Doesn't baseball go by the age of the child when the season starts?? Y not do it with aau basketball. It makes no since to make the cut off date in August when aau basketball starts in roughly March.

Handy I also like the new rule and I have a lot of age exception kids. It don't matter to me just roll the ball out and lets play but its a business and the business is losing money. I think the d1 as grade based and d2 as age based is kinda what will happen.

We are really talking about whats quickly becoming a mute point anyway. Most your bigger aau teams are not even playing any aau stuff any more.

Then what about the kids who were born at 11:59 PM on December 31st. There will always be kids who will fall victim to being the youngest in the class no matter what date you use. I really like the 12 month period versus the old 24 month age range per grade. The problem is that most of your teams out there have at least one or two kids that fall just outside the cutoff. So the AAU loses them to grade based tournaments. What if they were to make division 1 grade based and division 2 age based? Or even say that you could have limited number of exceptions like they used to do. There is just so much physical development that occurs at the younger ages and one year makes a considerable difference. Then problems arise when one team can load up with 8 players who are all grade exceptions. It is perfectly legal but not at all apples to apples. I don't claim to have a fix' date=' but personally I like the new rules versus the old ones. Mainly because I am not carrying any older kids, but I do know some that it has affected negatively.[/quote']

 

That would be perfect.

 

If a kid has a birthday on 12-31-xx or 1-1-xx he will play the AAU season as the age group that matches his age and it would be fair.

 

The current way is kids are playing in age divisions even though they never play a game all season after their birthday that puts them in that age group.

What if:

Age based program based on a 12 month year with the exception to allow 2 players per team to play if they are in the current grade and no more than 3 months older?

That give each team the option to still carry two players who may have been hurt by the rule change. If a player is more than 3 months older than he must play up a year.

What if: Age based program based on a 12 month year with the exception to allow 2 players per team to play if they are in the current grade and no more than 3 months older? That give each team the option to still carry two players who may have been hurt by the rule change. If a player is more than 3 months older than he must play up a year.

 

Personally,

I like what they've done with the age situation. I just wish they'd tweak it by moving it to the front of the season.

 

But honestly like Ky Playmaker said. A lot of the best teams don't even play AAU anymore.

 

Based on some information being passed down to my teams. I predict with in 5 years AAU doesn't even deal with high school teams hardly. The shoe companies are starting to control many clubs. When this happens AAU will join up with Nike/UA/Adidas or someone. It's coming.

I agree with you completely because it is a business. I feel like the AAU is the only organization still operating that actually has the player's best interest at heart though.

I think someone mentioned this but I like the idea of AAU doing the following. Each grade level has a Division I and a Division II. Division I is grade based (old AAU age rules) and Division II is age based (using the age eligibility from this past year). No matter what date is used as the age cutoff, there will be kids up to a yr older than some of the kids that they are playing against. Regardless, there are so many tournaments these days that no matter which category of age that your players fall into, there will be plenty of places to play competitive environments.

 

But, the landscape and purpose has changed. I have observed a couple different formats - 1) Teams that form, practice all season, and play tournament/league play with the same group of kids. 2) Teams that have 5 - 6 core players and then try to recruit a few "superstar athletes" to come and play different tournaments each weekend.

 

Again, it just depends upon the purpose and ego of the coach. Are you trying to get your players to improve? Or, are you trying to win tournaments?

 

As a parent, if I had a slightly above average player, who was playing minutes for a decent team, and the coach "recruited" several players, who might practice 1x before a tournament, and they took playing time from my kid at the expense of trying to win, I would be frustrated. But, i know this happens all the time. I am not sure what it proves, but it happens all the time.

I think someone mentioned this but I like the idea of AAU doing the following. Each grade level has a Division I and a Division II. Division I is grade based (old AAU age rules) and Division II is age based (using the age eligibility from this past year). No matter what date is used as the age cutoff' date=' there will be kids up to a yr older than some of the kids that they are playing against. Regardless, there are so many tournaments these days that no matter which category of age that your players fall into, there will be plenty of places to play competitive environments. But, the landscape and purpose has changed. I have observed a couple different formats - 1) Teams that form, practice all season, and play tournament/league play with the same group of kids. 2) Teams that have 5 - 6 core players and then try to recruit a few "superstar athletes" to come and play different tournaments each weekend. Again, it just depends upon the purpose and ego of the coach. Are you trying to get your players to improve? Or, are you trying to win tournaments? As a parent, if I had a slightly above average player, who was playing minutes for a decent team, and the coach "recruited" several players, who might practice 1x before a tournament, and they took playing time from my kid at the expense of trying to win, I would be frustrated. But, i know this happens all the time. I am not sure what it proves, but it happens all the time.[/quote']

 

I can speak to that very issue but with a different twist. There are some teams that recruit players off competing teams mid season. One case this past year a 7th grade team was recruiting a player after a game while they were in a huddle before they even left the court after the game. (His coach told me) the team recruiting him had 12 players at the time.

But when that happens and "recruited" player leaves it creates a vacuum and the team that lost him has to go get a player... It's a viscous cycle.

 

I had to conclude my season this past summer with my 2020 team with 3 kids that never practiced with me due to several issues with players.

 

The problem you get into in some odd cases. I had a kid decide he was "done" for the season this year. I found another player that was better... Then the player decides he wanted to play again the last event... Now I'm stuck. I also had two grand parents on their death bed out of state. That kid missed half our events. Another kids father had one heart surgery in the middle of the season. He missed half the season and then he came down with pneumonia and missed our last two events after missing half the season because of his dad's heart issue. Then with all of this uncertainty with extremely talented players another starter goes to Europe. There are times you have to add players. In fact as a coach I have to add the best I can because of the current players that have been through it all. They deserve to get looks from college coaches. They deserve success. On top of that, I have kids on my bench that don't have any business being out there. They are practice players and that's it.

 

I'm ready for a smooth 2016

I think someone mentioned this but I like the idea of AAU doing the following. Each grade level has a Division I and a Division II. Division I is grade based (old AAU age rules) and Division II is age based (using the age eligibility from this past year).

 

I was told from two AAU reps that during the October meetings they were going to discuss having a grade based National and an Age base. But they were not going to separate it by Div 1,2,3 etc..

Also told the August 31 date would not change.

All I know is this....the kids that are so old in middle unless "elite" are in for a reality check, not only on basketball court,but football field as well!! Any rule that helps at all in this area is better than nothing.

I agree but what about the kids that r 15 days to old?? Now there the young playing against kids that r 1 1/2 years older than little jonny.

Bottom line if aau starts in March use that date not a date when the season is over. That's what all other sports go by is when the season starts!!

Bottom line if aau starts in March use that date not a date when the season is over. That's what all other sports go by is when the season starts!!

 

I agree totally! I can see a one year older in grades....but if you're almost 2 years older-move up people! Play with kids that make you better,not look better.

I agree totally! I can see a one year older in grades....but if you're almost 2 years older-move up people! Play with kids that make you better,not look better.

 

I totally agree with you on this statement! If it makes the 17 yr old player & parents happy that they beat those 15 yr olds, shame on them. Not saying them 17 yr olds aren't good, but they should be beating them 15 yr olds.

 

I'm sure no one will be happy at all times, but think this needs attention.