AAU clarification

[QSouth89]

4 hours ago, IrishBBall said:

Unsigned seniors can play. Jack Sompayrac has been invited to play along with Brock Jancek for the Tennessee Bobcats. Tony White signed with College of Charleston after playing as an unsigned Senior.  As far as the 8th grade situation, it may have to do with birthdates.

Then list the tournament as 14 and under not 8th grade division.  If I'm coaching freshman or if I am a freshman what do I have to gain by playing down?  People want to win that badly huh?

[warmachine7954]

How about instead of putting this on coacht.com people call the TSSAA and get clarification? 

[warmachine7954]

2 hours ago, QSouth89 said:

Then list the tournament as 14 and under not 8th grade division.  If I'm coaching freshman or if I am a freshman what do I have to gain by playing down?  People want to win that badly huh?

I thought AAU went by ages not grade level?

[IrishBBall]

4 hours ago, warmachine7954 said:

I thought AAU went by ages not grade level?

That is correct but some tourneys still group by class/grade level.

 

 

 

[dhaskellwsms]

My 17U team played in an 11th grade division  in tourney at Rocky Top and competed vs a team from Knoxville that I know had seniors and 18/19 yr old players. One player has signed for football.  Doesn't really bother me since my guys start for their varsity teams competing vs teams that have seniors obviously.  The integrity of AAU tourneys locally are definitely challenged.  However, NCAA certified AAU tourneys have a pretty strict protocol.  Guess you have to determine what hill you want to die on.  

[QSouth89]

7 hours ago, dhaskellwsms said:

My 17U team played in an 11th grade division  in tourney at Rocky Top and competed vs a team from Knoxville that I know had seniors and 18/19 yr old players. One player has signed for football.  Doesn't really bother me since my guys start for their varsity teams competing vs teams that have seniors obviously.  The integrity of AAU tourneys locally are definitely challenged.  However, NCAA certified AAU tourneys have a pretty strict protocol.  Guess you have to determine what hill you want to die on.  

That’s the tournament I was referring too as well. Our team made up of 8th graders played in the 8th grade division and two of the teams played were made up of mostly freshman. I guess I shouldn’t complain. Playing older kids will make our boys better and I hope our coach doesn’t ever play down for the sake of winning.

[IrishBBall]

6 hours ago, QSouth89 said:

That’s the tournament I was referring too as well. Our team made up of 8th graders played in the 8th grade division and two of the teams played were made up of mostly freshman. I guess I shouldn’t complain. Playing older kids will make our boys better and I hope our coach doesn’t ever play down for the sake of winning.

When I coached the 8th grade group with Logan Irwin and Ryan Henry we played mainly against 9th and 10th graders. I asked them how many hoped to play on the JV team and told them that the teams we were playing was who they would be facing.

 

Coach 'em up!

[QSouth89]

1 hour ago, IrishBBall said:

When I coached the 8th grade group with Logan Irwin and Ryan Henry we played mainly against 9th and 10th graders. I asked them how many hoped to play on the JV team and told them that the teams we were playing was who they would be facing.

 

Coach 'em up!

There's a MAJOR difference when you are choosing to play UP in age or class instead of playing down just to get a win.  How does that help you get better? I don't ever recall Ra Ra taking Luke, Davari, Tony, Chase, Hunter, Kese, & Donovon, as 9th graders and playing against 8th graders in AAU.  They always played up an age group except at Nationals. But I guess that's what sets apart the coaches who want to get better from those who want a win at all cost. 

Edited April 4, 2018 by QSouth89

[WhereYouAt]

If these weekend "AAU tournaments" are small it is most of the time about the money. they are not going to check ages. They just are fundraising for their school or some non profit. If you are competing in those small venues then you are gonna have some teams that are older and some teams that are younger. Just play and get better. If you are worried about how good the teams are you are playing against then you might want to look at your team not the one you are playing. Just saying

[dhaskellwsms]

16 hours ago, QSouth89 said:

That’s the tournament I was referring too as well. Our team made up of 8th graders played in the 8th grade division and two of the teams played were made up of mostly freshman. I guess I shouldn’t complain. Playing older kids will make our boys better and I hope our coach doesn’t ever play down for the sake of winning.

Im guessing Tony coached this squad.  We had a brief conversation about it.  In the long wrong its better for the 8th grade group as they are going to soon be competing with that age group in summer team camps and most likely JV next year.  I guess all programs have a different philosophy about what they are trying to get out of AAU.  Personally I wanted to continue help my son get the best coaching possible and continue walking with a lot of my guys that I taught and went to the same middle school together as well as bring some integrity to area AAU.  It can get a little dirty in my opinion. 

[QSouth89]

15 hours ago, WhereYouAt said:

If these weekend "AAU tournaments" are small it is most of the time about the money. they are not going to check ages. They just are fundraising for their school or some non profit. If you are competing in those small venues then you are gonna have some teams that are older and some teams that are younger. Just play and get better. If you are worried about how good the teams are you are playing against then you might want to look at your team not the one you are playing. Just saying

I agree about the money, some groups try to make some cash for whatever reason. This has nothing to do with worrying about the competition because our team made it to the championship game and they lost to the same high school team that they had beaten on Friday.  My thing is this don't piss on my head and tell me its rain.  Our team doesn't care to play up but don't list the tournament as an 8th grade tournament and allow high school kids to play then watch them trash talk and beat their chest and brag because they beat a team full of  8th graders.  Like I KEEP saying how does playing DOWN make a team better? My pride would not allow me to play down and brag but thats what sets East Tennessee apart from Memphis, Atlanta and other cities serious about hoops. You're right I need to stop complaining and let it go sorry for venting so much about it.

Edited April 5, 2018 by QSouth89

[QSouth89]

9 hours ago, dhaskellwsms said:

Im guessing Tony coached this squad.  We had a brief conversation about it.  In the long wrong its better for the 8th grade group as they are going to soon be competing with that age group in summer team camps and most likely JV next year.  I guess all programs have a different philosophy about what they are trying to get out of AAU.  Personally I wanted to continue help my son get the best coaching possible and continue walking with a lot of my guys that I taught and went to the same middle school together as well as bring some integrity to area AAU.  It can get a little dirty in my opinion. 

I agree 100% with you coach when my son was in middle school his AAU coach alwasy played up but he never played down.  Playing up is probably why those guys all started as freshman on their high school varsity teams, but how does playing down make you better? That my point.  But its AAU and we all know how straight and narrow they are.  I'll let it go WhereYouAt is correct, I should shut up and let if go it is what it is.