USARS and JRDA to Bring Derby to the AAU Junior Olympic Games

USA Roller Sports is proud to announce a groundbreaking partnership with the Junior Roller Derby Association to bring roller derby to 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 JRDA National Championship and the 2016 USARS National Championships, which will feature for the first time “all roller sports under one roof”.

Under the partnership, the JRDA Organizing 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, including the selection of the rules for the event. USA Roller Sports will provide all the ancillary support for the event as part of the overall USARS National Championships.

“USARS is committed to growing all roller sports and we recognize the amazing job that the JRDA has done at the junior level,” said Fernando Regueiro, Chair of the USARS Roller Derby Sport Committee and member of the USARS Board of Directors. “The JRDA has the expertise and the organizational skills to help us put together a world-class event. We hope to continue creating opportunities for athletes to participate in youth events affiliated to the Olympic Movement and the world of sports”, continued Regueiro.

The Roller Derby Junior Olympic Games represent a historic step for the sport, as it will be the first competition affiliated to the Olympic Movement featuring roller derby. It marks a very important milestone in the process of mainstreaming the sport and validate it as a formal athletic discipline.

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.