ESTIMATED 4,800 ELITE ATHLETES SET TO COLLIDE IN ORLANDO AS 16U/17U AAU BOYS’ BASKETBALL NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS AND SUPER SHOWCASES RETURN TO DISNEY

ORLANDO, Fla. (July 11, 2016) – Approximately 4,800 elite athletes from across the nation will go head-to-head at the 16U/17U AAU Boys’ Basketball National Championships (July 13-18) and Super Showcase (July 20-24) events, which returns to ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort this week.

“The AAU Boys’ Basketball 10th/11th Grade National Championships and Super Showcases are the pinnacle event for AAU basketball athletes,” said Boo Williams, AAU Boys Basketball National Chair. “We are excited for the opportunity to return our premier event to ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex this year to give our elite athletes an opportunity to compete in one of the most elite youth sports venues in the world.”

Many of the top teams and athletes will be showcased in front of hundreds of college coaches. Teams participating in AAU National Championships this week include 17U Each 1 Teach 1 (No. 20 ranked) and16U/17U Nike South Beach. Those competing in the Super Showcase events later this month include 16U All Ohio Red (No. 22 ranked), 17U Team Charlotte (No. 1 ranked) and Baltimore Elite (No. 10 ranked).

A full list of competing teams and schedules will be available at www.aauboysbasketball.org soon.

The union’s marquee basketball event, which is expected to attract 400 total teams – 175 to Nationals and 225 to Super Showcases – from an estimated 25 states and Puerto Rico, was held in Orlando for 17 consecutive seasons before moving to the Kentucky Exposition Center (Louisville, Ky.) for the 2014 and 2015 seasons. The demand from participating teams called for a vacation destination and accompanying entertainment options suited to young teenagers and their families, making a return to the world’s premier vacation destination the most attractive fit.

The AAU National Championships are the proving ground for the next generation of college and professional superstars. A number of current NBA stars, including Dwyane Wade (Chicago Bulls), Chandler Parsons(Memphis Grizzlies), reigning two-time NBA MVP Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors) and 2016 NBA Champion Kyrie Irving (Cleveland Cavaliers), competed in these events as youth athletes.

Select championship games will air live on WatchESPN and the WatchESPN application from ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, which has become the worldwide leader in ESPN3 content production.

For more information about the AAU Boys’ Basketball National Championships and Super Showcases, visitwww.aauboysbasketball.org.

Media interested in covering this event should contact Cody Norman, AAU Public Relations Manager atcnorman@aausports.org.

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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. 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 35 sports programs and 55 U.S. districts. The second-largest sport in the AAU, volleyball had more than 120,000 members in 2015 with more than 300 licensed AAU indoor and beach volleyball events across the nation. For more information, visit www.aauvolleyball.org.