Is AAU Worth It?...Originally posted 8/10/10

Is AAU basketball worth it?...

Phew... the summer is coming to an end which means the AAU season is winding down. Parents of aspiring high school, college & professional players have traveled thousands of miles throughout America to support their children and various "teams". This unyielding commitment has, for some, adversely affected the families financial state, however many parents are willing to risk financial instability in an effort for what they perceive as an investment.

During July or the "live period" for college recruiters, many "insiders" mentioned the amount of sub par play at these tournaments or, as I call it, "open run w/ uniforms & matching sneaker" events. Some of the complaints centered on offensive & defensive selfish play, poor shot selection, conditioning issues, poor shooting and lack of basic passing skills. My question is, "would you build a house on a shaky foundation?" My guess most people would not feel safe in a home built in such a fashion, however, many parents forego logic and allow their children to play AAU basketball instead of allowing them opportunity to use the summer months to enhance their skill development.

When we asked a parent for the reason(s) she allowed her son to play for three AAU traveling teams in lue of using the summer as a chance to further develop his skills -her response was, "so, he could be seen" i. e. exposure. According to Webster, "exposure" means -" the condition of being presented to view or made known". If her theory is the sole reason for spending up to $1,000 dollars each summer for her son then AAU basketball is perfect. Yes, AAU basketball does allow players to be seen by zillions of people and 1 "good game" can lead to more attention, however the same attention can be affected by poor skill development. It is my belief, if zillions of people are aware of one's talent and over years there is NO development in their skill set then exposure, as a whole, has failed.

Again, AAU basketball on a national level does in fact serve a purpose. It provides players the opportunity to measure their ability against their "peers"(assuming a 9th grader truly belongs in the 9th grade) as well as provide players the chance to bond with fellow players from different regions on road trips, various events, &"practice", however we struggle with the notion of NOT using the summer time as an opportunity increase one's skill set.

Although at times people make basketball very complex and there are games within the game, but ultimately it centers around "putting the ball in the basket". Using this theory, the last three "shooters" (Ben Gordon, JJ Redick, Stephen Curry) to enter the NBA did participate in AAU events however they honed their "skill" not "on the circuit", per se, but rather in their local gym instead of traveling throughout the country, on a weekly basis, to play for "coaches" who are only concerned about winning & NOT skill development or a sneaker company whose focus is on getting their product in the hands (feet) of the "hot new prospect".

In conclusion, there is a need for AAU basketball, but there is more of a need for skill development. It is my contention that parents should reconsider spending thousands of dollars on "exposure" opportunities (intangible) and instead divert those funds to relevant skill development (tangible) where success can be measured by learning new skills as opposed to just wins and losses.