Are the AAU Programs You Are Playing For Providing You Opportunities to Play College Basketball on the Level You Desire?

The AAU season is about to begin and players will begin to compete.  Player’s self-esteem will grow and parent’s hope and dreams will begin to build for the high school season.  Unfortunately, most parents do not understand their child is not playing against the best competition.  Parents and athletes are caught up in individual success and some will never stop to consider the level of competition.  During intense AAU competition the elite players are separated from the rest of the pack.  It is not unheard of for teams and or individuals to “play up” in AAU tournaments.  Due to many games during tournaments it is hard to recognize teams are differentiated by divisions and talent.  Just like the NCAA has divisions, so does AAU and if your child’s team is not playing in the Division I league, then the assessment of your child’s development maybe tainted.  This façade may cause players to abstain from working on the weak areas of their game.  Ultimately, the effect could keep players from making their high school team in the fall. 
What to look for in an AAU team…

1. Once your child has reached the high school level, AAU teams should be approaching you and showing interest in your child.  If that occurs, you should investigate the program.  What is the AAU team’s reputation?  Are they one of the top three teams in the area?  Which division is the team associated with?  How many scholarships have they helped their players earn?  If your child is not in high school, your questions should be modified but normally the elite teams have younger teams.  You should look for teams who focus on skill development.  These teams do more skill development during practice than running plays and scrimmaging.  
2. The elite level AAU teams do not require players to pay.  Playing for these teams will require no cost for trips and your child will receive athletic apparel from the teams’ sponsorship (ex. Nike, Adidas, and Under Armour).  Elite teams do have B teams (may require payment), which could be very beneficial for your child’s development.  If your child is not in high school or playing for age fourteen or higher, then finding a team that does not require money will be extremely rare.  If you are paying to play on an AAU team and you are in high school, percentages are very high you ARE NOT playing against the elite competition regularly.  Elite teams are now starting to play in leagues for their sponsorship.  This keep teams with little or no talent from playing the elite talent.  The only time teams without sponsorship can play against elite teams are in certain tournaments.
3. How many NCAA sanctioned tournaments does the team play in?  This is a very important question since all players will not play for elite teams.  NCAA sanctioned tournaments allow college coaches to scout during the “live season.”  This is the time college coaches will be searching for talent and when your child can be discovered.  Traveling for the kids can be fun but also costly.  Make sure your child is going to tournaments that will be beneficial.  Participating on teams that do not attend these events is not recommended if your child’s goal is to play college basketball.

Players getting as much experience as possible on the court is extremely valuable and important BUT weigh the positives and negatives.  During this off season it maybe more beneficial to invest your money in a camp and or a trainer.  Spending money for your child to play open gym games will be a waste of your time and money especially if your child is not getting any better.  Iron sharpens iron, is a great quote to think about when deciding what you should do.  Which would be more efficient, invest in a trainer and or a camp and possibly play a few games on the AAU circuit or invest all your money on AAU team that is playing low-level competition?
 
Low-level competition is defined as players who are not college bound.  These players are not ready to compete on the college level.  High-level competition is players competing with each other who are college bound.  As college bound players compete, they show what level of college they will perform well at.  As you look at the different teams, ask yourself how many possible college players are there on the team.  This question will not only let you know if your child should play on the team, but provide feedback on where your child is as a player.