OT: AAU wrestling history?

[railbirrd]

My recollection is that, going back many (50?) years, "AAU wrestling" was a thing some NJ high school wrestlers participated in after the high school season ended around March. Can anyone enlighten me what it was and why it went away? Was it freestyle or folkstyle? TYVM.

 

[Reslo]

My recollection is that, going back many (50?) years, "AAU wrestling" was a thing some NJ high school wrestlers participated in after the high school season ended around March. Can anyone enlighten me what it was and why it went away? Was it freestyle or folkstyle? TYVM.

I wrestled folkstyle AAU tournaments in PA and MD in the early 90's as part of the Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Association, but I think there were freestyle divisions as well. MAWA is still around too! I wrestled in the open division up until my official retirement last year.*

*I did not leave my shoes on the mat, so maybe there's still a chance...

 

[mhlarch]

AAU = Amateur Athletic Union. Not just wrestling......all kinds of sports, and in many states.

https://www.ncsasports.org/aau

 

[mcpat]

I recall wrestling AAU folkstyle in late 80s or early 90s in PA. It was a series of tournaments where top 3 would advance.

 

[ss7]

I wrestled folkstyle AAU tournaments in PA and MD in the early 90's as part of the Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Association, but I think there were freestyle divisions as well. MAWA is still around too! I wrestled in the open division up until my official retirement last year.*

*I did not leave my shoes on the mat, so maybe there's still a chance...

I wrestled AAUs/MAWA. First round for us was usually at Susquehannock HS. Second round was in State College. I never made it out of the second round.

One of my favorite parts of that first round tournament was watching the old guys roll around and be exhausted about 45 seconds in.

 

[Reslo]

One of my favorite parts of that first round tournament was watching the old guys roll around and be exhausted about 45 seconds in.

I am definitely one of those guys now and I was hoping nobody was watching 😂

 

[316_Lyons]

I wrestled AAUs/MAWA. First round for us was usually at Susquehannock HS. Second round was in State College. I never made it out of the second round.

One of my favorite parts of that first round tournament was watching the old guys roll around and be exhausted about 45 seconds in.

That's my alma mater. Worked the scorer's table at one of those tournaments back in the early 2010s. Chance Marsteller was there coaching some youth. He had a funny interaction/disagreement with an opposing coach who clearly had no idea who he was (I think we has a 2 time PIAA champ at that point and the MAWA tournament was in the midst of the high school postseason).