Sports Amateur Aau Athletes Teams Athletic Union Organization

The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is one of the biggest "nonprofit" (an organization that does not try to make money; not a business) sports organizations in the United States. It "promotes" (encourages) "amateur" (not professional; without payment) sports and physical "fitness" (health; being able to perform physical activities).

The mission of the AAU is "to offer amateur sports programs through a volunteer base for all people to have the physical, mental, and 'moral' (ethical; relating to what is right and wrong) development of amateur athletes and to promote 'good sportsmanship' (honest, polite behavior while playing sports, whether winning or losing) and good 'citizenship' (being a good, responsible member of society)."

The AAU was "established" (created) in 1888 and used to help athletes prepare to complete in the Olympic Games. Today, the organization focuses on creating sports teams in local communities and arranging opportunities for people to compete against other amateur athletes "in their age group" (with the same age), although it primarily organizes sports teams and competitions and other events for children.

The AAU organizes teams for many different sports, including "the old standbys" (traditional, common items) like baseball, basketball, football, and soccer, as well as less common sports like "baton twirling" (throwing a small stick into the air, making it spin in circles), "jump rope" (holding the ends of a rope in each hand and jumping over it repeatedly as one swings it over one's head and around one's body), and "surfing" (standing on a small board as it travels over ocean waves).