AAU Basketball

[topballer21]

IrishBball, i like what you say... Do not hurt your school sport. The thing i have with AAU is some coaches telling kids it is the only way to market yourself to college coaches. To me if you are good enough college coaches will find you. I just hate that some AAU coaches are telling a kid to put all their eggs in one basket. I will agree not all of them are the same, but let kids make their choice about running track or baseball....PLEASE DO NOT TELL THEM THEY HAVE TO MAKE A CHOICE!

 

 

Im a AAU BB coach and I think it is a joke now, it helps kids get some college expose, but y do many teams play every week, hound kids to play for there programs, Alot of these coaches never played, some teams are in recruiting illegally, and they always get the best players from different teams instead of the area. Most of these guys don't understand the concept of running a college offense or a defense and that is what colleges look for how will he fit in my program, Yes, there are alot of people that play AAU but how many players off the team, not 1 player each year gets a scholarship, makes you think

[gomerpyle]

Couple of points:

 

First, as a Nike program, we do have people to answer to. All coaches must submit to a background check.

 

We don't force anyone to do anything. We simply look for players who are dedicated to basketball and basketball only. Corey Brewer and Lee Humphrey would gladly point out that they would not have accomplished what they did if they had continued to play football. Ron Mercer would say the same thing about baseball and football.

 

Basketball requires so much skill development. Good players have to

 

There is nothing wrong with an athlete dedicating himself/herself to one sport. Seems to be working well with the Europeans.

[logcabinman]

Im a AAU BB coach and I think it is a joke now, it helps kids get some college expose, but y do many teams play every week, hound kids to play for there programs, Alot of these coaches never played, some teams are in recruiting illegally, and they always get the best players from different teams instead of the area. Most of these guys don't understand the concept of running a college offense or a defense and that is what colleges look for how will he fit in my program, Yes, there are alot of people that play AAU but how many players off the team, not 1 player each year gets a scholarship, makes you think

 

 

I am the same way.

 

On average a family will drop, $400 a weekend. Save some of this and put it away for your child, and go outside and work on fundamentals with you own children.

[gomerpyle]

I submitted before I finished this point...

 

Good players have to master many skills - ball handling, shooting, free throws, offensive moves, etc. In some sports, speed, athleticism, and/or strength are the keys to being successful. And while these things are valuable in basketball, they aren't the be-all, end-all either.

 

That is not meant to diminish other sports. Each sport is unique and requires a different set of skills.

 

But just as some jobs and job skills are becoming more specialized, so are sports.

[IrishBBall]

What I didn't have time to do earlier was address the flip side of the coin. My son played for the TN Travelers this past summer and had a great experience playing against some of the best players in the country. He was exposed to college coaches at every level from D1 to D3 along with NAIA and Jr. colleges and had a great opportunity to play across the nation in places he would have never seen. It put him in a position to evaluate several offers that he would have never gotten through his high school program. He made the choice to give up baseball where he had a very good shot at a D1 scholarship to pursue the shot at a basketball dream. The bottom line is that if you want to play at any college level in any sport you must have a passion for the game. It's tough to have that passion for more than one sport. What most of these kids don't realize is that at the next level it is a job not a fun activity. If they want to play for fun, they can play other sports as a high schooler but they better be ready to put in the time if it's their goal to play at the next level in whatever sport. To the parents of these kids, it's imperative that both you and your child get involved with a good program that has a track record of helping kids land a college scholarship before they start giving up on other sports and I can only think of about 2 maybe 3 programs this side of Memphis where that is realistic. If you choose to play multiple sports, my suggestion is to find an AAU program that will work with your high school coach and be upfront with both coaches. I had my son's high school baseball coach blow a gasket when he found out my son was playing AAU basketball on the weekends even when it didn't impact anything baseballwise. If you feel you're being mislead by an AAU coach, do a little research on them by talking to the high school coaches, former players etc.

 

Gomer Pyle was exactly right. Nobody seems to trash the swimmers, track athletes, volleyballers and baseballers (coaches and players) when they decide or are forced early to concentrate on 1 sport. Unless you are in that top 3% that will go on to play college basketball be careful limiting yourself to one sport. If you're a basketball player, many of your skills will transfer over into other sports. My son played football for the first time as a senior this year and made All-State playing for one of the top teams in the state. The football coach approached him at the start of school because he needed an athlete at wide receiver. He didn't attend any summer practices since he was playing AAU right up until school started so maybe pre-season football practice is overrated.

[warmachine7954]

I am the same way.

 

On average a family will drop, $400 a weekend. Save some of this and put it away for your child, and go outside and work on fundamentals with you own children.

 

 

Yea and let's all do this and do away with all coaches because mom and dad know how to develope players. AAU doesnt do much for skills it's alot of playing. I think many kids can take what a coach has shown them and do it on their own. But not many have a passion enough for it to be done.

[IrishBBall]

Im a AAU BB coach and I think it is a joke now, it helps kids get some college expose, but y do many teams play every week, hound kids to play for there programs, Alot of these coaches never played, some teams are in recruiting illegally, and they always get the best players from different teams instead of the area. Most of these guys don't understand the concept of running a college offense or a defense and that is what colleges look for how will he fit in my program, Yes, there are alot of people that play AAU but how many players off the team, not 1 player each year gets a scholarship, makes you think

 

I think you have 2-3 distinct "levels" of AAU basketball.

 

At the lowest level, I think you have either a dad or high school coach that wants to find a core group of kids that want to play for fun and help improve their high school team in the process. They don't always improve much because they're not really being taught just gaining game experience and team cohesiveness. The coach may or not have even played probably not past the high school level at best. These guys aren't playing in order to get a college scholarship.

 

The next level would be a more competitive group made up of players from several schools that find a good coach that is willing to practice and teach the game. They are looking at limited exposure in regional type tourneys. The guys work hard and are looking for a chance to play at a lower level like a D3 or NAIA school. They will improve throughout the year and on the right day beat some of the big boys. Great for the player at a smaller school, bad team, bench player on a good team, player that gets limited basketball knowledge from his high school coach, etc.

 

The top level would be the elite teams like the TN Travelers, Ballerz, Thunder along with the teams out of Memphis. Almost everyone of the guys is looking for the maximum exposure. Not alot of practice due to kids coming from everywhere and limited coaching since they don't practice. Not all at this level do it the "right" way. As you said illegal offers are made, players are all about themselves, coaches are trying to ride the coattails of their "stud" to bigger and better things whether it be a college job, money for delivering a player and so on. It makes you appreciate the guys that have been doing it a long time and doing it the right way like the TN Travelers.

 

I would think that if you fit into the last 2 levels, you better have more than 1 guy playing at the next level or you're doing something wrong. The last boys team I coached was in the middle level and we probably have 7-8 playing at the next level. Saving the money and having mom and dad work with them on fundamentals won't get it done either....sorry. Unless you are that top level player, find a coach/program that will practice and learn under a qualified coach and you will improve and get a shot to play in college at some level.

[ksgovols]

No offense to gomer, but wasn't a TT guy on Buzz Petersen's staff at UT? Just sayin'.

 

Here's some more math:

 

22 positions to fill on a football field

At least 9 on a baseball diamond

Only 3% of the males in H.S. basketball are going to play at the 'next level' anyway.

 

Again. Why would anyone give up another sport to play basketball only if they aren't in that 3% which is usually pretty much known by the time they start high school basketball? You guys know who the 14U and 15U players are don't you? If you're a multiple sport athlete, what would persuade you to chase a DI dream that has 1/4 the opportunites as football and less than 1/2 for baseball if your are just as talented in either or both of those sports?

 

Historically, there are lots of multi sport athletes that excelled in more than one. It's only in recent memory that athletes were forced to make a choice. My point is that those decisions are made way too early. There are 4th graders in our community that are giving up baseball to play AAU basketball in the summer. Why? They don't even know how tall they are going to be. They don't even have a shot yet. What can you tell at age 10 and 11 about a kid that hasn't even reached puberty yet? I don't deny the results at the elite level, but I think they are more or less showcases for talent that was already there and player brokerages for the college contacts that they have. Those kids might consider sticking with one sport. They're already in the top 3% in the nation. I could see a freshmen, a sophomore and a junior summer team. That's it.

[gomerpyle]

First, regarding the "TT guy" on Buzz's staff:

 

Sadly, you are misinformed. Had Chuck Benson not been at Tennseee, it's highly unlikely that Tyler Smith would have signed with Tennessee iinitially, and JaJuan Smith most likely would not be there either. If you read the article in ESPN The Magazine, you would know that the great relationship between Tyler and Chuck still exists.

 

Chuck was also a highly successful small-college head coach for seven years.

 

And before this discussion even starts, Chuck was not at Tennessee when Lee Humphrey signed with Florida and was hired after Corey Brewer had essentially committed to Florida. And while he was on Kevin O'Neal's staff, Chuck had a lot to do with the signings of Brandon Wharton, Shane Williams and C.J. Black.

 

So I think it's obvious he has contributed greatly to Tennessee basketball.

 

Moving on, Pat (Irish BB) is exactly right. Not all AAU programs are the same. For some kids, playing mutliple sports is the best option. And unless a kid truly loves a sport, I think elementary school is a little early to specialize. But if a kid truly desires to play college basketball and has a legitimate shot to do so, regardless of level, choices have to be made at some point.

 

Each situation/setting is different. There isn't a whole lot of pressure in New York or Memphis for kids to play 2 or 3 sports.

 

But I've been involved in AAU/Summer basketball for 17 years. After seeing over 200 players go on to play in college and seeing the best players this country has to offer year after year, I can tell you without reservation that almost every one of them reached such a high level by dedicating themsevles solely to basketball.

 

Again, nobody seems to complain about the other sports. I know that at the high-school level these are non-revenue sports, but how is this any different than a golfer taking lessons and working year round on his/her game, or a cross-country runner giving up another sport to put in additional mileage?

[ksgovols]

I didn't insinutate anything to the contrary. I said a TT guy was on Buzz's staff......period. He was. No 'misunderstanding' there. Did he get there because of his AAU contacts and recruiting potential. I'd say he did.

 

How far out can you project a college prospect in basketball? That's as far as AAU should go with 'elite' regional and national teams. 4th grade teams of kids from all over the state is ridiculous and for the most part ego driven. Community teams in local tournaments learning the fundamentals is all that parents, players or coaches should look for until the players reach puberty.

 

I have two gripes basically.

 

1. There should not be 'elite' athletic programs below 13U. That goes for AAU basketball, travel baseball and sending your 4th grader to a Manning type 7 man passing league camp. There's a myriad of problems but for the most part, these phenoms don't have an inkling where they are going to fall in the athletic pool. The ones with the most success early on are typically the ones that fall the hardest when their classmates hit a growth spurt and pass them. Now their ego can't handle the 'rec league' guy starting ahead of them in middle school and they quit. What's more, the coaches of these teams typically don't have any oversight from a Board of Directors or an athletic association. They are disgruntled with rec league rules and get enough support from whomever to start a team and go play. Somehow, I don't think that was the ultimate purpose of AAU or USSSA, but that's the way it's evolved.

 

2. Middle and high school coaches and parents need to let the players decide which sport they are going to play and be supportive of them. Any pressure on a player to specialize in order to 'chase a dream' is typically someone else's dream. Not the player who is looking to the adults for guideance.

 

How many times have you heard a parent refer to their son's athletic endeavor as 'we'. "We played AAU last year for the Downtown Bombers. Next year, we're trying out for the high school team." Yeah. Me too.

[logcabinman]

I didn't insinutate anything to the contrary. I said a TT guy was on Buzz's staff......period. He was. No 'misunderstanding' there. Did he get there because of his AAU contacts and recruiting potential. I'd say he did.

 

How far out can you project a college prospect in basketball? That's as far as AAU should go with 'elite' regional and national teams. 4th grade teams of kids from all over the state is ridiculous and for the most part ego driven. Community teams in local tournaments learning the fundamentals is all that parents, players or coaches should look for until the players reach puberty.

 

I have two gripes basically.

 

1. There should not be 'elite' athletic programs below 13U. That goes for AAU basketball, travel baseball and sending your 4th grader to a Manning type 7 man passing league camp. There's a myriad of problems but for the most part, these phenoms don't have an inkling where they are going to fall in the athletic pool. The ones with the most success early on are typically the ones that fall the hardest when their classmates hit a growth spurt and pass them. Now their ego can't handle the 'rec league' guy starting ahead of them in middle school and they quit. What's more, the coaches of these teams typically don't have any oversight from a Board of Directors or an athletic association. They are disgruntled with rec league rules and get enough support from whomever to start a team and go play. Somehow, I don't think that was the ultimate purpose of AAU or USSSA, but that's the way it's evolved.

 

2. Middle and high school coaches and parents need to let the players decide which sport they are going to play and be supportive of them. Any pressure on a player to specialize in order to 'chase a dream' is typically someone else's dream. Not the player who is looking to the adults for guideance.

 

How many times have you heard a parent refer to their son's athletic endeavor as 'we'. "We played AAU last year for the Downtown Bombers. Next year, we're trying out for the high school team." Yeah. Me too.

 

 

This echos my point exactly. AAU is good for exposure for high school kids that have dedicated themselves to basketball and are getting ready for there future, for the most part, there are some exeptions.

 

Anything under the age of 13 is most of the time a parent driven, I can do it better type of situation. I am not saying that all cases are this way, but the majority is, and please don't try to convince me otherwise. I have seen it too often.

 

Bottom line, instead of putting the time and energy into the AAU circut at an early age parents, let me encourage you to spend that two hours a day of driving and practices that you spend with a team - turn it into alone time practicing with your own child. You will find that it is much more rewarding. If you feel you do not know the game, ask your local coaches to give you drills, go to the internet for resourses. I am speaking from experience, as a parent, and a former college player, and coach.