AAU or select basketball ????

[mommyto3]

Is anyone involved in this? Could you please tell me your opinions...how much it costs...ect.

Thanks in advance. If more information is needed..just ask

 

[MELSMICE]

My DD (15) will be starting her 5th year of AAU basketball. She started when she was 11.

Just a few things...............

--it can be (usually is) highly competitive
--big commitment
--our fees are about $500 for the team plus travel expenses

Payoff...........

--depending on coach will get great training
--will compete against better players so your child will definitely get better
--great experience
--travel can be fun for kids & also for familes depending on where tournaments are

My DD's AAU season will officially start after the school season ends in a few weeks. They are scheduled to do 10 tournaments so far through June. Some are local, some are a few hours away & some are about 4-5 hours away.

Over the summer they may travel to at least 3 farther tournaments, one or 2 which may be family outings/vacations for us.

Last year we went to a Regional tournament in Washington, DC. She has been to Penn State 2X, which is a Blue Chip tournament where there are over 200 college coaches. After this year's tournament she received a recruitment letter from a small college.

My opinion, if you want your child to have a better high school experience with bball, have lots of fun & become a good player then invest the time & money. Overall it has been a positive experience for us.

I can go into more detail about different things, so feel free to PM me for any other information you may want.

 

[mommyto3]

Thanks MELSMICE,

My son had a basketball tournament this weekend and was "being watched" I guess. Within 10 min. of arriving home I get a call from a coach who wants my son to be on his team. Tryouts are tomorrow and we will go BUT......the cost is $1200 for March-July.

Thats a LOT of money !!!!!!!! I just wanted to know if that is a "normal" price.(My son is 13 and plays for his school) I called some other moms to see if anyone else got a call... and we are the only one....so atleast it doesn't sound like an "every one come out we want your money" type of deals, but still......$1200

 

[MELSMICE]

I would just what is included in that $1200 fee. Our fee includes the 10 tournaments I mentioned, but not sure about the tournaments in July. They may also have to pay for gym time for practice. I believe our practice time is "donated" by the school gyms we use.

Our fee does not include our travel expenses. We pay for all lodging, food, etc. at this point. When our DD is in the 16 year division she will have her travel expenses to Penn State paid for by the organization.

It is not an inexpensive thing to become involved in, but in all honesty, I don't regret the decision to get my DD involved at all. She has learned a lot - including how to deal with disappointment - not just with a loss, but not always getting the playing time she wanted. She has always had to work hard, but the payoff has been fairly rewarding for her. She was voted captain of her JV school team this year - something she really wanted.

We are fortunate that we have been able to afford her this opportunity/privelege & I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Good luck to your son. Post & let me know how he makes out tomorrow. Also, congrats to him on being recognized by an AAU coach!!!!

 

[PlutoPony]

Around here, there's a slight difference between AAU and "travel" / select, AAU being higher level competition and a little more travel for games. This area has gotten so competitive that it's very difficult to make a middle school team (varsity or JV) if you aren't playing at least at the travel level.

 

[golfgal]

AAU typically has a better college coach following. They are exposed to teams from all over the county and if your child has a lot of basketball potential as in possibly college scholarship material, go with AAU. The select teams are good too but they don't get the exposure. Be realistic about his chances--how tall will he be when he is done growing? If he isn't going to be at least 6'3", college ball at the Division I level is pretty much out--not that there aren't exceptions but that is a pretty good bench mark. If you figure he will play AAU for what, 5+ years, that money can be put into a college savings plan and do the same for him as a maybe scholarship for basketball.

The other thing to consider is how good is your high school program? How well known is it in your state? If you don't have a well known program, they don't get the attention they need from college recruiters unless your son is a true standout in the state.

There is one team in our area that if you make the team you are pretty much guaranteed a college scholarship, they are that good. They attract the top kids (girls) from all over the state and often win the national tournaments.