The AAU Basketball movement is as huge as ever today in America. For those who are unaware of exactly what AAU basketball is, let me explain...in my terms. From 3rd-6th grade teams, its a very competitive travel basketball program that gives the, slightly better than recreation, basketball player the opportunity to engage in weekend tournaments against talents from various cities/ states. Around 7th grade it gets a little hairy. Its some recruiting, gifts, $, huge sponsorships, more showcasing less good team basketball. That's the rap on AAU from the consensus. Many think very little of AAU basketball today. A lot of it is self inflicted, speaking of the people involved. The recruiting process for these ball clubs is a worst tug of war than college recruiting. Politics with the big name shoe sponsorships henge upon the hype around the names on certain ball clubs. The kids are often times pampered, hyped and crowned "GREAT"which results in a lot of these becoming spoiled, overrated, and less coachable than they should be. Their is not a lot of skill development and basketball theory being taught in the organization as the original stages of AAU basketball. Many are concerned with the emphasis from players and recruiters being put on AAU and taken from high school basketball. Some standout players have actually missed entire high school seasons, substituting them for AAU squads. Its promoting individual exposure only, is the tag that's being placed on AAU. There are programs that still have the integrity that AAU basketball was intended to have at the outset, zooming in on the qualities that the amateur athlete should posses. Work ethic, team work and leadership skills can still be found in some programs around the country but not many. The AAU officials say they don't like the bad rap and want to correct it but there are a lot of perks to give up to clean up the set. A parent/player would be at a disadvantage with out the exposure that it brings, as far as the college recruiting process because thats the focal point for recruiters, college and pro. The moral of this story is, can't live with it, can't live without it. It just needs the integrity and morals restored.
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