Students Help at AAU Junior Olympics

Tulsa, OK - Oral Roberts University is excited to send 15 students to Houston for the AAU Junior Olympic Games.  The students are in the university’s Sports Management Degree program.  It’s one of the only degree programs of its kind in Oklahoma.  The students will be there from July 27th through August 6th to help set up the games, work in registration, time track and field and swimming, as well as work in other areas of competition including trampoline, tumbling and strength sports.

ORU’s Sports Management degree prepares students for advanced work in all areas of the sports industry by teaching specific management skills in the areas of finance, sports personnel management, law, sports marketing, and facility and event management.  Students also have the unique opportunity to learn hands on with professional sports organizations including the Oklahoma City Thunder, Tulsa Oilers, Tulsa Drillers and NCAA Division I athletic departments at Oral Roberts University and the University of Tulsa.

The AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) is one of the largest, non-profit, volunteer sports organizations in the country.  It’s dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.  It has 670,000 members and 60,000 volunteers nationwide.  Over 34 sports are offered in the 57 AAU Districts.  The AAU was founded in 1888 to establish standards and uniformity in amateur sports.  It worked closely with the Olympic movement to prepare athletes for the Olympic games until the establishment of the US Olympic Committee in 1978.  Since then, the AAU has focused its efforts on providing sports programs at the grass roots level.