AAU Basketball - what am I in for?

[castleview]

DD was asked to join a basketball team after participating in a clinic the next town over. My husband was impressed with the coach so I was game for it. Well, it turns out it's an AAU program or at least the tournaments are AAU. I'm always skeptical of these things because being "asked" usually includes a ridiculous amount of money. I work in youth sports and I go back and forth on my feelings about AAU - I'm a fan of their gymnastics program, but I've seen a lot of baseball and basketball programs that seemed like a scam or simply reliant on parent delusions. The Y I work at in the city has an AAU program that is completely subsidized (very poor area) so there are not many parental politics, the kids are truly talented and this is their chance to be seen by colleges and play higher level teams. But (yes I'm biased) I've always wondered about how authentic the programs are in our suburbs.

This program, however, isn't much money ($300 ish) and will be done by mid-summer. She'll practice a few days a week and have a few tournaments that don't require extensive travel. So we are giving the go-ahead. I'm a believer in doing these things just to get better and if they lose games, that's ok. You learn more by losing is my theory (then again I'm a loser ).

If anyone has experience though, please let me know what I might be in for. How many insane parents will I run into? Any "sucking in" methods to look out for? Stuff like that. And please don't feel insulted by my skepticism. I've just seen enough insanity at all levels of youth sports that I prioritize keeping things realistic.

 

[Happy Snowman]

AAU basketball is usually pretty good. It depends on the local program obviously, but for the most part, I've had good experiences with AAU. As the kids get older and the travel gets more extensive, it gets more expensive but it's also one of the premier programs for college recruiting too, so, if that is a goal, it's where you want your child to be.

 

[christineann]

It is great exposure for the players. My daughter enjoyed it very much, especially because she was playing on a team made up of players from all over the area, including girls she played against during the regular season. It was a great experience and excellent competition.

 

[bookgirl]

yes there are crazy parents

I hate that part and honestly sometimes I need to just walk away and sit by myself because I don't want people to think I'm with these people, including at times my own brother.

Yes it's expensive

$300 is nothing. Shoes wear out, all they provide is the shorts and jerseys but there is a ton of other stuff they are going to need, not to mention travel expenses, lodging, food, added expenses of out of town tournaments and most folks forget that you have to pay for the family to go as well. We are lucky that we can afford to go watch my nephew play out of town for a lot of his games, but some parents never come because they can't even really afford to send their kid much less the family. We have often ended up footing the bill for an extra kid or two, as far as dinner or a tourney shirt. And my brother has actually paid fees for players that were unable to pay even the initial cost.

Forget fair playing time.

If you are a better player you play more. If you're on a hot streak you play more. If you make mistakes, or lose your shot you will sit out and you might not play at all except to give someone a chance to catch thier breath and get a drink if you're second string but your first stringer is needed in a tough game.

BUT,

If you have a kid who is a tough competitor, who does better when challenged, and has talent, then its a training ground for high school prep ball that will never happen playing recreational league ball.

My nephew has played basketball since he was 5. He was always good but competition ball honed his skills.

Last year his team decided to make a run in the AAU system. They won the state title and went to Orlando for Nationals and ended up 22nd in the nation for thier age group? He came back and was the only freshman put on the Varsity team at school, they just won thier first state championship and he not only got to play but actually scored in the championship game. His first year and he already has a ring. He has been mentioned in scouting reports and ranked nationally.

I'm not saying he's going to be a pro, but he thrived in the AAU/Competition arena. It made him better.

Now his team is not a team with money. My brother has always chosen teams with talent and coaching over teams with money. Some of my nephews teammates are phenoms. With out programs like AAU they would have very little chance to develop and to be seen so for everything I hate, there are at least as many good things as well.


You just have to decide if your child wants to play serious ball or if she would be happier playing for the love of the game, excercise, and the social interaction of teamwork.

If you are not planning to play prep sports then it may not be worth the time and money.

This also not a place where losing is acceptable. Don't get me wrong. You lose sometimes and you learn from losing, but it's about winning, you are never okay with losing.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

My DS has had a great experience in AAU for the past seven years. I do think it depends on the program, though, as there can be variation. You will hear all sorts of things but a lot of it depends on the way the wind blows. For some people, if their kid is having a good year, they love AAU. If their kid isn't, they hate it, lol. Same with some of the administrators and coaches. So if you are going to do it, try to get her on a stable team, if not this year, then next, after you get your feet wet. If there's a lot of turnover, or recruiting people, it might not be a great organization. Some of the better teams can be hard to get into, and don't have to recruit. I have a friend who told me her 13 year old son was starting to not want to play baseball anymore, so she and her husband "decided to put him on an AAU team". Say what?? AAU is generally for kids who love the sport and are really motivated, want to get better, play at a higher level, etc. Needless to say, they figured out pretty quickly how it works when their son didn't make the team. His heart definitely wasn't in it. So good luck, and I hope you all have a great experience. (If you don't, but your DD still wants to play, you can always find another team.) I also agree with your theory on winning, btw, and fortunately, so have DS's coaches. Good sportsmanship was stressed and expected even in the setting of others not playing nicely. (It does happen.) Again, it goes back to the organization and how it is run. While winning is certainly nice, it's not the only thing. Our teams walked out of many games holding their heads high even though they lost.

 

[castleview]

What great replies! Thank you everyone. DD is a multi-sport girl as are several of the girls on this team - I actually like that. Our high school girls' BB team doesn't cut at this point, so I'm not worried about her making that team. We obviously aren't in a highly competitive town. Sounds like Bookgirl's nephew is! But I think that's great that he has done so well and has seen some incredible players along the way. That's always a plus to know just how many good players are out there so they can keep it real. We are in a small town and a lot of parents (and players) think their kids are stars then when we play the city teams (like my Y kids), they get their butts handed to them.

Pea, I have no idea how stable this team is, but who knows how long she will do it. This program sort of "found her" as we weren't looking for it. She already plays on the middle school team and a local travel along with the four thousand other things she does. LOL When I think about it, older daughter joined the travel team just to improve her rec game way back when and now we're just doing it at a different level. I feel bad for the baseball player whose parents signed him up for AAU. We have a kid on DD's team who just doesn't have the desire to play so her parents are putting her on a year round team hoping that will increase it. I don't get it either. It''s nice that you found a coach with a good philosophy.

I had to laugh at Bookgirl moving away and sitting by herself. I've done that many times (nursing school books in hand so I can study. lol). I won't even sit near my own mother who doesn't understand the contact aspect of basketball.