USA Badminton (USAB) announced that the 2018 YONEX Junior National Championships will be headed to Aurora, Illinois, just outside of Chicago. USAB will partner with the Aurora Area Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Aurora Area Sports Alliance for the event which will take place at the Great Lakes Volleyball Center.
“The Aurora Area is proud to partner with USA Badminton in hosting this prestigious event” said Cort Carlson, AACVB Executive Director. “The City of Aurora and the region have a strong and storied sports tradition and we are thrilled to heighten our game with the 2018 USA Badminton Junior National Championships. The red carpet is waiting and I am confident athletes, guests and spectators will truly enjoy their time in the Aurora Area.”
This year marks the first time the event will take place in the Midwest in over 20 years. The event will be played June 26 to July 3, 2018. It marks only the second time the tournament has moved away from the West Coast in the last seven years. In 2015, Orlando, Florida, served as the host location, while sites in California were selected in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2017. Bellevue, Washington was the other West Coast location, in 2016.
“It is an exciting day for USA Badminton,” said Jeff Dyrek, USAB Chief Executive Officer. “We’re elated to bring the YONEX Junior National Championships to the Midwest, a region of the country which we believe has untapped potential.”
The Junior National Championships annually field more than 350 participants from across the United States and is USAB’s highest-ranking junior tournament. It carries the heaviest weight for those elite junior players who wish to qualify for Junior International Trials to have a chance to be selected as part of the U.S. Junior Team to compete at the Junior Pan Am Championships and World Junior Championships.
USAB will be involved with the production of the event this year and will work closely with the Aurora Area Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Local Organizing Committee to assist with the planning and execution of the tournament.
The 2018 USA Badminton Junior National Championships is yet another world-class sporting event that the Aurora Area is proud to host. In just the past few years, the Aurora Area has played host to the United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA) Fastpitch Girls 18U & 14U National Championships, 2017 NCAA Divisions I Men's & Women Golf Championships, Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Xtra Frame Parkside Open, the 2017 National Latino Amateur Boxing Association National Championships, the country’s largest Ultimate competition - the 2017 Neuqua Valley Knockout, and the largest high school soccer series tournament in the country, the PepsiCo Showdown Soccer Series, among many other tournaments and college-exposure sporting events.
The Great Lakes Volleyball Center is a 60,000 square foot state of the art facility that was built in 2003. It features eight spacious volleyball courts that sit on top of three layers of plywood and 36,000 pieces of rubber to provide one of the softest playing surfaces available in the world.
About USA Badminton: USA Badminton is the national governing body for the sport in the United States as recognized by the United States Olympic Committee and the Badminton World Federation.
About the Aurora Area Sports Alliance (AASA): The AASA is comprised of representatives from like-minded organizations who support amateur sports of all types. In addition to the AACVB, these organizations include the City of Aurora, the Fox Valley Park District, Batavia Park District, Big Rock Park District, Sandwich Park District, Sugar Grove Park District, Yorkville Park District, area high schools, Aurora University, Waubonsee Community College, privately-owned sports facilities and area businesses. The AASA is committed to promoting the Aurora region as a prime destination for sports and recreation. The major goals of the AASA are to attract, create, support, and host sporting and recreational events that have a positive economic impact on the region, and assist in maximizing the potential of all regional sports facilities and venues. The AASA will strive to enhance the image of the Aurora Area by showcasing the community, promote wellness through healthy lifestyles, and improve the quality of life for community members of all ages.
About the Aurora Area Convention and Visitors Bureau (AACVB): Formed in 1987, the Aurora Area Convention and Visitors Bureau (AACVB) is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and marketing the area as a visitor destination. The goal of the AACVB is to enhance the economic and environmental well-being of our region compromised of 10 municipalities: Aurora, Batavia, Big Rock, Hinckley, Montgomery, North Aurora, Plano, Sandwich, Sugar Grove, and Yorkville. The AACVB aggressively promotes the area as an overnight destination and increases visitor awareness and expenditures for the maximum economic benefit of our tourism partners.
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