IMO the worth of playing AAU ball depends GREATLY on the coach of the AAU team. Some AAU teams practice and work on the fundamentals of the game. Some coaches demand that the kids play hard on BOTH ends of the floor. These are the positive experiences of AAU. There are all kinds of tournaments for all levels of players. The coaches need to enter tournaments in which they can compete.

 

The down side of AAU is when it closely resembles an AND 1 game and not a real basketball game. Some AAU coaches allow the players to totally focus on offense, think it's great when a behind the back pass off the backboard to a teammate is completed, etc. :madman:

 

Some AAU coaches are in it for the kids. They really want to be a part of developing young players and they don't have a teaching certificate to be able to coach in the school system... While some AAU coaches are the scum of the earth. Promising kids everything and then taking them to Vegas and making them fend for themselves. Yes, some of you know EXACTLY who I'm talking about. :eek:

 

It's like everything else in this world - there's both good and bad. It's our job as parents to research the programs our kids participate in to be sure they are high quality. :thumb:

AAU is destroying the integrity of HS athletics with so many "adults" trying to coach, live their dreams through kids, or making a future for themselves. What I am saying is that IMO the (unethical) coaches are the ones who are giving AAU a bad name. Is it the state rules that prevent them from coaching school teams or is it that they can't follow the guidelines set up by the athletic associations?

TOO MANY POOR AAU COACHES MAKE IT A CESSPOOL!

 

As for paying for it (purpose of this thread), the good basketball players can be easily lured away from their community teams if the price is right. Somebody (coaches, parents, etc) will foot the bill for them to be part of their team to compete. Kinda goes against "amature" sports IMO.

I think it should also be mentioned that the KHSAA is partly to blame for the AAU explosion. The "dead period" and all the "open gym" limitation rules that the KHSAA deems necessary has made it where high school/middle school/and all other coaches employed by the school system cannot work with a kid to help him improve the skills.

 

There are several good and several bad coaches in the AAU programs here in central KY. I agree with Dawgdays - the bad ones are giving AAU a bad name.

Yoda, isn't it (dead period) only TWO weeks though? or are there other unmentionables?

Yes - dead period is two weeks long. The other rules are about "evaluation" and "on the floor coaching" during open gym times. I think these rules are rediculous. I mean does the KHSAA have any idea how much structure and being in the gym keeps some of these kids from getting into things they shouldn't.

 

How does the old proverb go, "Idle time is the devil's time."

 

I'd rather them be playing AAU than running the streets.

 

I'd rather them be playing in front of a high school coach than playing AAU.

The competition part is great but just look over the pond, in Europe they practice the fundamentals of the game for hours on end. In the US they toss the ball up at midcourt and it's all about the team game. I don't have a problem with 5 on 5 competition but the fundamentals should be stressed more. If all 5 are fundamentally sound, the 5 on 5 would be a better product.

Does AAU really help smaller(Class A schools) when in the long run you usually lose those kids to a bigger school and you can never compete against schools who have many middle schools to choose from,etc. I hear the "it will make you better" all the time, but how is getting beat consistenly by 30+ points or whatever do this. Wouldn't it be better to play the teams within your district or region that you know you'll be playing in the future than spending the money traveling to big cities and getting pummeled? Don't get the 'playing up' idea and never will.

 

All In--I've got to argue with most of your points here based on my personnal experiences. The AAU teams I was associated with were always about coaching and learning fundamentals. More often than not we played "up" in tourneys or regular season AAU, in order to insure better competition; and the results are speaking for themselves now!! Rather than try to build a guady record against average competiton, we took the road to try and compete against the best, and while humbled on occasion; more often than not learned and porspered. Incidently we had a lot of fun along the way, and met a ton of athletes from various teams and parts of the country.

 

The kids from these teams are now mostly at "A" level schools, excelling, and not awed when they play the best competiton in the state!! Had they chosen to play in the neighborhood leagues and the like; I seriously doubt they'd have been near as successful in high school ball. It's like scheduling--To be the Best, You've Got to Play the Best!!

AAU has been positive overall for my kids and their friends and improved their basketball skills. In my experience, there is often a drastic difference between high school players who have played AAU and those who haven't.

 

It can be expensive, but teams run tournaments, camps, other fundraisers, and get sponsors to help defray the costs. The more successful a team is and the higher profile players they have, the more attraction and sponsorship they can get from shoe sponsors as the kids get older.

 

Certain kids get way overhyped in AAU ball, but playing against top competition and the biggest and fastest seem to make the pace of the game slower and easier for kids when they go to school ball. AAU basketball increases basketball IQ and give kids a chance to see more types of of defenses and offenses and situations that they would not otherwise see coming up in school and recreational ball.

 

Nowadays, AAU players seem to get more exposure to college coaches than school players, and the coaching is often better.

AAU has been positive overall for my kids and their friends and improved their basketball skills. In my experience, there is often a drastic difference between high school players who have played AAU and those who haven't.

 

It can be expensive, but teams run tournaments, camps, other fundraisers, and get sponsors to help defray the costs. The more successful a team is and the higher profile players they have, the more attraction and sponsorship they can get from shoe sponsors as the kids get older.

 

Certain kids get way overhyped in AAU ball, but playing against top competition and the biggest and fastest seem to make the pace of the game slower and easier for kids when they go to school ball. AAU basketball increases basketball IQ and give kids a chance to see more types of of defenses and offenses and situations that they would not otherwise see coming up in school and recreational ball.

 

Nowadays, AAU players seem to get more exposure to college coaches than school players, and the coaching is often better.

 

 

Great post and my sentiments :thumb:

 

There are select AAU coaches with hidden agendas and your kids will be hurt only if you the parent allow them to play for that particular type of coach. Selecting a group of boys from the same grade at the same school and entering them into AAU competition at an early age will increase their ability to compete if not win once they get to high school ball. It will also build team cohesiveness. This is all we are simply trying to do with our boys. If you have a son or daughter who you want to play for a select AAU team where kids are from all over, then you have to be selective as to what you want your son to get out of it. Its as simple as that.

I was asked to coach for an AAU team in the past and it was a horrible experience. The person in charge would charge the parents money and then pocket a portion of it. They never focused on fundamentals and everything was cutthroat. I also see many times that the AAU coach is a parent of one of the players and it seems that all they want to do is promote their own kid and really don't care about the other kids on the team. I have also seen where really good players who don't have the money, aren't able to play. To me, it just seems all about the "business" and not enough about the kids. Parents really need to look into to the program before commiting to this. I know for every bad AAU program out there, you can also find one that may help your child.

 

I am currently the athletic director at our middle school. I think AAU is good for spring and summer, but when it interferes with school basketball, I have a problem with it. Nowadays, at least in middle school, you will see the AAU teams playing year round. These kids are playing 7 days a week and sometimes two or three times a day on Fridays and Saturdays. I think it is too much. Thier bodies do not have time to rest and in the end I think it will hurt them. I hear all the time that kids are resilient. Well, tell that to the AAU players on my 8th grade team that are starting to slow down due to fatigue when the rest of the team is in great shape coming into post season play.

AAU has been positive overall for my kids and their friends and improved their basketball skills. In my experience, there is often a drastic difference between high school players who have played AAU and those who haven't.

 

It can be expensive, but teams run tournaments, camps, other fundraisers, and get sponsors to help defray the costs. The more successful a team is and the higher profile players they have, the more attraction and sponsorship they can get from shoe sponsors as the kids get older.

 

Certain kids get way overhyped in AAU ball, but playing against top competition and the biggest and fastest seem to make the pace of the game slower and easier for kids when they go to school ball. AAU basketball increases basketball IQ and give kids a chance to see more types of of defenses and offenses and situations that they would not otherwise see coming up in school and recreational ball.

 

Nowadays, AAU players seem to get more exposure to college coaches than school players, and the coaching is often better.

 

No way

AAU and other Basketball organizations, are only as good, as the quality of adults volunteering for them. Like any organization, AAU will have many with hidden agendas, less than honest and motives, but they also have wonderful people, with kids interest first and a goal to help these players, be observed by college coaches.....good and bad, in any organization

 

Players want to compete and having the opportunity, to participate against excellent talent, helps tremendously to develop players. Any time a player is afforded an opportunity, to showcase themselves for future consideration, than programs like AAU are invaluable....it really depends, on the reason the player is participating.

 

You improve playing against, better competition and often AAU affords players that arena.

No way

Way!!

Way!!

 

I'm sorry but there is NO WAY that anyone can convince me that AAU coaching is "often better" than the coaching that schools provide. Occasionally better - maybe, but overall I'll stick with NO WAY...:fight:

I was asked to coach for an AAU team in the past and it was a horrible experience. The person in charge would charge the parents money and then pocket a portion of it. They never focused on fundamentals and everything was cutthroat. I also see many times that the AAU coach is a parent of one of the players and it seems that all they want to do is promote their own kid and really don't care about the other kids on the team. I have also seen where really good players who don't have the money, aren't able to play. To me, it just seems all about the "business" and not enough about the kids. Parents really need to look into to the program before commiting to this. I know for every bad AAU program out there, you can also find one that may help your child.

 

I am currently the athletic director at our middle school. I think AAU is good for spring and summer, but when it interferes with school basketball, I have a problem with it. Nowadays, at least in middle school, you will see the AAU teams playing year round. These kids are playing 7 days a week and sometimes two or three times a day on Fridays and Saturdays. I think it is too much. Thier bodies do not have time to rest and in the end I think it will hurt them. I hear all the time that kids are resilient. Well, tell that to the AAU players on my 8th grade team that are starting to slow down due to fatigue when the rest of the team is in great shape coming into post season play.

 

My point Exactly Coach!!!! :thumb: This is generally the demise of all good things. These are the adults whom I was referring to back at the top of the thread about not having the ability to follow the given guidelines of a given organizations (vision/mission) purpose.