Roller Derby Welcomed to the AAU Junior Olympic Games

USA Roller Sports is proud to announce the inclusion of Roller Derby as a competitive discipline for the 2016 AAU Junior Olympic Games, the showcase event of the Amateur Athletic Union, one of the largest amateur sports organizations in the United States with over 670,000 members and 60,000 volunteers.

The AAU Junior Olympic Games is the largest multi-sport youth event in the United States, bringing together 20 disciplines with more than 14,000 athletes from all 50 states and several territories, along with 2,000 coaches and 20,000 fans combined. The first edition of the Roller Derby portion of the Games will be held in Lincoln, Nebraska in conjunction with the 2016 USARS National Championships, which will feature for the first time “all roller sports under one roof”.

Under the partnership between the AAU and USARS, the USARS Roller Derby Sport Committee will define the way the sport will be represented at the event, including the team selection process, the competition structure and the requirements for participation, among many other parameters. In addition, the Sport Committee is actively engaged in the development of additional partnerships that could bring more expertise and organization to the Games.

“The participation of our sport in this event represents a historic first step into the world of federated sports and we want to give a great first impression,” said Chris Hunter, member of the USARS Roller Derby Sport Committee and Sr. Vice President of the Junior Roller Derby Association. “In the upcoming years we hope to give athletes more opportunities to participate in youth events affiliated to sport federations. Our intention is to increase the exposure of our sport and to give junior athletes high-level competition options that have not been accessible under the current derby model”, continued Hunter.

More information about the Games and how the competition will be structured will be announced in the upcoming weeks. Please contact the USARS office or a member of the USARS Roller Derby Sport Committee for questions or comments regarding this exciting opportunity.

USA Roller Sports (USARS) is recognized by the Federation Internationale de Roller Sports (FIRS) and United States Olympic Committee (USOC) as the national governing body for competitive roller sports in the United States. USARS is dedicated to creating, enhancing and conducting the best competitions and programs for roller sports. We instill the drive to win and be the absolute best in sports and in life.

The American Athletic Union 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 and physical fitness programs. The AAU philosophy of “Sports for All, Forever” is shared by over 500,000 members and 60,000 volunteers nationwide. Over 34 sports are offered in the 57 AAU Districts.