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57-508: The Hodge Trophy is named after Danny Hodge , a three–time NCAA champion for the University of Oklahoma from 1955 to 1957. The Hodge Trophy was created by Mike Chapman, founder of WIN magazine and Culture House, a company that produces books and posters. The first winner was T.J. Jaworsky, a three–time NCAA Division I National champion from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1995. There have been six multiple winners of

114-483: A Conoco gas station. Hodge started wrestling by the age of 13. At Perry High School in Oklahoma, Hodge won the 165-pound title at the state tournament in 1951. As a collegiate wrestler for the University of Oklahoma , Hodge was undefeated at 46–0, with 36 pins and reportedly was never taken off his feet during his collegiate career. He was a three-time Big Seven conference champ at 177 pounds (1955–1957), and won

171-761: A separate but equal course. By 1974 women were becoming more vocal about their restrictions. Prior to 1936, ice hockey in North America was governed by the AAU and the Amateur Athletic Union of Canada . After the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) split ways with its national union, the AAU terminated its working agreement with the CAHA which had allowed for transferring of players and exhibition games between

228-633: A Game premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival . LeBron James founded SpringHill Entertainment in 2007 to produce the award-winning documentary, which chronicles his high school basketball career. The 2011 documentary Empty Hand: The Real Karate Kids , written and directed by Kevin Derek, chronicles four young karate competitors compete en route to the annual AAU Karate Championship national tournament. A 2013 AAU youth basketball documentary Little Ballers ,

285-486: A bridge and into a lake. The car flipped, and the crash broke his neck and shattered his teeth upon impact. Hodge was able to escape by punching out his car window and safely swimming back to shore. He was then transported to a hospital, and the injuries sustained in the accident caused his retirement from professional wrestling. On September 1, 1983, Hodge returned to the ring, facing against SWCW USA Junior Heavyweight Champion Eric Embry , which Embry won. In 2007, Hodge

342-435: A first-round knockout victory over Norm Jackson. As a professional, he had a reported record of 8–2, although only 7 wins have been documented. He retired on July 9, 1959. Trained by Leroy McGuirk and Ed "Strangler" Lewis , Hodge made his debut as a professional wrestler on October 9, 1959. Hodge's first major feud was with National Wrestling Alliance Junior Heavyweight Champion Angelo Savoldi . Hodge's father entered

399-670: A pioneer in amateur sports, James E. Sullivan. Based on the qualities of leadership, character, and sportsmanship, the AAU Sullivan Award goes beyond athletic accomplishments and honors those who have shown strong moral character as well. Golfer Bobby Jones was the first recipient of the AAU Sullivan Award in 1930, beating out other finalists Barney Berling (athletics), Clarence De Mar (athletics), Tommy Hitchcock (polo), Helen Madison (swimming), Helen Wills Moody (tennis), Harlon Rothert (all-around), Ray Rudy (swimming), George Simpson (athletics) and Stella Walsh (athletics) to take home

456-599: A separate group within the AAU organization. Masters Track and Field is now part of USA Track & Field (USATF). The live action short film The Winning Strain was filmed at the 1966 AAU Track and Field championships in New York City and was nominated for an Oscar in 1967 . 1999 HBO documentary Dare to Compete: The Struggle of Women in Sports won the Peabody Award . In September 2008, More than

513-413: A woman to participate, her results would not be counted in the official race results. In 1970, the first New York City Marathon ignored the AAU rules and allowed women in the event even if it meant that their scores would not be official. For the second New York City Marathon in 1971 the AAU allowed women to participate if they started the race 10 minutes before, or 10 minutes after the men, or if they ran

570-707: Is a statue in his honor at the Perry Wrestling Monument Park in Oklahoma. Hodge died at the age of 88 on December 24, 2020, and had been suffering from dementia . Amateur Athletic Union The Amateur Athletic Union ( AAU ) is an amateur sports organization based 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. It has more than 900,000 members nationwide, including more than 100,000 volunteers. The philosophy of

627-473: Is indicated in parentheses ** In 2001 and 2021, the Dan Hodge Trophy was shared by two co-winners Danny Hodge Daniel Allen Hodge (May 13, 1932 – December 24, 2020) was an American amateur and professional wrestler , who also had a brief professional boxing career. He is in both the U.S. amateur wrestling Hall of Fame , for his three NCAA titles and Olympic silver medal, and

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684-697: Is set for debut in 2015 in cooperation with the Canadian Independent Hockey Federation (CIHF). The AAU James E. Sullivan Award has been presented annually since 1930 to the best collegiate or Olympic-level athlete in the United States – making this award older than the Heisman Trophy (1935). The AAU Sullivan Award is a salute to founder and past president of the Amateur Athletic Union, and

741-790: The International Ice Hockey Association , which merged into the Ligue Internationale de Hockey sur Glace to become the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) in 1947. With the merger, the IIHF chose to recognize the AHAUS as the governing body of hockey in the United States, instead of the AAU. Despite the decision by the IIHF, the AAU sent its own team to compete in ice hockey at the 1948 Winter Olympics . The AAU

798-480: The pro wrestling Hall of Fame , as a seven-time NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion . The Dan Hodge Trophy is the college wrestling equivalent of the Heisman Trophy . Hodge was born and raised in Perry, Oklahoma , where he continued to live. He was famous for the ability to crush apples with one hand, a feat which he demonstrated live on ESPN during the 2006 NCAA Wrestling Championships . He said his strength

855-514: The 177-pound title at the NCAA championships those same three years, pinning all three of his finals opponents. In addition to his collegiate wrestling career, Hodge also won three Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) national championships in freestyle wrestling , as well as winning one in Greco-Roman wrestling in 1956 at 174 pounds. He was the first and to date only amateur wrestler to be featured on

912-583: The 1958 Chicago Golden Gloves at Heavyweight, then won a Chicago Intercity bout in October, beating Charley Hood. He finished his amateur career with 17 wins, no losses and 12 KO's. Convinced by boxing manager Art Freeman that he was a better prospect than Rocky Marciano , Hodge decided to become a professional boxer rather than pursue the opportunity to compete as a boxer and a wrestler at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome . In his professional boxing debut, he scored

969-511: The 2008 National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum 's award ceremony as "a big, big honor for me". Hodge and his wife, Dolores, had three children. On March 29, 2005, Hodge was honored by Oklahoma state lawmakers as an "Oklahoma Sports Hero". He served as chairman of the Oklahoma Professional Boxing Commission, which regulates professional boxing, wrestling, and mixed martial arts in Oklahoma. There

1026-438: The 2023–2024 season, AAU College Hockey includes Men's Division 1, Division 2, and Division 3, and a Women's Division, aiming to offer the best collegiate hockey experience while prioritizing the needs of its member conferences, programs, student-athletes, and staff. AAU Hockey sponsors national tournaments for minor hockey levels. A North American Championship for Squirt/Atom and PeeWee levels as well as Midget and Bantam levels

1083-590: The 20th century also hurt the AAU's viability. As a result, the AAU lost its influence and importance in international sports, and focused on the support and promotion of predominantly youthful athletes, as well as on the organization of national sports events. Prior to the AAU, the National Association of Amateur Athletes of America (NAAA) existed from 1879 to 1888. The AAU was co-founded in 1888 by William Buckingham Curtis to establish standards and uniformity in amateur sports. During its early years

1140-678: The AAU Board of Directors and presented to under-served New York City area youth. Other AAU Cares events were held in conjunction with the AAU Girls' Junior National Volleyball Championships in 2016 and 2017 respectively where the AAU teamed up with Feeding Children Everywhere to pack a total of 120,000 meals in total for hungry children. Currently in conjunction with the AAU Junior National Volleyball Championships are Dig Pink® initiatives benefitting

1197-582: The AAU Junior National Volleyball Championships was held at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex (now ESPN Wide World of Sports) for the first time. It was the first volleyball event to be played in the Fieldhouse at the complex, with a total of 127 teams attending. In 2012, the AAU Girls’ Junior National Volleyball Championships was named the largest volleyball tournament in the world by Guinness World Records. The event

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1254-590: The AAU Youth Sports Program. As the popularity of the AAU Youth Sports Program increased, the AAU leaders decided to conduct two national championships simultaneously. The idea came to fruition when Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey proclaimed the first AAU Junior Olympic Games open on August 21, 1967 in downtown Washington, D.C., at the Departmental Auditorium on Constitution Avenue. Five hundred twenty-three athletes competed in

1311-631: The AAU between 1888 and 1978. In 1923 the AAU sponsored the First American Track & Field championships for women . In 1897, the AAU held its first national men's basketball championship . The winner was the 23rd Street YMCA from New York City. The first AAU women's basketball tournament was held in April 1926 at the Los Angeles Athletics Club. The Pasadena Athletic & Country Club Flying Rings were crowned

1368-527: The AAU for stifling innovation by forcing outdated or overreaching standards on their goods and game equipment. During this time, the Olympic Sports Act of 1978 organized the then United States Olympic Committee and saw the re-establishment of independent associations for the Olympic sports, referred to as national governing bodies . The rise of professionalism in all sports in the latter half of

1425-416: The AAU is "Sports for All, Forever." The AAU was founded on January 21, 1888, by James E. Sullivan and William Buckingham Curtis with the goal of creating common standards in amateur sport. Since then, most national championships for youth athletes in the United States have taken place under AAU leadership. From its founding as a publicly supported organization, the AAU has represented U.S. sports within

1482-559: The AAU served as a leader in international sport representing the United States in the international sports federations. The AAU worked closely with the Olympic movement to prepare athletes for the Olympic Games . The AAU conducted its first event, championships for boxing, fencing, and wrestling, on April 6, 1888, at New York City's Metropolitan Opera House . The open USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships were organized by

1539-632: The Amateur Athletic Union barred women athletes from competing in events that it sponsored. In 1914 they changed their rules and allowed women to compete in a limited number of swimming events. Just two years later in 1916, AAU was considering discontinuing their experiment in allowing women at swimming events. In 1922, the Metropolitan AAU in New York City approved a larger program of sanctioned events for women but still barred them from running events over one-half mile because they were considered too strenuous. The reason given for barring women

1596-643: The Champions of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism Award by Sports Destination Management, Best Single Amateur Sporting Event by Sports Travel Awards, and Best Sporting Event by Connect Sports. The AAU Cares program was established in 2016 as the AAU's way of giving back to the community. The first event was held in conjunction with the 86th AAU James E. Sullivan Award. With the assistance of New York State Senator Kevin Parker, bicycles were assembled by

1653-531: The Hodge Trophy. The first was Iowa State's legend Cael Sanderson , who won the award three times in his run as the first undefeated four–time NCAA champion , the second was Ben Askren from Missouri , who won the award two times, the third and fourth were David Taylor and Zain Retherford respectively, both from Penn State , who won the award two times, the fifth is Spencer Lee from Iowa , and

1710-533: The Side-Out Foundation. The AAU Urban Initiative was created in 2015 to provide a holistic approach to athletics. It provides participation opportunities to areas that were historically under served. The initiative partners the AAU with local government, law enforcement, faith-based groups, business communities, educational institutions and other groups who work to bring communities together through sports in service to America's youth. Through mentoring,

1767-594: The US Olympic team, Hodge was the middleweight favorite. He was eliminated on May 2 by William Smith, who was embroiled in controversy with the Central AAU. At the Melbourne Olympics freestyle middleweight , he won the silver medal, losing the final to Bulgarian Nikola Stanchev . The Dan Hodge Trophy , named after him, is the college wrestling equivalent of the Heisman Trophy . Danny won

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1824-565: The athletes had been mounting for years to find an answer. Track and Field News discussed the subject with its cover article "Take the Money and Run" in November 1971. AAU got its start in New York City. But in 1957, the search began for a permanent national office site rather than renting office space in NYC. In 1970, the AAU officially moved its national headquarters to Indianapolis, serving as

1881-785: The catalyst which eventually bills the city as the “Amateur Sports Capital” of the United States. In 1994, the AAU joined forces with the Walt Disney World Resort, signing a 30-year agreement. As part of that agreement, many of AAU's national championships in many sports are played at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista. In 1996, the AAU relocated its national headquarters to Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista , Florida . More than 40 AAU national events are conducted at

1938-734: The champions. In the 1960s and 1970s, the NCAA engaged in a bitter power struggle with the AAU. After the Amateur Sports Act of 1978 broke up the AAU's responsibility as the national Olympic sports governing body , the AAU focused on providing sports programs for all participants of all ages beginning at the local and regional levels. The AAU is divided into 55 distinct district associations, which annually sanction 45 sports programs, 250 national championships, and over 30,000 age division events. The AAU events have over 900,000 participants and over 100,000 volunteers. Starting in 1914,

1995-933: The complex. The AAU headquarters is located within the former Walt Disney World Preview Center. Programs offered by the AAU include: AAU Sports Program, AAU Junior Olympic Games , AAU James E. Sullivan Memorial Award and the AAU Complete Athlete Program. The AAU has 33 national committees to organize its activities in particular sports. AAU operates under a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status granted in 1996. The Amateur Athletic Union offers participants sport programming in individual and team sports in their local community that they can join and compete with other athletes their own age. There are teams in most sports ranging from 9U to 18U, allowing youth athletes to play for championships in sports against other athletes similar in age and athletic development. The AAU offers sport programming for individuals and teams in

2052-637: The cover of Sports Illustrated . His reputation as a high school wrestler preceded him when he joined the US Navy in 1951. At Ames, Iowa , in April 1952, Hodge survived the US Olympic Trials, and was coached by Naval Academy Instructor Ray Swartz in the 174-pound division. Hodge finished outside the top seven in the Helsinki Olympics freestyle middleweight , losing two of his three bouts. Going into May 1956 wrestling trials for

2109-587: The following sports: The AAU Junior Olympic Games is the largest multi-sport event for youth in the United States. It has become the showcase event of the AAU Sports Program. The Games originated from ‘telegraphic' state track and field competitions. National Champions were determined through telephone and/or mail entries instead of head-to-head competition. In 1949, the AAU conducted its first ‘live' national meet in Cleveland, Ohio — giving birth to

2166-648: The honor. In 1944, Ann Curtis, an 18-year-old swimmer from San Francisco, became the first woman to receive the AAU Sullivan Award. Curtis had captured eight AAU titles during the year. In 2024, the 94th AAU James E. Sullivan Award was presented to college basketball star Caitlin Clark , who became the first ever two-time winner of the award. Other finalists included David Taylor (Wrestler), Emery Lehman (Speedskating), Frederick Richard (Gymnastics), Madisen Skinner (Volleyball) and Noah Jaffe (Para Swimming) . Masters Track and Field officially began in 1968, and in 1971 became

2223-544: The inaugural AAU Junior Olympic Games in Washington, D.C. in 1967. National champions were determined in swimming and track and field. Eighteen AAU records in swimming and three in track and field were established. Since its beginning in Washington, D.C. in 1967, the AAU Junior Olympic Games have been conducted in 19 states and 31 cities across the United States. The Games popularity has exploded from

2280-610: The national team. As part of this, the AAU Junior Olympic Games were introduced in 1949, with athletes aged 8 to 16 years, or older in certain sports, being able to participate. Many future World and Olympic champions have appeared in these events, which are still held every year. In the 1970s, the AAU received growing criticism. Many claimed that its regulatory framework was outdated. Women were banned from participating in certain competitions and some runners were locked out. The sporting goods industry also criticized

2337-730: The original 523 athletes to more than 18,000 participants representing all 50 states and several United States territories. The AAU Junior Olympic Games has been honored with Champions of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism Awards from Sports Destination Management in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023. The AAU Junior National Volleyball Championships is one of AAU’s premier and award-winning national events. The inaugural AAU Junior National Volleyball Championships took place on June 25, 1974 in Catonsville, Maryland. Nineteen teams participated, representing 10 states. In June 1997,

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2394-657: The program teaches life skills, character development, and harmony. On September 16–17, 2023, the AAU Urban Initiative program held an inaugural 3v3 AAU Basketball Tournament at Times Square in New York City in cooperation with the NYPD. The AAU College Hockey was established in March 2023, through the collaboration of the Collegiate Hockey Federation and Amateur Athletic Union. Beginning with

2451-633: The ring during a boxing match on May 27, 1960, between Hodge and Savoldi, and stabbed Savoldi with a penknife. Savoldi required 70 stitches at a local hospital, while Hodge's father was arrested. On July 22, 1960, Hodge defeated Savoldi for the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship at the Stockyards Coliseum in Oklahoma City. Hodge became McGuirk's principal headliner, and by 1962, Hodge

2508-549: The sixth (and most recent) is Gable Steveson , who won the award two times, becoming the only heavyweight to do so. Since 2022, the Hodge Trophy Voting Criteria has been based on four criteria: Formerly, the trophy was awarded based on seven criteria: Minnesota Iowa State Michael Lightner, T.J. Williams, Josh Koscheck * Number of first place ballot votes from the Hodge Committee

2565-402: The title in the span of a year during their feud. After Parente lost the belt to Hodge again, Hodge held the belt for another four months until eventually losing it to Sputnik Monroe on July 13, 1970. Once again regaining the title a few months later, Hodge found himself as an ex-champion again when he eventually faced Roger Kirby . He was separated from the title until he defeated Dr. X , who

2622-624: The two countries. The AAU then issued an ultimatum to the Eastern Amateur Hockey League (EAHL) in August 1937, not to have any Canadian-born players in its league. EAHL president Tommy Lockhart chose to break away from the AAU and reached an agreement with the CAHA, then founded the Amateur Hockey Association of the United States (AHAUS) to govern ice hockey. The AHAUS and the CAHA joined to form

2679-666: The various international sports federations. In the late 1800s to the early 1900s, Spalding Athletic Library of the Spaulding Company published the Official Rules of the AAU. The AAU formerly worked closely with what is now today the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee to prepare U.S. athletes for both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games, helping in the qualification of athletes to form

2736-434: Was "under the table." As a result, many American athletes' careers were frequently cut short shortly after their subsidized participation at the collegiate level ended, even as Eastern Bloc and other international athletes frequently had their careers extended under the facade of being a part of national military or police service (usually being more honorary than productive work) which extended their amateurism. Pressure from

2793-431: Was due to having double tendons in his hands. Daniel Allen Hodge was born and raised in Perry, Oklahoma , the son of an alcoholic father and a mother who dealt with severe depression. His home burned down when he was 9, and his mother suffered severe burns over 70 percent of her body, necessitating 52 blood transfusions. Hodge was raised by his grandfather, who drank a lot and beat Hodge frequently. He also worked at

2850-559: Was held at ESPN's Wide World of Sports and the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. The 50th AAU Junior National Volleyball Championships in 2023 was the largest event to date with 5,194 teams (966 boys and 4228 girls) competing. It's the largest sporting event ever held at the Orange County Convention Center. Over the years, this premier AAU event has been recognized as a seven-time winner of

2907-462: Was holding the title, and Hodge held his title once again for two more years before being upset by Ken Mantell on December 19, 1973. Mantell eventually lost the title to Hiro Matsuda, Hodge's rival; Hodge defeated him for the championship on March 2, 1976. On March 15, 1976, after wrestling that evening in Houma , Hodge was driving his car when he fell asleep at the wheel causing him to crash through

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2964-544: Was inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame . He made appearances in WWE on Raw in 2005 and 2012 in which he honored his close friends and fellow Oklahoman Jim Ross . WWE Hall of Famer and seven-time world champion Bret Hart has referred to Hodge as "one of the greatest wrestlers in pro wrestling or amateur wrestling there’s ever been", and described being in the same room as Hodge at

3021-475: Was making upwards of $ 80,000 a year. Hodge was a perennial NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion, holding the title eight times for a total of over ten years, longer than anyone else. After holding the title for over four years, he eventually dropped the title to longtime rival Hiro Matsuda . Six months later, he defeated Matsuda to regain the title. He held the belt for several months until he lost it to Lorenzo Parente ; they both continuously lost and regained

3078-536: Was precipitated by grumblings of the inefficiency of the AAU to manage the multitude of sports at the Olympic level. USA Gymnastics was formed initially as a feeder program in 1963 as a response to perceived poor performance by the American performers in the Olympics and at World Championships. The USWF was formed in 1968 as an effort to take over amateur wrestling as an independent governing body. Their position

3135-489: Was supported by the United States Olympic Committee led by Avery Brundage , who threatened a United States boycott the Olympics if an AHAUS team was recognized instead of an AAU team. The status of ice hockey at the 1948 Winter Olympics was not resolved until the night before the Olympics began, after bitter negotiations. The International Olympic Committee allowed the AHAUS team to participate, but they were ineligible to win an Olympic medal. The Amateur Sports Act of 1978

3192-409: Was supported when FILA , then wrestling's world governing body, refused to accept membership of "umbrella" sports organizations like the AAU. The International Track Association was formed immediately after the 1972 Olympics. Prior to the formation of the ITA, track and field athletes were amateur athletes, as required by the Olympic creed of the day. The only income they received from their sport

3249-418: Was that if a woman was allowed to run more than a half-mile they would put their reproductive health at risk. But by 1923 the AAU allowed women to compete in most sports, including basketball. The AAU held women's basketball tournaments from 1926 through 1970. In 1961, the Amateur Athletic Union still prohibited women from competing in road running events and even if organizers broke the rule and allowed

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