ENTER EARLY AND SAVE!

Teams have a great opportunity to save money on National events this summer. Be sure you don't miss out on these great offers.
The first 10 teams that register for the AAU BASEBALL COLLEGE SHOWCASE will save $200 on the entry fee. Held June 15-20 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, the College Showcase will feature a combine run by college coaches and a 5-game guarantee tournament so coaches can evaluate game-play situations. Teams from as far away as Washington State have expressed interest in attending this inaugural event.

For the AAU BASEBALL NATIONALS (14U, 15U, 16/17U, and 18/19U), all teams registering by May 15 will save $100. All four age groups will compete on the Baltimore Orioles' training fields in Sarasota, Florida from July 6-12. Opening Ceremonies will include a beach party on famous Siesta Key Beach – rated the #1 Beach in the United States. Championship games will be played in Ed Smith Stadium where the Orioles play their spring training games. Your teams' families can combine baseball and vacation and come to one of the best beach destinations in the country.

To file an Intent to Participate or to register for any of the above tournaments, go to www.aaubaseball.org and click on the National Championship

SCHEDULE NOW AVAILABLE FOR PUERTO RICO GRAND PRIX!

This weekend, teams from the US and Puerto Rico will compete for a chance to win a free entry to the 2015 AAU Junior Girls' National Volleyball Championship at the 2015 AAU Puerto Rico Grand Prix in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Teams will check-in on Friday, February 27th at the Puerto Rico Convention Center and competition will go from Saturday, February 28th – Sunday, March 1st.

Results will be updated live throughout the event and can be found at www.advancedeventsystems.com or by clicking HERE.
For more information or to find out which teams will be competing, visit www.aauvolleyball.org or CLICK HERE.

FROSH/SOPH NATIONAL DUALS REGISTRATION NOW AVAILABLE!

Registration for the 2015 AAU Frosh/Soph National Duals is now available!

This event allows teams comprised of wrestlers I 9th and 10th grade to compete in folkstyle duals against teams from across the country. The Frosh/Soph National Duals will be held in Des Moines, IA at HyVee Hall B & C from March 4th – 5th, 2015. Iowa Black captured their 2nd straight championship in 2014. Can your team dethrone them in the 2015 event?

CLICK HERE for more information, as well as to register your team!

2015 AAU ATHLETICS HAPPENINGS

AAU Athletics Now Has Its Own Facebook Page!

AAU Athletics is proud to announce its very own Facebook page to cover all things AAU Track & Field and Cross Country.

Be sure to sprint over to Facebook and search for the Real AAU Track and Field, or simply CLICK HERE!

2015 Primary Nationals and Club Championships Promo Video

In case you were not hyped up yet for the 2015 edition of the Primary Nationals and Club Championships, this promo video is sure to do the trick! We are looking forward to seeing your team and athletes in Orlando this summer! For the full promo video, CLICK HERE.

2015 AAU BANTAM/MIDGET NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP

Register today for the 2015 AAU Bantam & Midget North American Non-Checking Championships!

This event will be taking place from April 10th – 12th, 2015 at Allandale Recreation Arena in Barrie, Ontario, Canada! Competition will be available in the following divisions: 2000 Major – 14U, 2001 Minor – 13U, 2000/2001 Mixed 13U & 14U, and 1997-1998-1999 (Levels determined by entries received).

For more information, visit www.aauicehockey.org or CLICK HERE

INSITE ON SPORTS EVENTS

Inside InSite

This week we had the pleasure of attending the 50th Annual South Carolina Governor's Conference on Tourism in Myrtle Beach. For their part in the conference, South Carolina Sports Alliance (SCSA) aspired to provide their members exceptional educational, informative and motivational sessions.

Under the banner "The Game Plan," the back-to-back sessions with industry leaders would be a good guidepost for any state sports alliance meeting. The afternoon kicked off with keynote speaker Kevin Smith, CSEE, director, St. Petersburg/Clearwater Sports Commission. He addressed the "Evolution of the Sports Industry and Partnerships Between Sports Commissions and CVBs." In the session that followed he moderated a panel that tackled "Site Selection Process, Facilities, LOCs and Event Management, Bid Fees and Competition." The high-profile panel of industry leaders featured Eric Olsen, director of championships, NAIA; James Parker, director of sports, AAU; and Dev Pathik, founder & CEO, SFA-SFM.

To bring this high-caliber program to life required a partner that was committed to the sports tourism industry and stood ready to help shoulder the cost of a strong program. We stepped up to the plate and SCSA was generous in their appreciation and recognition of Sports Planning Guide for our contribution to their sessions.

It was a partnership that worked for SCSA, their members and Sports Planning Guide.

Be sure to check out our Twitter recap of the conference.

Dave Bodle
Associate Publisher

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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!

AAU BASEBALL AND THE WHOLE AAU FAMILY WELCOMES NEW DISTRICT DIRECTORS

Congratulations to Randy Hogan, Jr. of Arizona and John Poggensee of Hawaii. Both have been appointed as new district directors in their states by their governors and National Baseball Chair Ed Skovron. Mr. Poggensee has already started an AAU Baseball League in the Aloha State and currently is up to over 300 members. Please join us in welcoming these new leaders.

If you live in Arizona or Hawaii, please contact them for baseball in your area.

Arizona	Hawaii
Randy Hogan, Jr.   414.915.9308 rlhoganjr@gmail.com	John Poggensee 808.345.2210 jfpog@aol.com

FASTKIX TAEKWONDO FEATURED ON ABC 20/20

One of our AAU Taekwondo District Directors, Master Kevin Balon was featured on ABC's 20/20 on Friday, February 13th.

Master Balon who is a 7th Degree Black Belt and owner of Fastkix Taekwondo & Kickboxing in Spotswood, New Jersey held a Self-Defense Class for Real Estate Agents on January 28th, 2015. This class was organized by Pinky Shah of NJ Mortgage LLC to bring awareness to the dangers of being a real estate agent. Rebecca Jarvis from ABC's 20/20 was on hand to film the class.

Special thanks to Mrs. Pinky Shah (left) NJ Mortgage LLC for helping bring awareness to this subject and @rebeccajarvis (right) ABC correspondent for doing the interview! #‎FastkixNation spread the word!

PCA-ANNOUNCES FINALISTS FOR DOUBLE-GOAL COACH AWARDS

Congratulations to the 75 national finalists for PCA's Double-Goal Coach Awards Presented by TeamSnap. Selected from more than 2,100 nominations, these coaches pursue both wins and the even more important goal of teaching life lessons through sports. Winners will be announced in the next edition of Momentum on March 10 and will receive a trophy; $250; and recognition in PCA websites, e-newsletters and publicity campaigns. Selected winners will join a panel discussion on-stage at PCA's National Youth Sports Awards Dinner and Auction Sponsored by Deloitte in Palo Alto, CA on April 25.

View Finalists

For the complete PCA Newsletter, Momentum Issue 86 Click Here

SAVE THE DATE BATON TWIRLERS

2015 Central District/Collegiate Twirling Championships

Join us in Burr Ridge, Illinois for the 2015 Central District/Collegiate Twirling Championships!

The events will be held at the Pleasantdale Park District on Saturday, April 11th. This event is a qualifier for the 2015 AAU Junior Olympic Games. All entries need to be postmarked by Sunday, March 1st.


Click here for the event flyer and send in your entry today!

AAU ALUM DEBUT ON TOP 100 FOOTBALL LIST

Several former AAU members debuted on the Rivals.com Football Top 100 2016 Prospect Ranking! Seven of the top ten on the list had previously played in the AAU and a total of 40 of the 100 played previously.

The athletes that played AAU were from 16 different states, with Florida and Louisiana each contributing seven to the list. Three of the seven that are from Florida participated at the IMG Academy. Georgia followed closely behind with six athletes. Texas had four and North Carolina had three. Alabama and Michigan each had two and Washington, Alabama, New Jersey, California, Mississippi, Maryland, Wisconsin, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Arizona each had one person representing their states for the AAU.

Wide receivers dominated the list of former AAU athletes with seven. Defensive backs were close behind with six, followed by defensive ends, defensive tackles and linebackers, each with five. There were four offensive linemen on the list that played AAU previously, three tight ends and only two quarterbacks. There were also four that were listed as athletes, meaning they do not have a strong position specialty or can play a wide range of positions.

This list of prospects are juniors in high school this year, with 14 of the AAU alumni having already verbally committed to colleges. Two top recruits have committed to Alabama, #6 Demetris Robertson and #47 Shyheim Carter. Florida State University also grabbed commitments from two top recruits, #39 Janarius Robinson and #40 Isaac Nauta. Other schools that have top recruits committed include Georgia, Mississippi, Texas A&M, USC, UCLA, Tennessee, Maryland, Miami (FL) and Clemson.

Good luck to these AAU Alums and we can't wait to see what your futures hold!

INFORMATION POSTED

2015 AAU Taekwondo National Championships
Come join us in Fort Lauderdale, Florida from June 29th – July 4th! 

Click here to take a look at the Schedule of Events, Info Sheet, Division List and Hotel Information (all subject to change) for the 2015 AAU Taekwondo National Championships.  We hope to see you there!

KARATE ATHLETE PARTICIPATES IN MULTIPLE SPORTS

At the age of 7 years old, Mateo Nacu not only trains in Karate 5 days a week but also trains in gymnastics 4 days a week and participates in breakdancing at least once a week.

Mateo loves to compete and has been practicing Karate since he was 3 years old with Enso Karate in Chicago, Illinois. Mateo holds the rank of intermediate (brown belt). He not only loves to compete but one of his top goals is to be old enough to try out for the AAU/USA Team.

In January, he competed at Whitlow Sand Dollar Gymnastics Invitational on Friday, January 23, 2015. He won two medals - in parallel bars and in vault.

The dojo is led by husband and wife duo, Sensei Jay Nacu (4th dan) and Sensei Denise Nacu (3rd dan), Enso provides a nurturing place for students of all ages and levels to learn and grow through the study of martial arts. When they met on the training floor in 1996, they could not have known that karate would help bring them together and eventually form an organization that would bring Shotokan karate to hundreds of adults and youth. www.ensokarate.com

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LOOKING FOR A TACKLE FOOTBALL PROGRAM IN YOUR AREA, WHY NOT START ONE

The AAU Tackle Football Program offers competition for athletes ages 6 & Under to 14 & Under at the local level, and 8 & Under to 14 & Under at the National Championship level. By hosting an AAU Tackle Football League, you will not only grow the sport in your area, but the top two teams from each age group will be eligible to compete at the AAU Tackle Football League Based National Championship in Orlando, FL!

For more information on how to start a program in your area, visit www.aaufootball.org or CLICK HERE.

FAMILY LEAVING ITS MARK ON TACOMA-AREA BASKETBALL TEAMS
Originally posted by: The News Tribune 

The competition in this basketball family starts just talking about the competition.

Who would win the family one-on-one tournament?

"Me," says Curtis High School sophomore John Moore.

"Tamia," rebuts Lincoln junior Tamia Braggs.

"No, Brandon Cotton," says the Franklin Pierce junior, who at times refers to himself in the third person.

"No, wait, I think it's Tamia," Tamia says, again.

It's best to separate them.

Almost all of the Tacoma-area schools have a member of this Braggs-Cotton-Moore family playing a role on its basketball team.

There's Braggs, a two-time 3A Narrows League Most Valuable Player, starring for the Lincoln girls. Her brother, Anthony Braggs Jr., is a freshman playing varsity on the Lincoln boys team.

Their cousin, Moore, was a first-team South Puget Sound League South selection for Curtis this season. Cotton, a second cousin, was a first-team 2A SPSL selection for Franklin Pierce, and Elijah Cotton-Welch is a senior who started for Wilson and was a 3A Narrows honorable mention.

And all except Cotton are preparing for elimination games in the regional round of the state tournament his weekend.

“We were always playing basketball,” Tamia Braggs says. “We all tried things when we were little, but we always stuck to basketball.”

Says Cotton: "I was born with a basketball."

"I tried to branch off into, uh, cheerleading," Tamia admits, which was immediately met with a raucous round of laughs from the other four.

If it's like this now, imagine what they’ll do after high school.

Maybe each will be a standout tech whiz at competing computer companies? Or open their own separate five-star Tacoma restaurant?

What isn't a competition in this family?

"We can't play NBA 2K (a video game),” Cotton said, “because we play 2K and then we start talking and we have to settle it in real life."

Adds Cotton-Welch: "The loser always goes, 'You want to play me for real, though? Outside?’"

It probably all started with the five's great-great grandparents, Bertha and Harvey Cotton. They’ve had other family members stand out in sports, with the most notable being Al Cotton – a former Wilson football and basketball star who went on to play offensive line at the University Oregon.

His nephews, Cotton and Cotton-Welch, said they hear the stories almost daily.

"Everybody just talks about how he broke a rim at an assembly," Cotton-Welch said. "Teachers, coaches – everybody knew him."

Moore and Anthony Braggs Jr. played AAU basketball together on the Tacoma Outlaws. And Cotton and Cotton-Welch play for the Seattle Swish. Tamia Braggs, the only one with a pair of league MVPs to her credit, was the odd-girl out.

"They all play each other. They kind of just leave me out," Tamia says, trying to make a point. "They try not to hurt me."

"Yeah, she's kind of soft," Anthony responds.

"Whoa!" Tamia says.

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