http://www.basketball.org/the-good-and-the-bad-of-aau/ Enhancing the abilities of basketball players, teams and coaches Wed, 01 Feb 2012 01:21:53 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://www.basketball.org/the-good-and-the-bad-of-aau/comment-page-1/#comment-1804 Brenda Sat, 01 Aug 2009 17:40:23 +0000 http://www.basketball.org/?p=272#comment-1804 You hit the nail on the head. My son is 16 and played on a travelling team this summer. The only good thing to come out of it was his introduction to the experience in Las Vegas and LA so he won't be shell shocked for next year and the fact that the other 13 PLAYERS (yes, this coach took 14 kids) got to know each other and had fun together. Outside of that it was a fiasco and all of my worst fears came true with this team. Not only were the last several months leading up to this the most stressful time we've had dealing with an AAU program with the "director" and coach continually asking for more money and not wanting to tell us where it was going or giving crazy reasons for needing it... by the time we realized it we were backed into a corner and it was also too late for the guys to get on other travel teams. There were numerous moments where the "director" threatened to kick kids off the team and not return any money to the families she was threatening. And, that's the financial part of it. The coaching was another story! No fundamentals, 14 KIDS on the bench, subbing every 2 minutes, kids that shouldn't even be on a team... so they'd go into games with a bench really only 6 deep and expect the other 8 to win games. Not going to happen. This coach was so egotistical he truly believes he can put any 5 kids on the court and they will win if they follow his offense. That's unbelievable. In LA this week, they had a team meeting to ask the kids why they thought they weren't winning and said they could "be honest with their feelings". One player said he didn't feel like the program was setting them up to win with the number of kids and then playing the kids they were playing with no consistency. They got so upset at what he said, they told him to pack his bags (this is at midnight) and that he was being sent home on a greyhound bus.. by himself!! This continued with for 3 days, fighting with the parents who are in Washington State and not able to be there to help their son. The police got involved finally and brought these people to reality reminding them that they are responsible for this 17 year old minor and cannot put him on the street. Yes, several times over the last few days they've threatened to put him on the street and he'd have to find his own way home. What a joke!! Anyway, my reason for stating all of this is to warn parents... PLEASE... if you have your son or daughter on a team and your gut is telling you somethings not right, pull them! Don't worry about the money! My son had 6 D1 colleges attending his games in Las Vegas and LA... do you think they saw what they wanted to see with him on the court for 7 sparatic minutes. Hopefully they know his a good player and this is a reflection on the coach and not my son. This has definitely been a learning experience! You hit the nail on the head. My son is 16 and played on a travelling team this summer. The only good thing to come out of it was his introduction to the experience in Las Vegas and LA so he won’t be shell shocked for next year and the fact that the other 13 PLAYERS (yes, this coach took 14 kids) got to know each other and had fun together. Outside of that it was a fiasco and all of my worst fears came true with this team. Not only were the last several months leading up to this the most stressful time we’ve had dealing with an AAU program with the “director” and coach continually asking for more money and not wanting to tell us where it was going or giving crazy reasons for needing it… by the time we realized it we were backed into a corner and it was also too late for the guys to get on other travel teams. There were numerous moments where the “director” threatened to kick kids off the team and not return any money to the families she was threatening. And, that’s the financial part of it. The coaching was another story! No fundamentals, 14 KIDS on the bench, subbing every 2 minutes, kids that shouldn’t even be on a team… so they’d go into games with a bench really only 6 deep and expect the other 8 to win games. Not going to happen. This coach was so egotistical he truly believes he can put any 5 kids on the court and they will win if they follow his offense. That’s unbelievable. In LA this week, they had a team meeting to ask the kids why they thought they weren’t winning and said they could “be honest with their feelings”. One player said he didn’t feel like the program was setting them up to win with the number of kids and then playing the kids they were playing with no consistency. They got so upset at what he said, they told him to pack his bags (this is at midnight) and that he was being sent home on a greyhound bus.. by himself!! This continued with for 3 days, fighting with the parents who are in Washington State and not able to be there to help their son. The police got involved finally and brought these people to reality reminding them that they are responsible for this 17 year old minor and cannot put him on the street. Yes, several times over the last few days they’ve threatened to put him on the street and he’d have to find his own way home. What a joke!! Anyway, my reason for stating all of this is to warn parents… PLEASE… if you have your son or daughter on a team and your gut is telling you somethings not right, pull them! Don’t worry about the money! My son had 6 D1 colleges attending his games in Las Vegas and LA… do you think they saw what they wanted to see with him on the court for 7 sparatic minutes. Hopefully they know his a good player and this is a reflection on the coach and not my son. This has definitely been a learning experience!

]]> http://www.basketball.org/the-good-and-the-bad-of-aau/comment-page-1/#comment-1398 McGee Fri, 20 Mar 2009 02:29:01 +0000 http://www.basketball.org/?p=272#comment-1398 As a coach on the high school level in SC I have first hand experience with AAU and it is mostly bad. Most coaches compete for kids with lies and false promises. The top team in the state is propped up by Nike and is just as you described, no coaching and just 3-5 D1 players running up and down the court. Many of the teams are filled with kids who are academically ineligible for their high school teams and will never go to college. I've seen kids expelled from school playing just so a coach can win games. These kids rarely pay while the players they replace do. There are a few quality AAU programs out there but most I have had dealings with do more harm than good. As Saeed said, there is so much potential with this organization but they must have more structure. As a coach on the high school level in SC I have first hand experience with AAU and it is mostly bad. Most coaches compete for kids with lies and false promises. The top team in the state is propped up by Nike and is just as you described, no coaching and just 3-5 D1 players running up and down the court. Many of the teams are filled with kids who are academically ineligible for their high school teams and will never go to college. I’ve seen kids expelled from school playing just so a coach can win games. These kids rarely pay while the players they replace do. There are a few quality AAU programs out there but most I have had dealings with do more harm than good. As Saeed said, there is so much potential with this organization but they must have more structure.

]]> http://www.basketball.org/the-good-and-the-bad-of-aau/comment-page-1/#comment-1279 Saeed Mon, 02 Mar 2009 16:47:13 +0000 http://www.basketball.org/?p=272#comment-1279 As a basketball official and a former player, I really feel the AAU system is one with great potential but it needs structure. I definitely agree with your assessment of the association, some of the coaches are terrible. My son is now old enough to play and I struggle with find a team where he will get the discipline, instruction and other life skills that I feel a lot of the coaches really lack themselves. The parents are even worst than the coaches. As a basketball official and a former player, I really feel the AAU system is one with great potential but it needs structure. I definitely agree with your assessment of the association, some of the coaches are terrible. My son is now old enough to play and I struggle with find a team where he will get the discipline, instruction and other life skills that I feel a lot of the coaches really lack themselves. The parents are even worst than the coaches.

]]> http://www.basketball.org/the-good-and-the-bad-of-aau/comment-page-1/#comment-198 Conor Mon, 28 Jul 2008 01:12:10 +0000 http://www.basketball.org/?p=272#comment-198 Very well said, Jaime. Very well said, Jaime.

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