’s and crash the boards, putting on a show for the fans and young competitors alike. Nine teams have already punched their tickets to come and prove that they are the number one amateur team in the land.

Picking up their mantel, the 15U Division II National Championships will take the court alongside the Open division. Twenty teams are donning their jerseys to represent their teams, families, and themselves on the games biggest stage.

The 16U girls will establish their positions as they post up on the courts from the 11th to the 16th. The Division I Championship is brimming with talent as 45 of the nations best teenage girls descend on the Disney courts. Not to be outdone, 37 teams will lace up and sweat it out for their chance at the D II crown.

The young’ns will cap off the events as they give you your first glimpse at tomorrow’s stars. From July 15th to the 20th, the 8U and 10U girls will break out of their elders’ shadows and run the show. After opening ceremonies, the 8U girls will tip off vying for the top slot in the 8U National Championships President’s Cup. Fourteen teams will hit the floor as they pave the way for the future of women’s basketball.

The 10Us will put a full court press on the attention, however. At the D I level, 44 teams will amp up the madness inside Disney’s complexes, while 47 squads will square up into public eye and square off against each other for the top seed.

There is no substitute for the national championships as girls’ basketball players won’t find better competition anywhere in the country. They will come from all over to show their stuff and shoot their way to the gold. To win the championship it’ll take more than outside shooting though. Teams who rely solely on their scoring ability will be out of bounds and off the court unless they can play solid defense and crash the boards. But before the athletes take to the hardwood, they will have to improve their vision. Each athlete will take part in the AAU’s “Complete Athlete” seminar to help them see that there is more to basketball than the dunks and dribbling.

For teams who can put all the mental and physical aspects of the game together handsome rewards await. Medals and trophies will be given out to the top teams who tower above the competition. In Division I, the top eight teams will receive trophies with the individual members of the top four teams receiving appropriate medals. For Division II, the top four rosters will receive medals and trophies for their deserving efforts. For complete details on all tournament information Click Here. Come see who shows up at the 2009 Girls’ Basketball National Championships and steals the show.

www.aaugirlsbasketball.org

The 2009 AAU National Baseball Championships are underway for ages 8U, 9U, and 12U. Click below for a glimpse at all of the action.

Opening Ceremonies’ Video

Opening Ceremonies’ Photos

Championship Photos

The 2009 AAU National Baseball Championships for 8U, 9U, and 12U will be held this summer in Orlando, Florida at Disney’s Wide World of Sports complex. Disney’s baseball diamonds will come alive as electricity charges the air from June 21st through the 26th. Tomorrow’s future Big Leaguers will put their bats to the challenge as they vie for a national championship.

As the tournament draws nearer, teams are getting anxious to grab their gloves and lace up their cleats. With nearly 40 teams registered to play the competition will be fierce and fast paced. Florida shows why it is a national baseball hotbed compiling more than half of the registered teams in the field. Others won’t roll over for the Sunshine State though, with Georgia and South Carolina claiming the southeast as their own. Teams will even travel from as far as New England, Texas, and Puerto Rico to enter the fray.

Register before June 8th online and toss your hat in the ring with the rest of the teams for the opening ceremonies on Sunday June 21st. Be introduced on the field before fans, friends and family. The opening ceremonies are a great opportunity for teams to proudly wave their state flag or team banner and trade “Team Pins.” After the games, stick around for the closing ceremonies as teams are honored with group and individual trophies. At the event, the Sportsmanship Trophy will also be given to the player or team that most exemplifies the award come tournament’s end. Finally, the All-Tournament Team selections will be announced at the ceremony’s close.

The 12U division one has a special incentive. The winner will earn the right to play in the tournament of champions at the end of the summer. As a part of the “Major Youth Baseball Alliance,” the AAU has partnered with other organizations to create a “winner takes all,” the New Era National Youth Baseball Championships. The alliance includes the AABC (American Amateur Baseball Congress), Babe Ruth Baseball, Dixie Youth Baseball, NABF (National Amateur Baseball Federation), Pony Baseball, Super Series Baseball of America, and the USSSA (United States Specialty Sports Association). Not surprisingly, last year’s AAU champions and the New Era National Youth Baseball Championships winner were won in the same, Chet Lemon Juice.

Sign up today and enjoy all that the 2009 National Championships have in store for you. Swing for the fences as you enjoy summer the way it was meant to be: rounding the bases playing America’s pastime under the sun. Along with the fantastic tournament, teams will also be given 10 tickets to Disney’s Water Park, championship T shirts, and a dozen official AAU baseballs. To really feel like a major leaguer every child should get to play on a big league field and with this tournament, you can! Disney’s Wide World of Sports is home to the spring training of MLB’s Atlanta Braves. Not a Braves fan? Not a problem; you can play like all of your favorite pros. 2006’s World Baseball Classic was held on the very same field! Get in the game and play on the grass and dirt that Team USA, Puerto Rico, and many more have represented their countries on. It’s a once in a lifetime experience that you won’t want to miss.

www.aaubaseball.org

For event photos Click Here

For an event video Click Here

The 2009 AAU Wrestling Scholastic Duals were held at Disney’s Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Fl from June 21st to the 26th. The competition was intense from the outset as individual competitors laid it all on the line for the chance to help their teams march to the top of the podium.

The five days of intense competition were a dazzling display of technical skill, determination, and heart exhibited by all of the wrestlers. Contestants faced off expending all of the energy in their bodies, but found the courage and strength deep within themselves to press on and continue the fight until the final whistle. The “Never Say Die” attitude was rewarded for the best competitors as the top eight teams received trophies and individual medals. For complete results of the 2009 AAU Wrestling Scholastic Duals please Click Here.

To the victor went the spoils, but respect was earned by each and every competitor in the field. Congratulations to all of the challengers who squared off in this year’s competition. We hope to see you next year to find out who has improved and which Goliaths can fend off the underdog Davids.

www.aauresults.org/wrestling

The 13th annual AAU Track and Field National Club Championships will race into Orlando, Fl on July 5th. Don’t blink or you may miss all of the action as the competitors bolt out of town July 10th with their medals in hand. The event will be held at Disney’s Wide World of Sports supreme facilities. The venue is loaded with a nine lane track equipped for hurdles, sprints, and long races, while the infield boasts compatibility for the triple jump, pole vault, shot put, discus, high jumps and javelin competitions. Come grab a seat in one of the 500 permanent backed chairs and catch all of the photo finishes.

The 2009 nationals are one of the biggest events of the year. Between 2,500 and 3,000 competitors, the lanes will be full and the infield a buzz with non stop action. With no pre-qualifications needed, the competition is open to any and all AAU members who want to come to Central Florida. Teams have already booked their tickets from all corners of the U.S. and even garnered competition from Puerto Rican and Jamaican teams! Divisions ranging from Primary (8 years old) to Young Men and Women (18 years old), there is a place for anyone who wants to compete. Don’t think that the younger kids won’t have their time in the lime light though. Before the older divisions hit the track, the First Annual Primary Challenge will kick off all of the events for boys and girls ages 5 to 8.

Come to Disney’s Wide World of Sports and see who can claim the crown as the fastest kids in the U.S. Team awards ceremonies will begin about 30 minutes after the last event to bestow honors to the top teams. The Club Supremacy Award will be given to the team that earns the most overall points throughout the games, while team national championship awards will be handed out to the top three teams in every age group for both men and women. Individual medals will be given out to the top eight finishers in each event for every age group as well. The biggest prize, however, is an automatic bid to the AAU Junior Olympic Games for the top six. Are you interested in how past years shook down? Click Here to see results from prior years.

On your marks, get set, and go! The time for dilly dallying is over. Grab your best running shoes and head to Orlando, Fl, for the 2009 AAU Track and Field Club National Championships. Don’t wait, or the competition is sure to leave you in the dust.

www.aauathletics.org

The 2009 AAU Girls’ Basketball Super Showcases steam into Orlando, Fl this summer. From July 5th to July 12th, the ladies will be taking over Disney’s Wide World of Sports complex to put their skills to the test. Freshman, sophomore, and junior girls will each have their own individual showcase to display their talent. This tournament isn’t for the faint of heart; this is for the real players. Teams will have to leave everything on the hardwood if they expect to take the podium as number one.

This event draws the best female basketball players from throughout the country. Forget the teams you wipe the wood with in your home region, this tournament gathers girls from all corners of the states. There are 56 teams hailing from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Arizona, Indiana, Maryland, Minnesota, and Wisconsin will put their names and reputations on the line. Talk is cheap, and in this event it is worth even less. It’s time to stop talking and let your game speak for itself.

The AAU Girls’ Basketball Super Showcase is an opportunity for the most elite teams in the nation to highlight their talents. This invite only competition dons a national championship feel as these players are the best of the best. Fans and family won’t be the only onlookers at the games, though. The showcases are prime recruiting opportunities for college coaches. Expect a sea of clipboards and note taking as some of the biggest universities are out to watch the highest caliber competition. Come see who can put it all together for the big guns like Tennessee, UConn, and the rest of the top programs. Medals will be awarded to the top two teams in each division.

Come to Disney’s Wide World of Sports for all of the ankle breaking crossovers, the candy snatching steals, and the rest of the nations best female basketball players bags of tricks. The AAU Girls’ Basketball Supers Showcase has all of the basketball excitement you can handle. Need a sneak peak? For a look at past years’ results CLICK HERE. We hope to see you this summer as the girls take to the courts for all of the hoops action.

www.aaugirlsbasketball.org

The AAU figured to be well represented at the 2009 NBA Draft and we were right. The opening day of the draft looked more like an AAU roll call than a New York City marquee. The AAU lit up round one with 14 of the initial 30 picks having come through the AAU system and notched two more selections in the second round. More impressively, 12 out of the top 13 selections were all former AAU ballers, the exception being a Spanish international player. Here is a quick recap of where the men on our watch list ended up.

Blake Griffin (1)-L.A. Clippers: No surprises here as the Clippers scooped up the best athlete in this year’s draft.

Hasheem Thabeet (2) Memphis Grizzlies: The Grizz tightened up their middle planting the seven foot shot blocking machine square in the paint.

James Harden (3) Oklahoma City Thunder: The Thunder hope to add some scoring power by picking up Arizona State’s Harden with the 3rd overall pick.

Tyreke Evans (4) Sacramento Kings: Going west? The Kings try to reestablish themselves as a competitor in the western conference by adding Evans’ 17 plus points a game.

Jonny Flynn (6) Minnesota Timberwolves: The Twin Cities will be hoping there is enough basketballs to go around as they brought in four point guards throughout the first two rounds. Flynn is sure to thaw the Minnesota winter with his hot moves and fiery personality.

Stephen Curry (7) Golden State Warriors: The scoring phenomenon is taking his bag of tricks west to light up the scoreboard and dazzle crowds for the Warriors.

Jordan Hill (8) New York Knicks: Hill will be taking his explosiveness to the lights and buzz of the Big Apple as he enters the most famed arena in sports, Madison Square Garden.

DeMar DeRozan (9) Toronto Raptors: Looking for a scorer, Eh? DeRozan takes his silky smooth game north of the border to join the Raptors in their hunt for providence.

Brandon Jennings (10) Milwaukee Bucks: The long road stops in Milwaukee as the the journeyman point guard finally gets his shot in the NBA.

Terrence Williams (11) New Jersey Nets: The Garden State rolls Williams scoring touch and stout defense into the fray to help pull Jersey out of the east and into the playoffs.

Gerald Henderson (12) Charlotte Bobcats: Charlotte is banking on versatility and explosiveness as they select the Blue Devil to play for M.J.’s Bobcats.

Tyler Hansborough (13) Indiana Pacers: While there might not be any brawls left in Indiana, there is sure to be a lot of battling as The Pacers welcome Hansborough’s scrappiness and unyielding love of the game.

Jrue Holiday (17) Philadelphia 76ers: Let the young guns blaze. It’s a holiday in Philly as the Sixers pick up the freshman sensation and his polished repertoire.

Ty Lawson (18) Minnesota Timberwolves [traded to Nuggets]: Drafting their third point guard in the first round, Lawson’s stay with the T-Wolves was short lived as he got shipped to the Mile High City to play with Mr. Big Shot, Melo, and the Nuggets.

DeJuan Blair (37) San Antonio Spurs: Selected in the early moments of round two, Blair takes his blue collar attitude to San Antonio to get back to basics with Timmy and help get the Spurs back to the finals.

Nick Calathes (45) Minnesota Timberwolves: The last of their point guards, Minnesota took Calathes in the middle of the second round to add another ball handler to their backcourt.

www.aauboysbasketball.org