🏈 OT: The impact of AAU sports ...applies to football as well, IMO, but this is centered on B-ball.

[TerryP]

@Tidestalker Your opinion here, if you will.




And people marvel at the number of transfers each year.

 

[UAgrad93]

AAU bball is da debil!! Seriously!! I hate it! Last I checked, it was 5 versus 5 with benches containing anywhere from 5-8 guys. At the end of the season, they give out 1 trophy for a championship, not 10-13 little small ones. It is a team game and it is a lost concept in basketball. It is starting to look more and more like wrestling.

 

[Tidestalker]

I saw that a while ago and very much agreed with it. I've Coached AAU for about 7 yrs and it's consistently eroded into a version of basketball that does not reflect what the game is supposed to be about.

He's absolutely right about devaluing winning & losing. Also right about how mommy and daddy will switch teams at the first sign of adversity.

Every now and then you get a team that "gets it" and the kids put the whole in front of the individual. That comes from good parenting more than anything. I think I have one of those this year and it's been fun so far.

AAU is the closest thing our best athletes have to learning the competition level and expectations of college basketball... Unfortunately it's mostly a division of selfishness, quitting/transferring, and manipulation.

Some coaches & programs are doing great stuff for kids... Really preparing them for college hoops. Takes good parents to allow the programs to hold the kids accountable and learn to be unselfish. Hard to find now a days though