AAU Basketball Tourney Opening Ceremonies Set Sunday

By  //  July 12, 2014

ABOVE LIVESTREAM: Space Coast Daily will carry the AAU Boys’ Basketball 5th Grade National Championships Opening Ceremonies live via special video broadcast on Sunday, July 13.

BREVARD COUNTY • VIERA, FLORIDA – Space Coast Sports Promotions is pumping up Brevard’s economy once again this week as more than 5,000 youth basketball players and family members flood the Space Coast for the 2014 AAU Boys’ Division I and Division II Fifth Grade National Basketball Championship tournament.

Opening ceremonies are set for Sunday, with the action starting on Monday and concluding on Saturday, July 19.

AAU-BASKETBALL-350-2
Space Coast Sports Promotions is pumping up Brevard’s economy once again this week as more than 4,000 youth basketball players and family members flood the Space Coast for the AAU Boys’ Basketball 5th Grade National Championships. (Image for SpaceCoastDaily.com)

“This youth sports event will generate over $3 million in economic impact for our local business community with the 98 teams from 27 states,” said Rusty Buchanan, President of Space Coast Sports Promotions and Vice President of the AAU.

The basketball will be played in gymnasiums throughout Brevard at Viera High School, Eastern Florida State College, Heritage High School, Bayside High School, Cocoa Beach High School, Cocoa High School, Palm Bay High School and Florida Air Academy.

Games will be played beginning Monday with the finals next Saturday.

“This is the largest AAU event held in Brevard, so large that there is not one indoor facility large enough to accommodate the Opening Ceremony, so we are staging that event in two sessions,” said Buchanan.

Ticket prices are $45 for weekly adult passes, $35 for youth, ages 6 to 14. Daily tickets are $13 for adults and $10 for youths. Children under 5 are admitted free.

CLICK HERE for complete tournament information. 

LOCAL PARTNERS HELP TO MAKE IT HAPPEN

Rusty Buchanan
Rusty Buchanan

“We are very thankful to Brevard County Parks and Recreation, to the Brevard County School Board and to the cities who have helped to make this possible. Without their assistance, events like this would not happen,” said Buchanan, president of Space Coast Sports Promotions.

RELATED: Rusty Buchanan Brevard Sports Tourism Pioneer

Key sponsors are Bright House Networks, Wet ‘n Wild water park, Universal Studios, Beef’ O’Brady’s, Savings Safari and the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Florida’s Space Coast Office of Tourism is also a huge part of making these events happen.

Space-coast-sports-promotions-150“Our local hotel and event partners really help us make it happen,” said Connie Alden, who is a long-time director with Buchanan’s Space Coast Sports Promotions. “Our Brevard County schools and local colleges are great to work with in setting up the gyms for our visiting teams.”

SPACE COAST OFFICE OF TOURISM GETS ASSIST

Buchanan has extensive experience in youth sports, and as Vice President of the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), he has been involved in many facets of the AAU for over 25 years.

TDC-250-1“Without the TDC’s continued support, these events would not be coming to Brevard. Also, our super hotel partners do an incredible job to make the teams feel so at home while they are visiting the Space Coast,” said Buchanan.

“The AAU National Championship is a very prestigious event for our community to host. The visibility that the event offers the Space Coast nationally, as well as the financial impact it brings with it are both huge reasons why we are hosting the event again for the 21st straight year.

“Every time additional new facilities are brought online, we have an opportunity to bring more sports business into Brevard.”

CLICK HERE to see the live stream of the AAU National Championships.