AAU Basketball is a SCAM
Вставка
- Опубліковано 6 лис 2022
- AAU stands for amateur athletic union.
Though this is kind of a brand name that’s turned into a catch all for a basketball team for athletes that are high school age, but isn’t affiliated with a high school.
It's a team they can play on during the offseason. A travel team if you’re more familiar with that nomenclature.
They’re involved in a lot of different sports, but we’re just talking about basketball.
AAU runs a spring season and summer season. They also do a winter season, but most kids don’t play because they’re playing high school basketball.
AAU doesn’t have a set number of teams. Anyone with 30 dollars can start an AAU team and in fact anyone with 300 dollars can become a tax exempt organization through the AAU. Meaning they can accept tax free donations from people as if they were a charity.
If that sounds problematic to you, I’ll have you know that sounds very problematic to me as well. Because while basketball leagues are great for America’s youth, they are certainly not a charity.
Along with that 30 dollars for the team membership every athlete has to pay $14 a season
Now with your team you are allowed to participate in AAU sanctioned events. Not all. Some are invite only. You can imagine that ones that are invitation only are the ones that will have prominent college scouts attending.
Your team is whoever you put on the roster for that AAU event. So in theory if you’re the manager or coach of an AAU team you could show up every weekend for an event with a completely different roster. This unlike any school affiliated or professional sports team where a defined roster is needed before the season commences.
Which brings us to our first problem with AAU basketball. Lack of consistency
Athletes in AAU are at the beginning of their careers
They are in the most formable years they'll ever have, so it’s important that they have coaches and mentors taking the time to observe their game and figure out which skills they lack and should work on if they want to get to the next level. They need a coach who is going to be able to observe them on a consistent basis.
This isn’t best for the athlete if he’s traveling far every weekend to play with this team and not even practicing with them. He/She is spending time traveling when they could be working on weak aspects of their game.
Often during these tournament weekends, athletes will play between 4-6 games depending on how well they play with very little time for rest or analysis of their performance. So not only aren’t they learning from their mistakes, but they’re running the risk of burning out.
Therefore if a team wants to win that’s the type of defense they should play, but this a style of defense that isn’t played in college and wouldn’t work against a physically stronger opponent.
That being said AAU coaches prioritize winning as opposed to development. I'm not faulting them obviously coaches want to win, but at this point winning isn’t necessarily success.
It’s like cashing out too early on a stock you believe in.
Ultimately AAU competition isn’t as important as working on your skills. Playing in basketball games is necessary to execute on the skills you’ve practiced, but the most important part is practicing the skills.
A lot of people think that AAU started going wrong when Nike and Adidas started sponsoring teams. Once it became a business and coaches started getting paid by these shoe companies, the focus of the team became making money by growing the brand rather than producing quality college athletes and quality young men and women. Even now most of the top tier AAU teams are sponsored by Nike, Adidas, and Under armor.
I’ve heard I wasn’t able to find an example, but I’ve heard that sometimes some of the money ends up going to the parents of the players and has made certain players ineligible for high school or college sports due to losing their amateur status.
A lot of prominent names in Basketball have criticized the AAU system. Steve Kerr coached his son’s team for three years and he called it a weird subculture where teams rarely practiced, players would play on multiple teams over the course of a tournament, teams would fly in players who had never practiced or played with them to play in a single tournament. He says the aspect of playing as a team and forming something bigger than yourself is completely lost in AAU basketball.
Kobe Bryant claimed that it encouraged fancy play. Stuff that would make spectators ooh and ah, but when it came down to playing the game itself. Kids were completely ignorant. He claimed AAU Basketball is stupid.
Ultimately in America we live in a time of leveraging any success we may have into public adoration. I think public adoration should be a byproduct of dedication to something you’re passionate about. I think the players who are here to stay are the ones who don’t fall into the trap of being celebrated. They are the ones who love the game and enjoy the process of self-improvement. - Спорт
Also AAU IS HELLA EXPENSIVE. One summer season cost my parents $700 dollars just to go up against overpowered teams.
dang that's a grip
Lol😂
They scam
Maybe it was worth it for your parents to send you away from them that summer because they dont like you
THIS IS FACTS!!! Imagine being like me my graduation class is 2019 so I’m 22 and when I played for highschool not only was I dealing with coach favoritism (bcuz honestly I’m not from the upper middle/ lowkey rich environment) but I grew up playing parks and Rec and my father and uncles taught me the game but my team would loose in dumbass ways. Simply not boxing out or not playing defense taking to much threes🤦🏽♂️ while my stats looking good I was always frustrated bcuz my coach wouldn’t do nothing to bring it together
Dang. That's kind of what I assumed. Good to get some anecdotal evidence on the issue. Stay hoopin, fam. Don't forget to box out.
Can’t forget concentrated amount of college coaches in one gym
That's a really good point. didn't event think about that. It has to be overwhelming for the players. I got a feeling we are going to start seeing more private school basketball academies in the near future.
@@whatslaps Maybe. hopefully, NBA can realize they can create their own high school leagues. Then they can call up players whenever ready. Kinda like what they're doing in Europe with soccer and some basketball teams. NCAA basketball would be finished though.
Exactly. Not playing against quality competition stunts players growth. Hate to see it
It's been 10 years since I coached AAU/Travel Ball. My team was built from rec a league. Those kids played for other teams but were so loyal to our team. I only charged the team for the tournament fees and nothing else. I wanted to give kids in my neighborhood the chance to compete against these without paying crazy amounts of money. But I never liked how AAU was. It's the wild west. No structure... So I've only been coach high lately and A few people asked me to coach their AAU teams. So I've been thinking about coming back to it. But this reminds me why I got out of it in the first place.
Yeah, it seems like AAU is what the team makes of it. Depends on if the coach loves the game and loves the players.
So I’ve heard mixed reviews on aau, and I also never played aau before. Ive grown into basketball by mostly playing alone, but a few months ago I realized in order to get better I need to play for a team. I want to make my hs basketball varsity team this upcoming year and I’m looking to explode this off season and get really good. People tell me to join aau, but I also hear that it’s a waste of money unless you are already really good, and are simply looking for attention from college coaches and media. Personally right now, I feel as if in a team setting I’d be a role player, not someone who’s a terrible pick but not anywhere near the first pick or second option. Not necessarily because of skill but because of my lack of experience in a team setting.
Sorry I really can't be of much help to you. If AAU seems like an option where you live, I'd say at least try it out. Look into alternatives first though. Go to YMCA and see if you can get in some pick up games just to see where your skill level is at.
@@whatslaps yeah I live in PA so there are a ton of pick up games everywhere, in an average pick up game, I feel like I range from anything in between second option and role player, I‘ve reached a point in my game where I can’t be a bad addition to a team but I’m more of an amplifier to a team rather than a key piece to a winning team if that makes sense
What strange rules they've given for this. Sort of a classic example of not seeing the forest for the trees, sacrificing the greater good of the long term big picture for the sake of temporary short term priority. It's a shame when this kind of thinking messes up what could otherwise allow (if not actively cause) an overall better situation for everyone involved, players and fans. Seems like Euro may have learned from our "mistakes" and were/are able to have a better system to work with. Anyway love your vids as always, thank you again for what you do.
Yeah, I'm not sure where the problem begins. Ultimately I think it's a bad impulse parents and coaches have, but it's totally human. The parents want to make sure their kid has the most opportunity, and the coaches convince the parents what they want is what's best of the athlete. I'm sure Europe has some toxicity too. I think we're starting to come around to realizing the most important part of sports is learning to work as a team and support each other.
And thanks Skylar! Always appreciate the engagement!
Good stuff. Would like to add that AAU in general is a business at all levels. AAU Coaches need a reality check. Players are not coaches property. When a season ends they do not own a player. No need to harass player or parent. No need to gossip. The player can play for another team if they choose to.
that's interesting. I might revisit this subject soon. I've learned a from people's experiences after posting.
I agree. The more AAU revolves around making money, the worse it gets. 😢
word. this was just my research other people got other stories too
AAU isn’t a scam, but there are people who try to get over doing it. It’s costly, but when you’re playing 10+ tournaments in a season the cost are going to run up. Often times AAU coaches care more to coach than professional coaches. If you really want to play basketball at the next level, get with a good AAU coach, work hard, and enjoy the experience
True. I might revisit this subject. The video is pretty old and I've heard about some good AAU experiences since then.
Tournaments are great just put the money and time in training these kids on fundamentals instead of allowing them to put on a show games. I believe the parents would agree that they see more games than practicing on skills. The college and pro players shoot deep threes come from a lot of practice. The rock controll basketball comes from a lot of training on dribbling. The IQ comes from understanding zones and knowing where your people is at practice.
It's a HUGE SCAM and it's not about developing the players anymore
I've heard this from Kobe
Kids aren’t taught to understand the game like kids in Europe, aau culture just says go out there and hoop.
It's interesting the response this video has gotten over the past few years. It seems there's an overall culture, but definitely some quality programs out there.
It helps broaden youth scope but overall it’s literally a dog and pony show for state and national talent. The coaches aren’t looking to mentor and develop, they’re there to channel their energy to the most popular & flashy player to gain noterirty. And if it’s the son of a famous player, most AAU coaches will bend over bsckwards to appease. These kids are spoiled and are given free everything from now ages 6 or 8 up until 18. Gear, sneakers, travel, hotels, women. There is a sense of entitlement. No fundamental foundation is being laid and offense is running rampant.
that's what I've heard. Apparently there are a lot of good programs , but generally it's what you're describing.
I agree!
Im an old head… played AAU in the early 2000’s… its a good way to speed up the injury process… getting seen by coaches isnt worth the jumpers knees and fractures u get when playing 5 games a day all summer lol
word. Nice to get some first hand experience in the comments!
@@whatslaps yea… good high school film and going to the university summer camps will get you the same looks… just have to sell your self as a brand… just like any other industry… my kids wont play AAU unless its a HUGE event where all the coaches are in one building at once
I came out in 2001 old head as well only played one summer of aau but I was blessed enough to play on a traveling team (team Nike from Memphis) and before I played aau I had no idea this is where all the major recruiting started …but back then if u didn’t play for a team that played in tourneys like boo Williams or peach jam it was impossible to get recognition from big D1s ….I played on team Nike which went to all the big tournaments like I just mentioned so I got to see what was behind the curtain….unfortunately my jumpers knee progressed into arthritis and my career ended before it started
@@intanettrappin8367 maaaan i was on the adidas circuit.. michigan mustangs… definitely didnt experience boo williams but definitely went to the big time tourney in vegas…. We sound the same lol
@@PRODbyKingDavis fasho fam Ian get to no Addias tournaments….but from what I understand they work the same as the Nike junts….that was my first year playing aau goin into my senior season…b4 that I had no understanding on how niggaz got ranked in the nation and all that shit lol ….once I played in boo Williams everything made sense ….but the politics involved were super fucked up back then because u only had 2 ways to get on Nike or addias everyone that’s anyone came through one of those back then …I came out with Wagner Tyson chandler nem btw
That is interesting. What do you recommend kids do instead? Play for their schools basketball team during basketball season? And thats it?
Move to Spain ;) jk I think just be aware of that kind of thing and make sure kids are learning to play team ball
I think this is partially true, but it depends on your team. I played AAU from 2014-2018 and my coach genuinely wanted all of us to get to college. Out of 12 guys, 5 of us ended up playing at the next level and in total, 8 of us made it to college in general. In my hometown thats damn near a miracle, but I'd say you truly have to find a team that fits you and your goals. I would have never made it to college without AAU, my overall GPA was subpar and i was never a good fit for my high school's style of play, which lead to being stuck on the bench. If you're lucky enough to find a coach who cares individually about every player from starter to bench warmer, then you'll have a great experience. But the hard part is finding that team.
This video ended up getting a lot more reach than I ever thought it would. I did good research on it, but I still fill weird about people watching this video and it influencing their opinion on AAU basketball.
Solid facts!
If you want to get better at basketball you must practice in your fundamental skills of the game shooting, dribbling, passing, rebound defence, offence, not just dunking as you mentioned dunking as a matter fact is optional it is not for everyone
It's interesting how this video has gained traction since it was uploaded. There are a lot of people comparing the european style of development to AAU and it doesn't look good.
@@whatslaps Yeah for real
A few parents left our team because they said our coach was to structured and wasn’t letting them play. I love this team tho because coach is preparing us for the college level.
It seems like a lot of people who are in AAU like it. I made this video a year ago and my observation is that anyone who has experience with it generally think it's been good for their development.
........the coach should be preparing you play normal basketball.
I'm in 8th grade and AAU summer basketball personally helped me develop my game a lot playing against good players in an organized setting helped me play better in my school league. I understand these points but I think it can help in some ways.
That's awesome! I think I should stipulated that these are some of the potential pitfalls rather than make it sound like it's just a giant scam. Thanks for calling that out! Good luck hoopin!
I'm gonna give you a quote. Don't take it as criticism or encouragement? Just remember it cause you might not get it at this moment. "There isn't a problem until there's a problem".
How do you break a 2-3 zone how do you break a 3-2 zone, you don’t learn anything
If you're anything like the young people I see playing basketball today you f****** suck too
100 dollar says you suck at basketball
An AAU coach has a kid for maybe 2 1/2 months. A high school coach and these horrible trainers have the kids double triple the time.
AAU is a measuring stick and a showcase first and foremost knowing the game and fundamental should be handled with high school coach
that's a good point. it'll be interesting to see how the system changes.
Solid point. Maybe we are misunderstanding AAU mission. Maybe they are thinking the same way that they are not for training and for game mode. The main issue is kid development and it not being done as it should in th school system. Maybe because they need the revenue from game sells. It is a bigger issue than we realize. I believe that is why only so many kids move on to collegiate basketball or pros.
With the right coach, AAU can be super beneficial!
absolutely!
Imo and retired nba players, america needs a system like europe. You can olay proper competitions from a young age of about 7 or so and play for the youth teams for euroleague and other pro teams like real madrid which is what doncic did, they get taught how to play for the win and not for personal performance, being flashy doesnt make you stand out if you dont win games. You can play un differenet age groups depending if the club thinks tour good enough by training sessions and getting smarter, which is why most nba european players were playing in pro games at the ages of 16-18. Thr focus in america is to be a flashy nba star which doesnt work, shown by fiba world cup
Yeah the states are losing ground. We gotta change up the system.
I have been saying that about the sports programs sponsored by my city and also AAU. You can miss practice canceled for whatever the reason but do not miss a game. The emphasis is more about having games and not on developing their skills. We would have more developed players if that was the focus. Its great for sidelines coaches that are always in game mode instead of training kids. The kids can barely dribble sometimes in junior high school yet being playing basketball since their elementary. So unless you.are training your kid or hiring special trainer these kid don't develop even the best ones could be better at their game.
Yeah, seems like there's less of an investment in the player
Just thinking save your money and hire a really good trainer during off season. Some of these trainers have enough kids to go games mode or can enter into basketball events.
that would be my thought. money well spent
I play on a team thats completely free to play
That's sick. My cousin coaches a team like that at his church
Lol my aau team had 2 squads a grade n tried to even em out coaches was trading n shi
exactly.
As an AAU coach and former player, there's that aspect of the league, but there's a lot more teams Dedicated to the actual development of the players. To paint the whole league with a broad brush is presumptuous and stupid. Kids can be elite at any drill you throw at them and completely underperformed relative to their skill level because of performance anxiety, lack of aggression, lack of focus, etc. These skills are only learned in game situations against equal or stronger competition. In order for a kid to get better, they must compete against other talented kids. That's it. They're not going to have a chance to male a D3 program playing at the local YMCA. They must be exposed to the talent around the country to see where they stand, and use it as motivation to get better. They will experience blow outs, humiliation, and the feeling of being ineffective. The skills to overcome these negative outcomes of competition are learned through aau. The fortitude to bounce back from bad losses is also another skill kids learn.
News flash, teams don't really run zones after 12u/13u, they don't work for shit. We go man to man. Also, defenses aren't pressing that heavy after 12u because these boys are strong enough to break it and get out on the break for an easy 2. It's completely situational.
I'm not sure if you've ever played, but you sound very uneducated about the topic.
If Kobe thought AAu was so stupid, then why did he coach his daughters 13u AAU team? Riddle me this?
Yeah you're probably right. U should make a video to counterpoint this video. That'd be interesting.
Bradley Beal, Jayson Tatum, Russell Westbrook, Paul George, and Kevin Durant are just some former AAU players who made it to NBA. Saying it doesnt serve a purpose for athletes is a stretch. AAU is extra exposure for great players with high potential to play division one ball and pro-level. Its become over-concentrated with a lot of rich families with kids who have zero chances of playing D1 or going pro. AAU needs to raise the standards to weed out players who are mediocre rec players at best.
yeah, it seems like AAU is pretty disorganized.
Moral of the story get your child out of American education
Facts
I came out in 2001 old head as well only played one summer of aau but I was blessed enough to play on a traveling team (team Nike from Memphis) and before I played aau I had no idea this is where all the major recruiting started …but back then if u didn’t play for a team that played in tourneys like boo Williams or peach jam it was impossible to get recognition from big D1s ….I played on team Nike which went to all the big tournaments like I just mentioned so I got to see what was behind the curtain….unfortunately my jumpers knee progressed into arthritis and my career ended before it started
That's really interesting. I think paths sort of forge and get overgrown in time. It'd be cool to see a documentary following a high schooler now pursuing a career in the league. Sorry about your knee man
@@whatslaps awe man thanks… and I’m not complaining so I hope it doesn’t come off that way …but just stating the facts …I played a lot of street ball b4 I played organized Bball and that concrete can take a toll on your knees for sure
@@intanettrappin8367 nah nah you good. glad you shared your story!
European players are also required to pursue their education. That's because European countries have compulsory education up until the age of 18. They, however, do a good job of accommodating the players in this while they pursue their careers.
that's cool. honestly I'm not sure how it is in America these days. Been a while since I was in high school.
You "worded" the truth so you wouldn't get sued by those alleged "advisors"!
Sue me! ;)
I really enjoyed this because all I knew about AAU was that my Cousin played it lol
ask him what he thinks and report back
If u not in Eybl your not good enough point blank simple. AAU sucks now, I coach 1 and the kids trash. It's a scam
What's that?
EYBL Elite Youth Basketball League, work on player development from Prep school college style pro drills, weight lifting, film watching professional basketball players sponsor teams. It's what AAU use to be, now kids parents want they kids with no game to play messed up AAU
And getting noticed is impossible without aau
True. I've learned a lot since making this video
@@whatslaps yea, Anthony Davis who is now a nba star played for a horrible highschool team and got no offers until he started playing in aau.
The stock makes a lot of sense.
Thanks! what did I say about that again?
70% of the NBA today, played AAU or was on a National team. There is NO other option for kids who want to go college or go pro. The other kids just play to be in shape but have a small chance of getting seen
yeah, I guess moral of the story is do research and choose a program that values development.
70%players played in prep school and got Professional Player development like myself. AAU now a scam, EYBL the real deal with scouts, NBA players and sponsorships by NBA players. Elite talent and trained.
Would we have Lamelo Ball without AAU?
That's outside my scope of knowledge, so you tell me. Would we?
Yes we would because his dad is Lavar Ball. He talks enough to have gotten Lamelo where he is even without AAU
Yes and what's better wouldn't have gotten injured that early in his career.
Wouldn’t it be something if you took your knowledge and changed the game? There are positives in everything if you look up.
AAU is where the games are at. How will you get better without playing?
These kids are horrible at basketball
Who?
@@whatslaps literally every person under the age of 27 right now. They're f****** terrible. I can't even go play basketball at the park anymore cuz all they do is Jack up threes and air ball. It's the most boring thing on earth playing with people who think they're good at basketball but are some of the worst people you've ever seen play
@@whatslaps AAU players in general. But basically everybody under 25 sucks at basketball right now. There is a few exceptions but most of the good ones are too addicted to phones and video games to ever master the craft.
You can become a better player with your dad or mom in the driveway working on your skills. AAU sucks. You have to break kids of shitty AAU habits all the time.
did you play AAU?
Worst take oat aau is lit asf keeps u on a court and u get mad turnt and play hella games
I never played. sounds rad.
This is the worse argument I have ever seen
Pay to play lol. Well its normal for USA.
Capitalism Babycakes
Horrible horrible take…EVERY system has uneducated and unethical components. Just like people who make UA-cam videos.
What would you expect from a guy like me?
Aau id money making and for rich people
You a hooper?
@@whatslaps yes sir
So AAU and high school sports are dumb? 🤦♂️ Horrible take.
sorry