AAU Strength Sports Announcements
01/17/2019
AAU Strength Sports Announces Changes to 2019 Strength Sports Recognition Program Submissions, Deadline for Hall of Fame, Brother Bennett, Athletes of the Year, Meet Director of Year Submissions
The AAU Strength Sports National Executive Committee will accept submissions from January 1 through July 1, 2019 for the 2019 AAU Strength Sports Hall of Fame, 2019 AAU Brother Bennett Award, 2019 AAU Athletes of the Year, and 2019 AAU Meet Director of the Year. Honorees and Hall of Fame inductees will be recognized at the AAU Strength Sports World Championship weekend in Laughlin, NV, September 27-29, 2019.
Each year, recognition is given to AAU athletes, officials, and coaches who demonstrate the highest standards of athletic achievement, sportsmanship, and dedication to the ideals of AAU Strength Sports. The awards represent the highest recognition bestowed upon any AAU Strength Sports member, and because of the rigorous criteria involved, not all awards may be given in a specific year.
Full criteria for the AAU strength sports awards is detailed below.
Class of 2019 AAU Strength Sports Hall of Fame
The class of 2019 AAU Strength Sports Hall of Fame inductees will be honored at the AAU Strength Sports World Championship weekend September 27-29 in Laughlin, NV. The AAU Strength Sports Hall of Fame celebrates the rich history of AAU Strength Sports leadership, beginning with AAU Olympic weightlifting in 1918, continuing with AAU bodybuilding in 1939 (with the emergence of the Mr. America competition), the first AAU powerlifting meet in 1964, and continuing innovation with Strongman-style Feats of Strength competitions, the creation of the Combine, and addition of MAS Wrestling.
The criteria for election to the Hall of Fame is significant, meaning only a select few will be admitted.
2019 Brother Bennett Award
The Brother Bennett Award recognizes extraordinary, selfless service to AAU Strength Sports. It is named for a Brother of the Sacred Heart at Saint Stanislaus College, who introduced powerlifting to youth and teens in Mississippi in the mid-1970s. Brother Bennett’s Mississippi Invitational attracted some of the biggest names in powerlifting, and it became one of the first drug-tested powerlifting competitions in the country, paving the way for drug-free competition in the United States. Originally awarded to an AAU Powerlifting member, in the spirit of Brother Bennett, this award is given to the one individual annually in AAU Strength Sports who goes above and beyond the norm in supporting athletes, coaches, meet directors and the strength sports in general.
Submission: To be considered, nominators must email a detailed write-up in pdf format, as described above, to aaustrengthsports@yahoo.com and aausportscentral@gmail.com, cc: naturalpower@earthlink.net. The cutoff date is July 1st of each year. A panel of AAU judges will review nominations and select the award winner.
2019 AAU Strength Sports Athlete of the Year
The AAU Strength Sports Athlete of the Year Award (Junior & Senior level) is earned by the male and female athletes with the most successful competitive year, as defined by championship wins achieved and national and world records broken WITHIN AAU COMPETITION. Strength Sports Athletes of the Year will be nominated from all AAU Strength Sport disciplines. Athletes must have competed in at least one AAU Strength Sports meet in 2018, or in 2019 as of date of submission.
Junior Athlete of the Year in each category will be chosen from among youth and teen strength sports athletes in grades K through 12. Senior Athlete of the Year will be chosen from among collegiate, open and masters division competitors. The junior and senior male and female Strength Sports Athletes of the Year will receive a custom award recognizing their accomplishments during the world championships.
2019 AAU Strength Sports Athlete of the Year categories are:
Powerlifting Junior and Senior Athlete of the Year (Male and Female – 4 awards total)
Weightlifting Junior and Senior Athlete of the Year (Male and Female – 4 awards total)
Feats of Strength Junior and Senior Athlete of the Year (Male and Female – 4 awards total)
Combine (New Category - Male and Female – all ages, 2 awards total)
MAS Wrestling (New Category - Male and Female – all ages, 2 awards total)
Overall Male and Female Strength Sports Athlete of the Year (2 awards). Competition in multiple AAU strength sports will be considered.
In 2020, AAU will add an Athlete of the Year award for bodybuilding.
Submission: To be considered, nominators must submit a detailed write-up in pdf format (2 pages maximum), as described above, to aaustrengthsports@yahoo.com and aausportscentral@gmail.com, cc: naturalpower@earthlink.net. The cutoff date for submission of nominations for the awards is July 1st of each year. A panel of AAU judges will review nominations and select the winners of each award.
2019 Strength Sports Meet Director of the Year
This award recognizes an outstanding meet director who has introduced one or more of the AAU Strength Sports to a new region of the country that has not been represented in recent years. Meets must have sanctioned by AAU Strength Sports in 2018-2019.
Submission: To be considered, nominators must email a detailed write-up (2 pages maximum) in pdf format, as described above, to aaustrengthsports@yahoo.com and aausportscentral@gmail.com, cc: naturalpower@earthlink.net. The cutoff date for submission of nominations is July 1st of each year. A panel of AAU judges will review nominations and select the award winner.
Deadlines
The deadline for submission for all awards is July 1, 2019. Athletes nominated must have competed in at least one AAU Strength Sports meet during the calendar years 2018-2019. AAU Strength Sports will announce all award winners at the World Championship weekend in Laughlin, NV September 27-29.
Each year, recognition is given to AAU athletes, officials, and coaches who demonstrate the highest standards of athletic achievement, sportsmanship, and dedication to the ideals of AAU Strength Sports. The awards represent the highest recognition bestowed upon any AAU Strength Sports member, and because of the rigorous criteria involved, not all awards may be given in a specific year.
Full criteria for the AAU strength sports awards is detailed below.
Class of 2019 AAU Strength Sports Hall of Fame
The class of 2019 AAU Strength Sports Hall of Fame inductees will be honored at the AAU Strength Sports World Championship weekend September 27-29 in Laughlin, NV. The AAU Strength Sports Hall of Fame celebrates the rich history of AAU Strength Sports leadership, beginning with AAU Olympic weightlifting in 1918, continuing with AAU bodybuilding in 1939 (with the emergence of the Mr. America competition), the first AAU powerlifting meet in 1964, and continuing innovation with Strongman-style Feats of Strength competitions, the creation of the Combine, and addition of MAS Wrestling.
The criteria for election to the Hall of Fame is significant, meaning only a select few will be admitted.
- Candidates must have demonstrated a minimum of seven years of active participation in AAU Weightlifting, Powerlifting, Feats of Strength/Combine/MAS Wrestling events, or a combination of all, to be considered.
- Candidates must be at least 25 years of age to be elected to the Hall of Fame. Posthumous Candidates of any age will be considered. If elected, Candidates must attempt to be present for the induction ceremony.
- Application packages must detail the specific AAU Strength Sports accomplishments, including AAU titles won, AAU records set, AAU meets directed or officiated, and other AAU participation. Demonstrating exceptional performance in other sports federations does not count towards election to the AAU Strength Sports Hall of Fame or recognition as Athlete of the Year.
- Service as an AAU meet director, judge, and in AAU Strength Sports leadership positions will be considered. With the return of AAU Bodybuilding in 2017, Bodybuilding participants will be considered for the Hall of Fame beginning in 2020, with the caveat that participants must have a minimum of seven years of active AAU Strength Sports participation.
- Submission: To be considered, the submission must be in a single pdf format document, to include a written narrative and biographical details of the Candidate’s achievements, and may include photographs and news clippings. There is no limit on the number of pages an application submission may have, however, only a single pdf document submission will be accepted; if multiple scanned documents are submitted, they will not be considered.
- Election Process: The Strength Sports Board of Directors will endeavor to select at least one individual to the Hall of Fame on an annual basis. Candidates applying for selection to the AAU Strength Sports Hall of Fame must submit a single submission in pdf format, including a detailed resume, as described above, to aaustrengthsports@yahoo.com and aausportscentral@gmail.com, cc: naturalpower@earthlink.net. The cutoff date for submission is July 1st of each year. A panel of AAU judges will review nominations and select the award winner(s).
2019 Brother Bennett Award
The Brother Bennett Award recognizes extraordinary, selfless service to AAU Strength Sports. It is named for a Brother of the Sacred Heart at Saint Stanislaus College, who introduced powerlifting to youth and teens in Mississippi in the mid-1970s. Brother Bennett’s Mississippi Invitational attracted some of the biggest names in powerlifting, and it became one of the first drug-tested powerlifting competitions in the country, paving the way for drug-free competition in the United States. Originally awarded to an AAU Powerlifting member, in the spirit of Brother Bennett, this award is given to the one individual annually in AAU Strength Sports who goes above and beyond the norm in supporting athletes, coaches, meet directors and the strength sports in general.
Submission: To be considered, nominators must email a detailed write-up in pdf format, as described above, to aaustrengthsports@yahoo.com and aausportscentral@gmail.com, cc: naturalpower@earthlink.net. The cutoff date is July 1st of each year. A panel of AAU judges will review nominations and select the award winner.
2019 AAU Strength Sports Athlete of the Year
The AAU Strength Sports Athlete of the Year Award (Junior & Senior level) is earned by the male and female athletes with the most successful competitive year, as defined by championship wins achieved and national and world records broken WITHIN AAU COMPETITION. Strength Sports Athletes of the Year will be nominated from all AAU Strength Sport disciplines. Athletes must have competed in at least one AAU Strength Sports meet in 2018, or in 2019 as of date of submission.
Junior Athlete of the Year in each category will be chosen from among youth and teen strength sports athletes in grades K through 12. Senior Athlete of the Year will be chosen from among collegiate, open and masters division competitors. The junior and senior male and female Strength Sports Athletes of the Year will receive a custom award recognizing their accomplishments during the world championships.
2019 AAU Strength Sports Athlete of the Year categories are:
Powerlifting Junior and Senior Athlete of the Year (Male and Female – 4 awards total)
Weightlifting Junior and Senior Athlete of the Year (Male and Female – 4 awards total)
Feats of Strength Junior and Senior Athlete of the Year (Male and Female – 4 awards total)
Combine (New Category - Male and Female – all ages, 2 awards total)
MAS Wrestling (New Category - Male and Female – all ages, 2 awards total)
Overall Male and Female Strength Sports Athlete of the Year (2 awards). Competition in multiple AAU strength sports will be considered.
In 2020, AAU will add an Athlete of the Year award for bodybuilding.
Submission: To be considered, nominators must submit a detailed write-up in pdf format (2 pages maximum), as described above, to aaustrengthsports@yahoo.com and aausportscentral@gmail.com, cc: naturalpower@earthlink.net. The cutoff date for submission of nominations for the awards is July 1st of each year. A panel of AAU judges will review nominations and select the winners of each award.
2019 Strength Sports Meet Director of the Year
This award recognizes an outstanding meet director who has introduced one or more of the AAU Strength Sports to a new region of the country that has not been represented in recent years. Meets must have sanctioned by AAU Strength Sports in 2018-2019.
Submission: To be considered, nominators must email a detailed write-up (2 pages maximum) in pdf format, as described above, to aaustrengthsports@yahoo.com and aausportscentral@gmail.com, cc: naturalpower@earthlink.net. The cutoff date for submission of nominations is July 1st of each year. A panel of AAU judges will review nominations and select the award winner.
Deadlines
The deadline for submission for all awards is July 1, 2019. Athletes nominated must have competed in at least one AAU Strength Sports meet during the calendar years 2018-2019. AAU Strength Sports will announce all award winners at the World Championship weekend in Laughlin, NV September 27-29.
Email
Print
