ORLANDO, Fla., March 19, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) and National Fitness Foundation (NFF) announce a historic partnership aimed at supporting and expanding youth sport and athletics participation in the United States.
Earlier this year, the AAU became the first founding partner of the National Youth Sports Fund, an endowment managed by the National Fitness Foundation, the only congressionally chartered non-profit focused on youth sports, health, and fitness in the United States.
In conjunction with the NFF, the AAU will administer the Presidential Youth Fitness Program (PYFP), a program aimed at modernizing fitness education in school physical education classrooms by emphasizing student health, goal setting, and personal progress.
“We're extremely proud to partner with AAU on the Presidential Youth Fitness Program," said Clay Walker, Executive Director of the National Fitness Foundation. "When AAU takes over the implementation of the PYFP program at the start of the 2019-20 school year, AAU will become the only organization in the country to manage in-school and out-of-school youth sports and fitness programs.”
In addition, the AAU signed the NFF’s “American Youth Sports Pledge” in support of youth sports. By signing the Pledge, AAU joins notable athletes such as three-time Cy Young Winner/Washington Nationals All-Star Max Scherzer, two-time NFL Pro Bowler and Heisman winner Herschel Walker, as well Members of Congress, CEOs and professional sports team executives as early signers of the Pledge.
“We’ve been offering the youth of America athletic opportunities since 1888,” said Dr. Roger J. Goudy, President/CEO of the Amateur Athletic Union. “Partnering with the National Fitness Foundation to administer the PYFP in schools is the next logical step in our evolution of offering Sports for All, Forever.”
Since its beginnings in 1888, the AAU has been the industry leader and standard-bearer in the amateur sports marketplace. Sports For All, Forever is the organization’s motto: the AAU strives to offer participation opportunities to all, no matter an athlete’s race, age, color, gender or cultural background.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL FITNESS FOUNDATION
The National Fitness Foundation is the only congressionally chartered nonprofit dedicated to youth sport and fitness in the United States. Established in 2010 as the official charity of the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition, the Foundation develops public-private partnerships and raises capital to support the expansion of youth sports participation in America. To achieve this goal, the Foundation launched the National Youth Sports Fund, the only permanent endowment dedicated to supporting and expanding youth sports participation in America.
ABOUT THE AAU:
The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is one of the largest- non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the country. As a multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports programs and physical fitness. Founded in 1888 to establish standards and uniformity in sports, the AAU philosophy of “Sports For All, Forever” is now shared by nearly 700,000 members and 150,000 volunteers across 41 sports programs and 55 U.S. districts. For more information, visit www.aausports.org.
Contact:
Keri Burns
Amateur Athletic Union
kburns@aausports.org
407-828-3055