I love to just sit and talk to basketball minds and this is a conversation that never gets old... There's such a big emphasis on AAU Basketball these days and the question I have is WHY????
AAU Basketball just doesn't serve the same purpose like it did in the 90's... In the Central PA area, AAU Basketball is still pretty young... I don't think it has been in existence for more than 13 years...
Back in the 90's, AAU Basketball was put together for THE TOP PLAYERS in that particular area... There was a such thing as "TRYOUTS" (meaning most kids will get cut and some make the team).... If a kid made an aau team, it was considered a big deal... Back in NY, we had The Gauchos, Riverside Church Riverside BQE Express and Aim High (It's a Queens Thing)... If a kid made one of those teams, people knew you had game.... If a kid didn't make one of those teams, they had to get back in the lab and keep working on their game... Their was nothing wrong with getting cut, it helped to build humility and character... It was much easier for teams to obtain sponsorships as well and us kids NEVER paid a dime to play basketball... With all of that being said, aau helped us get proper exposure because we played in front of Colleges on a regular basis.... Colleges are more willing to come watch a team with 8 Division 1 prospects opposed to a Team with only "1 and a possible" (Spades talk)....
These days, everyone will make a team... If the kid does not make the team, his dad will put a team together so that kid can play aau basketball.... I don't really understand how this is helping kids to really go hard and work on improving their game when they know they can always make a team..... I've had a kid go as far to act as if he was too good to play for a local aau team so he traveled and made a more well known team because he has something that team needed.... Mind you the kid only averaged 1.7ppg on his varsity team but in his mind, he's "ELITE".... We are messing these kids heads up if we don't find a way to keep it real with them...
To me, aau these days should be more about helping to get a kid better and ready for his school team or College.... The exposure piece comes when kids are playing on the EYBL circuit or attending various exposure camps.... Some aau teams are selling kids dreams and have them thinking they will get exposure just because they play aau.... That's too far from the truth and parents are spending too much money to be led astray....
What's your thoughts on this topic? I'd like to hear from some of my Basketball Heads out there....
AAU Basketball just doesn't serve the same purpose like it did in the 90's... In the Central PA area, AAU Basketball is still pretty young... I don't think it has been in existence for more than 13 years...
Back in the 90's, AAU Basketball was put together for THE TOP PLAYERS in that particular area... There was a such thing as "TRYOUTS" (meaning most kids will get cut and some make the team).... If a kid made an aau team, it was considered a big deal... Back in NY, we had The Gauchos, Riverside Church Riverside BQE Express and Aim High (It's a Queens Thing)... If a kid made one of those teams, people knew you had game.... If a kid didn't make one of those teams, they had to get back in the lab and keep working on their game... Their was nothing wrong with getting cut, it helped to build humility and character... It was much easier for teams to obtain sponsorships as well and us kids NEVER paid a dime to play basketball... With all of that being said, aau helped us get proper exposure because we played in front of Colleges on a regular basis.... Colleges are more willing to come watch a team with 8 Division 1 prospects opposed to a Team with only "1 and a possible" (Spades talk)....
These days, everyone will make a team... If the kid does not make the team, his dad will put a team together so that kid can play aau basketball.... I don't really understand how this is helping kids to really go hard and work on improving their game when they know they can always make a team..... I've had a kid go as far to act as if he was too good to play for a local aau team so he traveled and made a more well known team because he has something that team needed.... Mind you the kid only averaged 1.7ppg on his varsity team but in his mind, he's "ELITE".... We are messing these kids heads up if we don't find a way to keep it real with them...
To me, aau these days should be more about helping to get a kid better and ready for his school team or College.... The exposure piece comes when kids are playing on the EYBL circuit or attending various exposure camps.... Some aau teams are selling kids dreams and have them thinking they will get exposure just because they play aau.... That's too far from the truth and parents are spending too much money to be led astray....
What's your thoughts on this topic? I'd like to hear from some of my Basketball Heads out there....
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