“Up until this satellite camp issue came up, which I really don’t care to talk about, you still had to go to the high school, you had to go through the high school coach, the players came to your campus if they were interested in learning and having a good camp where they can develop. By doing what we’re doing now, we’re just doing what we’ve done in every other sport we complain about everyday – AAU basketball – and all this, because that’s what happening out there.”

 

“This is the only sport where the high school coach still matters, what they did at the high school mattered, so all you’re doing is allowing all these other people that we spend all of our time at the NCAA saying you can’t recruit through a third party, you can’t be involved with third-party people, and that’s exactly what you’re doing.”

 

Creating all these third parties that’s gonna get involved with the prospects and all that, and then who gets exposed in all that?”

 

As someone that has been a vocal proponent of satellite camps and the opportunities that they provide for a number of kids, Saban brings up a valid concern that I think a lot of college, and high school, coaches may also share.

 

I mean, this is the Wild Wild West at its best. There’s been no specific guidelines relative to how we’re managing and controlling this stuff. It’s happening outside our normal evaluation window, which means we’re taking time away from our players.”

 

Saban: Football "is the only sport where the high school coach still matters" - FootballScoop

I think coaches in hs sports matter but Coach Saban makes some great points.

I think coaches in hs sports matter but Coach Saban makes some great points.

 

I agree with you Pick Six. Most kids will never play a minute of college athletics and for all those kids their high school coaches are in a position to be a huge positive influence.

I think he means in regards to recruiting, football is the only sport that the HS coach still matters. AAU & Club sports have become the recruiting vehicle for most of the other sports. I heard Urban Meyer say at at clinic about 10 years ago that we don't want to let football turn in to what AAU basketball has become.

 

I like the idea that as a HS coach, I am held accountable by a superintendent, principal, & AD. I live in the same town as my players and their parents. I think that is healthy... A good thing.

 

I know there are great people coaching club & AAU sports. I just think accountability is good and there is more of it for the HS coach.

Coach Saban is all about the process of the program and all the extra play especially in basketball force high school coaches to have to reset the kids each year to get back to the process of their programs. Football is fortunate that it will always be a sport requiring a higher level of "team" than others. The high school coach needs to be the primary supporter in the loop - they know more about the character, academics, and the off the field/court issues the student athlete may be dealing with. Most AAU/travel baseball/7 on 7 coaches do not have this depth of knowledge to provide to the college programs interested in the athlete. Yeah for all high school coaches - they make a difference- I know mine did.

AAU football is the next big thing, unfortunately. It's already in heavily populated areas such as Texas and California. I remember Dieon Sanders bringing a team through Louisville headed to the Hall of Fame game in Canton.

Coach Saban said it so it must be true. Stick to football Saban. He has no clue what he is talking about. Big dummy.

Coach Harbaugh ‏@CoachJim4UM 3h3 hours ago

"Amazing" to me- Alabama broke NCAA rules & now their HC is lecturing us on the possibility of rules being broken at camps. Truly "amazing."

I don't think the man is dumb, actually the opposite. AAU has ruined basketball and baseball and really hasn't done much for soccer. I think this is his way of saying football needs to stay away from travel leagues and stick with what's working. If it ain't broke don't fix it.

 

" please make 7 on 7 go away, please make 7 on 7 go away.

I don't think the man is dumb, actually the opposite. AAU has ruined basketball and baseball and really hasn't done much for soccer. I think this is his way of saying football needs to stay away from travel leagues and stick with what's working. If it ain't broke don't fix it.

 

" please make 7 on 7 go away, please make 7 on 7 go away.

 

We all have opinions. He showed me he is dumb as soon as he tried to speak on something he knows nothing about. Well, maybe he isn't dumb. He's just a fool or at the very least he made himself look like one.

Did someone just call Nick Saban dumb???? I would say the guy knows WAY MORE THAN YOU ABOUT what he is talking about. Might be one of the reasons he is the most successful college coach in the world. SORRY YOU Coach Cal lovers!!!! Not really sorry

So soon we'll have AAU football coaches taking selfies with the coaches that recruit their guys? AAU football won't happen, primarily with the issue of player safety. I can see a lot more IMG types popping up, but will still be played during the fall season. Saban kind of sounds like a baby with this satellite camp issue.

I think the NCAA is to blame for the AAU culture as much as anything. I read somewhere that a coach only gets so many "visits or days" per recruiting cycle. You can spend most your time traveling to 5 different gyms, or you could stay in one gym to see 5x the recruits, hence why the shoe companies EYBL, Gauntlet and AAU is popular. Fortunately in football there is no "cleat game"...yet

Did someone just call Nick Saban dumb???? I would say the guy knows WAY MORE THAN YOU ABOUT what he is talking about. Might be one of the reasons he is the most successful college coach in the world. SORRY YOU Coach Cal lovers!!!! Not really sorry

 

I'd argue that he doesn't know anything about high school basketball coaches and what they do or don't do more than I do. Just because he is the best college football coach ever doesn't mean he knows squat about high school basketball coaches. So yeah, he is dumb for making this statement. He's taking a shot at basketball for some unknown reason and he looks like a fool in doing so.

 

And I am not a UK fan. Good try though.

I don't think the man is dumb, actually the opposite. AAU has ruined basketball and baseball and really hasn't done much for soccer. I think this is his way of saying football needs to stay away from travel leagues and stick with what's working. If it ain't broke don't fix it.

 

" please make 7 on 7 go away, please make 7 on 7 go away.

1. There is no AAU soccer.

2. Club soccer has made high school soccer relevant. Nobody ever cared about high school soccer for both boys and girls. Now it's actually become a spectator sport that high school peers will attend and cheer on their classmates.