The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is one of the largest, non-profit,
volunteer, sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport
organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and
development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.

The AAU was founded in 1888 to establish standards and uniformity in
amateur sport. During its early years the AAU served as a leader in
international sport representing the U.S. in the international sports
federations. The AAU worked closely with the Olympic movement to
prepare athletes for the Olympic games. After the Amateur Sports Act
of 1978, the AAU has focused its efforts into providing sports programs for all participants of all ages beginning at the grass roots level. The philosophy of "Sports for All, Forever," is shared by nearly 500,000 participants and over 50,000 volunteers. The AAU is divided into 57 distinct Associations. These Associations annually sanction more than 34 sports programs, 250 national championships, and over 10,000 local events.

Programs offered by the AAU include: AAU Sports Program, AAU Junior Olympic Games, AAU James E. Sullivan Memorial Award, sponsored by LamisilAT, AAU Youth Excel Program, and the AAU Complete Athlete Program. Programs administrated on behalf of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports include President’s Challenge and the Presidential Sports Award.

In 1996, the AAU joined forces with Walt Disney World. Later that year, the AAU relocated its national headquarters to Orlando, Florida. More than 40 AAU national events are conducted at the Disney’s Wide World of SportsTM Complex. Disney’s Wide World of Sports features a double-deck 7,500 -seat baseball stadium and baseball quadraplex, a field house that accommodates up to six hardwood courts, a softball quadraplex, two youth baseball fields, a tennis complex, a track and field complex four multipurpose performance fields sized for international soccer and sand volleyball courts.

Founded in 1985, The Prince William Boys Basketball Committee (PWBBC) formed a travel basketball team for the area. After a few years, the team was named the Prince William Pacers. In 2004, we expanded our program to include girl’s teams. In the 2005-2006  season, the merger of the Prince William Pacers and the Prince William Virginians took place to form The Prince William County Basketball Committee. This Basketball Program falls under the authority of the Virginia Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Association located in Richmond, Virginia. We have had several teams place at the State and National levels. This program has continued to grow each year and we anticipate this year to be better than last year.

The purpose of the Prince William County Basketball Program is to stimulate promote and develop leadership, sportsmanship, educational opportunities, athletic excellence and to improve opportunities for amateur boys and girls basketball competition in Prince William County, Virginia area.

The teams range from ages 9 to 19. The boys and girls are excellent basketball players and will gain prominence as outstanding athletes. AAU basketball enhances their chances of being noticed by high school, college, and perhaps, eventually, professional basketball personnel.

The Coaches are dedicated in developing their team and preparing them for regional, state, and national competition. The teams travel to various locations within the connecting States gaining the experience needed to qualify for national competition and represent Prince William County and the State of Virginia.

We would like to take this opportunity to explain some important points about Prince William AAU Basketball, so that you can help make this season a success for your child and their team.

• Team Concept – There may be multiple teams in any given age group as long as there are enough players to keep the team competitive. Players can be moved between the teams as long as the Coaches agree. The Director of Basketball Operations (Boys or Girls) will mediate any disagreements on player movement.

• Playing Time – Playing time for each player is strictly a coach's decision. There are no must play rules in AAU basketball. If you are unhappy about your child's playing time, please set up an individual meeting with the coach.

• Parent and Fan Conduct - Unruly and/or disrespectful conduct towards coaches, referees, players, parents, or tournament officials from parents and/or fans of Prince William Pacers Players will not be tolerated and may result in your child being removed from the team.

• Volunteers - During the season, there will be times when the parents are asked to volunteer to help the team or organization during an event (i.e. clock person, book person, team administrator, association tournaments, bingo, etc.). If you sign up for an event, please keep your word and show up on time as scheduled.

• Team Meetings - Coaches will hold team meetings as they deem necessary. Some meetings will be for parent and child, while others will be for parents only. At any time, the parents can request a meeting with the coach for their team. 

• Birth Certificates – A copy of each team member's birth certificate must be submitted to the coach no later than December 1, 2007.

These are just a few things to keep in mind during the course of this AAU season. We look forward to working with each of you. If you have any questions about any of the information provided above, please feel free to contact your coach or any of the board members.