This is how I see it and my last comment on it. Not a joke in my mind at all. I coach a 11U team and each game I do everything in my power to win. Yes, we have 3 grade exemptions (good, smart kids with early birthdays who are not 6 foot tall :thumb:). Yes, the score does matter. But, all 9 of my players play and our focus is on improving them as basketball players and as MEN!! That is what I use AAU for. That is what AAU was designed to be. For those that use AAU for something different, I truly feel sorry for you. I hope that you enjoy those meaningless trophies from BCI, Hoops or wherever. What lesson did you really teach? As for me, I can go to sleep each night knowing that I am doing my best for my son and his teammates. And in a few years, I can sit back and smile as I watch the MEN that I used to coach lace them up in high school games. Now that will be a good day.

 

Right on.....:thumb::thumb:

Actually, go 5-10 years on down the road and you see them as successful businessmen, fathers, and making large contributions to society. That is when you can really smile. You can realize that just maybe something you said or did made an impact on a young man's life and made him a better human being. I always feel that if I could just make a big difference in one young man's life that I have accomplished more than wins or losses could ever mean and no one likes to win any more than I do. I think there are a LOT of terrific coaches in AAU and just a few poor ones.

Actually, go 5-10 years on down the road and you see them as successful businessmen, fathers, and making large contributions to society. That is when you can really smile. You can realize that just maybe something you said or did made an impact on a young man's life and made him a better human being. I always feel that if I could just make a big difference in one young man's life that I have accomplished more than wins or losses could ever mean and no one likes to win any more than I do. I think there are a LOT of terrific coaches in AAU and just a few poor ones.

 

There are also poor coaches in school ball. Great posts by southernky and afiguy. AAU was designed to develop young athletes into contributing adults. Similarly, schools are supposed to do the same thing. Unfortunately, in both areas their are a few bad apples. I'm sure we can agree on that Weakside;)

I see many young middle school coaches around the N. KY area that have limited experience. If you look around the AAU teams many of the coaches are father's who have played high school or college basketball. These father's aren't teachers and have jobs outside of education. If your son has pretty good skills you can find an AAU coach that can really help your son beyond school ball.

This is how I see it and my last comment on it. Not a joke in my mind at all. I coach a 11U team and each game I do everything in my power to win. Yes, we have 3 grade exemptions (good, smart kids with early birthdays who are not 6 foot tall :thumb:). Yes, the score does matter. But, all 9 of my players play and our focus is on improving them as basketball players and as MEN!! That is what I use AAU for. That is what AAU was designed to be. For those that use AAU for something different, I truly feel sorry for you. I hope that you enjoy those meaningless trophies from BCI, Hoops or wherever. What lesson did you really teach? As for me, I can go to sleep each night knowing that I am doing my best for my son and his teammates. And in a few years, I can sit back and smile as I watch the MEN that I used to coach lace them up in high school games. Now that will be a good day.

 

So playing in an AAU tournament "teaches" you more than a tournament @ BCI, Hoops, etc.?

I was responding to Boomer72 saying the official cannot change the score. I was just showing that by rule he can. Without knowing the situation fully I can't say whether the score should have been adjusted or not. Also, let's not act like the "official book" at SOAS is indeed the correct final word. The kids keeping the clock hardly pay attention and a volunteer is keeping the book. :thumb:

 

True that... Things may need to change but then again, none of us are professional here... It's just a kids league. Peace to all for 2009.

How's it strange???? The statement was made that AAU basketball is about...."developing better men". That is a joke! The majority of the people that are involved with AAU could care less about "developing better men". It's all about winning...at all costs! Don't get me wrong, winning is the name of the game,that's why they keep score. But don't try to hide behind the cloak of AAU and tell me it's about developing good sportsmanship and developing better men. If that was the case, we would do away with any age exception players and play everything straight up. And you wouldn't have people stretching the rules.

You watch too much ESPN. The men I know on this site that coach AAU teams and are involved with those athletes are so far removed from your comment that I don't know where to begin. And where are the rules stretched? AAU enforces their rules and monitors them accordingly. Or are you talking about a different set of rules? Whose rules? Yours? I simply don't follow. And FWIW, I'd be curious what your contact with AAU truly has been. Would you care to elaborate on how you've developed your opinion of AAU?

I see many young middle school coaches around the N. KY area that have limited experience. If you look around the AAU teams many of the coaches are father's who have played high school or college basketball. These father's aren't teachers and have jobs outside of education. If your son has pretty good skills you can find an AAU coach that can really help your son beyond school ball.

 

Actually, all of the middle school coaches that I know have also played high school or college basketball and most have a degree that teaches them how to reach kids at the age they are coaching, which the AAU coaches do not have.

 

I agree with Boomer72 - there are some great school coaches and some great AAU coaches. There are some bad school coaches and some bad AAU coaches. I coach both school ball and AAU, so I have seen it all. You just can't compare the two because they really are different. In AAU ball, you get to pick the kids you want on your team from an unlimited area and could potentially end up with an All-Star team with the best players from the area. Many AAU coaches do not have access to a gym any time they want it, and cost is a big factor. However, in school ball, you have to make the best with what you have in your school. Sometimes, you have a year with a ton of talent, and sometimes, you have a lot of developing to do. In my experience, I do a lot more coaching and mentoring in my school ball career than my AAU teams. In school ball, I see the kids everyday and during the preseaons, we are able to have open gyms and conditioning and during the season we practice 6 days a week for 2 hours a day. We have a video session at least once a week to review game film, we do team-bonding sessions. I monitor their grades and tutor students that need extra help. During the summer, I have access to the gym and have open gyms and skills/camps once a week to help develop players. I have been able to have a much bigger influence on my athletes in school ball than I have been able to with AAU. Do I think AAU is a good thing? Absolutely! I think kids need to practice their skills year-round and play against tougher competition to get better.

 

Basically, I can't stand when school coaches and AAU coaches put the kids in the middle and make them choose or tell them that one method is better than the other. If both school ball and AAU ball would work in conjuction with each other the kids would benefit. That's why I love the high school rule that AAU has to take place outside of the school season because it does't cause a conflict with both teams vying for a kids attention and playing time.

Actually, all of the middle school coaches that I know have also played high school or college basketball and most have a degree that teaches them how to reach kids at the age they are coaching, which the AAU coaches do not have.

 

I agree with Boomer72 - there are some great school coaches and some great AAU coaches. There are some bad school coaches and some bad AAU coaches. I coach both school ball and AAU, so I have seen it all. You just can't compare the two because they really are different. In AAU ball, you get to pick the kids you want on your team from an unlimited area and could potentially end up with an All-Star team with the best players from the area. Many AAU coaches do not have access to a gym any time they want it, and cost is a big factor. However, in school ball, you have to make the best with what you have in your school. Sometimes, you have a year with a ton of talent, and sometimes, you have a lot of developing to do. In my experience, I do a lot more coaching and mentoring in my school ball career than my AAU teams. In school ball, I see the kids everyday and during the preseaons, we are able to have open gyms and conditioning and during the season we practice 6 days a week for 2 hours a day. We have a video session at least once a week to review game film, we do team-bonding sessions. I monitor their grades and tutor students that need extra help. During the summer, I have access to the gym and have open gyms and skills/camps once a week to help develop players. I have been able to have a much bigger influence on my athletes in school ball than I have been able to with AAU. Do I think AAU is a good thing? Absolutely! I think kids need to practice their skills year-round and play against tougher competition to get better.

 

Basically, I can't stand when school coaches and AAU coaches put the kids in the middle and make them choose or tell them that one method is better than the other. If both school ball and AAU ball would work in conjuction with each other the kids would benefit. That's why I love the high school rule that AAU has to take place outside of the school season because it does't cause a conflict with both teams vying for a kids attention and playing time.

 

I agree with alot of your statements. School ball & AAU can co-exist and benefit the players. I have 3 sons and they are blessed with good school ball coaches and AAU coaches.

The Kentucky Elite will field DI teams in the 10/u, and 12/u, divisions that will include kids from southcentral Kentucky (Wayne, Clinton, Somerset, Bowling Green and possibly Lincoln and Corbin). If the chemistry is good these teams will be hard to handle. Lots of pressure packed up tempo basketball.

 

Southernkyhoop: How's the U12 KY elite shaping up? Top U12 teams in KY appear to have made some changes. The Central KY Tigers have picked up 1 to 2 The Ville players. The KY Elite have combined into a strong team. Omega Flight have made some changes from the old Hornets team. The Wolfpack have a kid in the middle that will be tough to handle. Looks like the tops teams in no particular order are:

 

Central KY Tigers

The Ville

KY Elite

Omega

Wolfpack

Suns

Legends

Scott County Wolfpack

 

 

How would you rank these teams????

Southernkyhoop: How's the U12 KY elite shaping up? Top U12 teams in KY appear to have made some changes. The Central KY Tigers have picked up 1 to 2 The Ville players. The KY Elite have combined into a strong team. Omega Flight have made some changes from the old Hornets team. The Wolfpack have a kid in the middle that will be tough to handle. Looks like the tops teams in no particular order are:

 

Central KY Tigers

The Ville

KY Elite

Omega

Wolfpack

Suns

Legends

Scott County Wolfpack

 

 

How would you rank these teams????

 

All good teams. Many played in the Scott County tournament a few weeks ago. Omega won the tournament but the Wolfpack was probably the best team there. They pulled out of the tournament on the last day. Before pulling out they beat Omega, Central KY Tigers, and the Scott County Wolfpack in pool play. The Ville may be the team to beat but the Wolfpack, Omega, and the Central KY Tigers are not far behind.

I was told that The Ville only beat the Scott County Wolfpack by 5 in an earlier tournament. If that's the case The Ville are beatable. I have not heard much from the Legends, KY Elite, or the Suns.

Dalton has yet to play for the Ville so you don't really know how good they are going to be. He has ausgood slaughter??? disease in both knees and right now he is really limited. It has affected our middle school program alot. We have lost a couple of 6th grade games we would not have lost and the only 7th grade game we have lost due to him trying to play 2-3 games in one day. I don't look for Clinton County to be nearly as strong as expected in the 6th or 7th grade and the same can be said for the Ville if he doesn't get better. I think it is too early to rank the teams until middle school ball is over and everyone sees who is playing with who. If Wayne County has a 12/u team they will be as good as anybody, if not, whoever gets their big kid will be the favorite I would say. Who did the Tigers get from the Ville?

Dalton has yet to play for the Ville so you don't really know how good they are going to be. He has ausgood slaughter??? disease in both knees and right now he is really limited. It has affected our middle school program alot. We have lost a couple of 6th grade games we would not have lost and the only 7th grade game we have lost due to him trying to play 2-3 games in one day. I don't look for Clinton County to be nearly as strong as expected in the 6th or 7th grade and the same can be said for the Ville if he doesn't get better. I think it is too early to rank the teams until middle school ball is over and everyone sees who is playing with who. If Wayne County has a 12/u team they will be as good as anybody, if not, whoever gets their big kid will be the favorite I would say. Who did the Tigers get from the Ville?

 

I don't know the kids name but he's a taller guard that can dribble well. I remember the kid playing alot for The Ville. I thought someone told me he was from the London area.

 

I thought Dalton was playing for that new Elite team??? The Wolfpack's power forward has become a heck of a player. He's got to be one of the biggest mismatches in the state.

 

I thought the Tiger's would be the team to beat but some teams are figuring out how to attack their 1-3-1.

I was told during the Scott Co. Tournament that the Stanley kid from the NKY Wolfpack put 35 up against the Central KY Tigers..