Thoughts?

I wish they would go by age and not grade.

I wish they would go by age and not grade.

Interesting. If that were the case, you would either have to add another age group, or many kids would not be able to play AAU the summer before senior year.

Do away with it.

I would like to tear amateurism apart in general, so getting rid of AAU would just be one step of many in a long process.

I would like to tear amateurism apart in general, so getting rid of AAU would just be one step of many in a long process.

 

Sounds like me and you would get along great. I'd launch a nuclear missile on the whole concept of amateurism at that level if I were able to. I wouldn't completely socialize our youth systems or anything crazy, but I'd try to give the talents themselves a bigger slice of the pie.

Sounds like me and you would get along great. I'd launch a nuclear missile on the whole concept of amateurism at that level if I were able to. I wouldn't completely socialize our youth systems or anything crazy, but I'd try to give the talents themselves a bigger slice of the pie.

 

You only have so many years to play basketball at a high physical level before age takes it's toll. Several of those years come in the late teens and early 20s. I'd like to have many more options for kids to make a little cash playing the game and get rid of an amateur system that's just become rife with corruption and people taking advantage of the system.

Interesting. If that were the case, you would either have to add another age group, or many kids would not be able to play AAU the summer before senior year.

 

I think from 2nd grade thru 10th grade it should be based off age. When they become Juniors then they can play their junior year of AAU regardless of age. By the time they are junior year age difference isn't as big of a deal as it is with a 2nd grader that should be 7-8 playing against kids that are held back or started school two years late that are 9-10 years old. I have seen kids in 6th grade and websites are ranking them in the state but it is never taken into consideration of how old that kid is in the 6th grade. I would rather know who is the best 12 year old in the state and not who is the best 6th grader that is 13-14 playing against 12 year olds.

I'm in full agreement with Hog Town and Getslow.

Effectively, at least in Kentucky, the AAU age restriction mirrors the khsaa age restriction, i.e. to be eligible to play your senior year in high school, you cannot turn 19 before August 1. While I agree that is very old - think about that, you can turn 19 on August 1 BEFORE your senior year, and still be eligible - that is essentially the same age restriction for AAU. I don't want to put words in your mouth, but I think probably the point you are trying to make is that that is too old, and that it is wrong for some parents to hold their kids back to take advantage of their kids having birthdays in August or September or October and being, effectively, a year older than kids that not held back. And while I certainly agree that talent levels out, you have only to look at northern Kentucky the last two years to see that, on many levels, there is still a benefit to the 19 year old senior methodology... Hatton and Bolden will both have their 19th birthday before they graduate from high school and both are D1 kids. Maybe they both would have been anyway, kind of hard to speculate about how their careers would have played out if they had been a grade up the whole way up... but I am certain Hatton doesn't break Draud's scoring record without his senior year. I think it is what it is, and you have to draw the line somewhere....

For me, I'd eliminate grade exceptions through 8th grade. I'm not so concerned at the HS level, let them have 3 years there. No sense having 12 year olds playing down versus 10 year olds.

For me, I'd eliminate grade exceptions through 8th grade. I'm not so concerned at the HS level, let them have 3 years there. No sense having 12 year olds playing down versus 10 year olds.

 

In AAU events, there aren't "grade exceptions" anymore. You can have a team full of kids who are "old" for their grade. In the past, for example, where you could only have 3 kids who turned 14 after August 1 playing as seventh graders, you can now have as many as you want. They just can't turn 14 before August 1. When we went to the 7th grade boys national tournament in July we had a kid who turned 14 in May, and all the rest of our players were 13, and we played teams composed entirely of 14 year olds, many of whom were within a couple of months of being 15. You either accept that the deadline is where it is, and try to adapt to playing older kids, or you hold yours back.

Never understood the advantage of holding kids back to play against younger competition. In most cases, the kids are great athletes and that extra year doesn't matter. In other cases, just another year of school for a kid that won't ever compete at the highest level.

I will have to disagree with most of you all on this topic. It's generally not about holding them back to play against younger competition (if that's the case then they better enjoy their 3rd grade rec league championship trophy).

This link talks about just one of several studies on the benefit of being "older" than your peers when competing in sports. And this book is well respected and often referenced.

 

Success Of The Dallas Stars: The Effect Of Date Of Birth - Defending Big D

I will have to disagree with most of you all on this topic. It's generally not about holding them back to play against younger competition (if that's the case then they better enjoy their 3rd grade rec league championship trophy).

This link talks about just one of several studies on the benefit of being "older" than your peers when competing in sports. And this book is well respected and often referenced.

 

Success Of The Dallas Stars: The Effect Of Date Of Birth - Defending Big D

 

 

ESPN The Magazine had a similar story a few years back.