H.S. Basketball Coaches/AAU Coaches

[dlaker]

The debate over the good or harm that is being done to basketball players by AAU coaches will never be settled. It is time that all true ball players come to the rescue of AAU coaches. If a player plays for four years in a high school basketball program and the coach did not make at least one call to any college program for that player can not be justified by any means! Let it be understood that it is the job of the high school coaches to educate first and not to recruit for colleges. However, the high school expect loyalty from their players and yet they cop out when it comes to prolonging the career of a player in the sport that four years of practices, sweat, and family sacrifices has been the dinner table topic of conversation. High school coaches please spouting sour lemons and become the doctors that you accuse AAU coaches of being. First heal yourself then room will become available for you to start being true to the kids you ruin for four years with the timeless cop outs you constantly give them.

[BigPoppa]

Man, you really must be bitter. Maybe the kid in question can't play the radio, much less basketball. When you start pumping up questionable players to college coaches, you tend to lose credibility among them. It is very difficult to be objective about your own son/relative.

If the kid can play, he will have some opportunities to show his stuff against some good 11-AAA teams this year. Or maybe you need to take the approach of Bubba Taylor's dad and fill up pages, and pages, and pages about this player. I see your point but I really disagree how you are going about it.

[Guest]

THANK YOU BIG POPPA. Finally someone has said how I have been feeling. If I am a college coach I don't want some AAU coach or Father coming and telling me how good their son or player is. I can tell by one trip if the kid can play or not. AND DON"T blame their non-playing ability on the high school coach, just because your bitter and can't get a high school coaching job. The 1 thing I hate most is when a AAU coach tries to undercut the players high sschool coach. He tells the plaer to listen to him or says anything negative of the high school coach. If you think you can coach go get a degree and apply just like everyone else.

[Guest CoachLon]

I don't post much, I listen and learn but this subject hits the heart of a lot of middle Tennessee's issues with basketball, coaches, etc. I hit all three categories discussed so far in this thread. I am an AAU coach, I am a Dad of a high school player, I also have an excellent relationship with his high school coach. We respect each other's program.

 

We reached that place of respect when He actually took the time and saw us play and how our kids were coached based on fundamentals.

 

I don't think you have to have a problem between AAU and the High School programs! If there is a conflict, the school programs should always have priority.

 

Our program looks for ways to support the high school coachs, not for ways to get around them.

 

Last comment, we work together to help kids get noticed when it is deserved. Keyword, When It Is Deserved!

 

Thanks, CoachLon

[Guest]

I agree with you 100%. I don't have a problem with the program if it carried out in the right manner. Such as not dogging the high school coach. But I do have a problem with promoting average players (average highs school players that are not college players) and saying that they can't get a chance because of their high school coach...such as this case.

[Guest]

I agree with you 100%. I don't have a problem with the program if it carried out in the right manner. Such as not dogging the high school coach. But I do have a problem with promoting average players (average highs school players that are not college players) and saying that they can't get a chance because of their high school coach...such as this case.

[gomab2]

This subject, too, hits hard at home with me. I am an AAU Coach, and also do work with recruiting and scouting. That being said, I feel I am knowledgeable on the subject at hand...........

 

First, let me say that I see dlaker's point. No one else on this thread seems to. Not much makes me happier than a High School Coach that works hard to put his kids in College. But on the other hand, not much makes me angrier than a High School Coach that does nothing to help a player of his reach the next level; and this doesn't have to mean SEC ball. I'm talking about D-1, D-II, D-III, NAIA, Juco D-1, or Juco D-II. And let me say this: Their are a number of High School Coaches out there who don't help their kids get to college, and seem to turn their backs on the kids once the season is over. On the other hand, there are also many HS Coaches that will do anything to get their kids to a College Hoops scholarhip (#1 in my book is Hardin Co's Gilchrist).

 

Secondly, to whoever made the mega-ignorant, stone age comment "If I am a college coach I don't want some AAU coach...coming and telling me how good their...player is": you obviously have NO CLUE as to anything remotely resembling College Basketball recruiting. Not to be mean, but to knock (dlaker's) post with one of your own so completely blind and ignorant: come on, man, please. It is common knowledge that College recruiting goes through the AAU/Summer ball coach in a major way. I am not going to get on here and discuss which is more important to the recruiting game: that is a moot point. Fact is, both the High School Coach and the AAU Coach play a very important role in a player's recruitment....

 

Also, the commment (to AAU Coaches): "If you think you can coach go get a degree and apply just like everyone else"......yet another ignorant, nuerotic comment that just makes me sick. Every situation is different, but I can tell you from contacts I have made that there are a very large number of very bright, inspired, passionate people Coaching AAU basketball. AAU is not a league for Coaching rejects. What it is (well, summer ball in general; not to use the 'AAU' name to represent Grassroots Basketball) is a GREAT opportunity for kids to improve their games, gain exposure, play against the best nationwide, and improve their chances of earning a college scholarship.

 

I, for one, Coach AAU because of the kids. I LOVE seeing a kid flourish on and off the court, and then seeing the kid make an impact on the high school level. Then, I LOVE seeing that same kid rewarded for all of his hard work with a College Scholarship, that otherwise he may or may not have been able to earn, and the ability to further his life through a College education and hopefully a college degree.

 

I also Coach AAU to make contacts that will enable myself to break into the College Coaching ranks in the near future. I don't coach because I am a reject that can't go anywhere for a coaching opportunity, like you imply.....

 

I love High School coaches; well, the ones that care about their kids, anyways. I love AAU Coaches under the same circumstances. There should be no conflict here between the two, and there often is not. These two coaches in a young player's life should always work together, to further the kid's development on the court and prepare him to succeed at the next level; and to get him there.....

[Edited by gomab2 on 10-9-02 7:08P]

 

[PantherGam]

The reason some high school coaches do not get connected with the AAU coach is because they feel threatened. I for one do not feel threatened at all. I want all the help with my players that I can get. I know that in my program I have seen vast improvement in the guys from AAU. I just do not see a problem with high school and AAU. Sorry??? :confused:

[Campbelle2]

I have been on both sides of this issue. GoMab you have a program that I consider in the Elite category of Tennessee basketball AAU. Your players are coached, disciplined and very organized and play in top flight tournaments. I consider the Ballerz, Travelers, Yellowjackets, Breakers, YMOCA in this Elite group. There are a few others close to this category, but you also have the teams coached by someones dad only for his son. Dad don't have a clue what it takes to be a college player at the NAIA level much less D-1 and says he does. These are the ones that make the high school coach go nuts. Then these guys play in three or four local tournaments and have the feeling they are superstars with heads inflated heading back to their high school coach with a bad attitude. I don't think these comments are surely directed at sound, well organized programs like yours. I have coached high school and AAU over the last 15 years. I tend to think that playing at the highest level of AAU helps the attitude of players and sometimes deflats egos. This is accomplished by playing against the very best and realizing ones shortcomings. This directs many players on a path to becoming better players. More than not they realize that there is someone out there better than them. This is something they can't always get at the high school level. GoMab and Stokomo keep up the good work.