Do AAU players not play HS or select?

[Anonymous]

We are a new to basketball family. My son plans to try out for the select team in our area and attend the open gyms that are coming up. The select league goes through winter. Not sure of the exact dates of select basketball but winter. His middle school also has a basketball team and their season is November through February.

I see all these AAU tryouts for middle and high school happening now.

Wouldn’t these kids be playing for their school teams?

Do the AAU kids play year round?
Do better players not play on their school teams?

I’m just trying to understand the overlap and timing of these teams.

[Anonymous]

My kid played on a HS team that sent their starting 5 to play at D1 schools most years (some in high major conferences). All the kids for the HS team and all my kid’s AAU teammates did also. My kid had a toxic, win at all costs, jerk of a HS coach, so I actually had a chat with a college coach about this when my kid was at a recruiting camp. I asked how coaches would view a HS player who didn’t play for his HS team. The coach - who knew my kid’s school (it gets a lot of press) and knew the coach suggested my kid transfer schools because college coaches would really not look well on a kid who didn’t play for their HS.

[Anonymous]

If you are talking about FCYBL winter league when you mean "select"--most of the teams are Fairfax County based and those middle schools don't have official basketball teams.

Many AAU teams in the area don't do much in the winter season b/c their players are off playing FCYBL. There are also AAU teams for kids who can't make the select teams.

AAU players almost always also play for their high schools as well.

[Anonymous]

The people who run the AAU teams want to make money year round so of course they will run their teams year round. The main season for AAU is spring-summer though due to the timing of high school basketball.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The people who run the AAU teams want to make money year round so of course they will run their teams year round. The main season for AAU is spring-summer though due to the timing of high school basketball.

Sorry for the ignorance but is the year round team the same as the spring/summer team?

Or would an organization have both a year round team and a spring/summer team?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you are talking about FCYBL winter league when you mean "select"--most of the teams are Fairfax County based and those middle schools don't have official basketball teams.

Many AAU teams in the area don't do much in the winter season b/c their players are off playing FCYBL. There are also AAU teams for kids who can't make the select teams.

AAU players almost always also play for their high schools as well.

My child attends private school and they have a middle school basketball team.

My child was planning to try out for select in the next few weeks, play for his school team and try out for AAU in Jan/Feb.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The people who run the AAU teams want to make money year round so of course they will run their teams year round. The main season for AAU is spring-summer though due to the timing of high school basketball.

Sorry for the ignorance but is the year round team the same as the spring/summer team?

Or would an organization have both a year round team and a spring/summer team?

Our club has fall tryouts and spring tryouts. Spring summer is the more serious season. Not all spring summer players want to play in fall/winter, so the teams add players for those seasons. Not all of them will make the spring/summer team, but it's still a good way to get in

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The people who run the AAU teams want to make money year round so of course they will run their teams year round. The main season for AAU is spring-summer though due to the timing of high school basketball.

Sorry for the ignorance but is the year round team the same as the spring/summer team?

Or would an organization have both a year round team and a spring/summer team?

Our club has fall tryouts and spring tryouts. Spring summer is the more serious season. Not all spring summer players want to play in fall/winter, so the teams add players for those seasons. Not all of them will make the spring/summer team, but it's still a good way to get in

So it would be easier to get on a team in the fall since the spring season is the main season, correct?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The people who run the AAU teams want to make money year round so of course they will run their teams year round. The main season for AAU is spring-summer though due to the timing of high school basketball.

Sorry for the ignorance but is the year round team the same as the spring/summer team?

Or would an organization have both a year round team and a spring/summer team?

They usually have tryouts every season and then charge a fee for that season.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you are talking about FCYBL winter league when you mean "select"--most of the teams are Fairfax County based and those middle schools don't have official basketball teams.

Many AAU teams in the area don't do much in the winter season b/c their players are off playing FCYBL. There are also AAU teams for kids who can't make the select teams.

AAU players almost always also play for their high schools as well.

My child attends private school and they have a middle school basketball team.

My child was planning to try out for select in the next few weeks, play for his school team and try out for AAU in Jan/Feb.

Oh, do private middle school teams play their games right after school? I'm not familiar with how that works.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you are talking about FCYBL winter league when you mean "select"--most of the teams are Fairfax County based and those middle schools don't have official basketball teams.

Many AAU teams in the area don't do much in the winter season b/c their players are off playing FCYBL. There are also AAU teams for kids who can't make the select teams.

AAU players almost always also play for their high schools as well.

My child attends private school and they have a middle school basketball team.

My child was planning to try out for select in the next few weeks, play for his school team and try out for AAU in Jan/Feb.

Oh, do private middle school teams play their games right after school? I'm not familiar with how that works.

This is our first year of middle school but yes, I believe games are right after school. Practice is also at the end of the day. It is built in their school day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are a new to basketball family. My son plans to try out for the select team in our area and attend the open gyms that are coming up. The select league goes through winter. Not sure of the exact dates of select basketball but winter. His middle school also has a basketball team and their season is November through February.

I see all these AAU tryouts for middle and high school happening now.

Wouldn’t these kids be playing for their school teams?

Do the AAU kids play year round?
Do better players not play on their school teams?

I’m just trying to understand the overlap and timing of these teams.

To answer your questions:

1. AAU season is really light during the winter. For example, my son is playing AAU right now but it's primarily to stay sharp and to get prepared for his HS season come Nov. But otherwise, don't worry about AAU right now if your son is in middle school. I'd just focus on attending the open gyms and playing select and also for his school.

2. Most (not all) kids play for their schools and/or select (select ends after 8th grade).

3. Some AAU kids play year round, but most do not. The ones who play AAU year round are probably the superstars who have a good shot at D1 or beyond...they travel all over the country to play in tournaments to be seen. Or, year round AAU players could be pretty average as well. They play b/c they can't make their HS team but want to continue playing basketball. There are lots of bad AAU teams out there. Otherwise, most good bball players still play for their HS.

4. No, better players still usually play for their HS, but you may have some superstars who skip the whole HS bball thing and travel the country playing AAU. But you still see great bball players playing for their HS.

5. The normal/busy AAU season is spring/summer...you should focus on that after the select season ends. Tryouts are usually around February or March.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The people who run the AAU teams want to make money year round so of course they will run their teams year round. The main season for AAU is spring-summer though due to the timing of high school basketball.

Sorry for the ignorance but is the year round team the same as the spring/summer team?

Or would an organization have both a year round team and a spring/summer team?

Our club has fall tryouts and spring tryouts. Spring summer is the more serious season. Not all spring summer players want to play in fall/winter, so the teams add players for those seasons. Not all of them will make the spring/summer team, but it's still a good way to get in

So it would be easier to get on a team in the fall since the spring season is the main season, correct?

Probably. But also keep in mind there are usually a lot fewer AAU teams in the fall compared to the spring too.

[Anonymous]

No serious/good AAU teams (with the exception of shoe teams) that are high school aged are playing AAU in the fall. Focus on the tryouts in February/March.

[Anonymous]

Simple.

Most AAU teams until 8th grade play all year round. Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer.

Once they get to 9th grade and above almost none play during the winter season as not to compete with HS. Most play Spring/Summer and a few do Fall.

My some skipped the FCYBL for his town select team for 7th and 8th as he had tournaments almost every weekend in the Winter. So he felt it was better competion than the county basketball.