Honest question about sports, specifically basketball

[Anonymous]

The AAU is about showcasing talent not building talent. It is designed to get top high school kids recruited.
In middle school find a team that does not travel and spend the money you save on high quality training. If kid makes progress, join a real travel team in high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
On the girls side, all of the Stars, Elevate, Takeover, Durant players on the top high school teams will get scholarships. The clubs are eager to tell you how many D1 offers even the last girl on the bench has. What they don't tell you is how few of the girls from their top 8th grade teams end up playing for their circuit teams. My daughter is on one of those teams and there is a ton of turn over. Some of it is players wanting to play somewhere else and some of it is girls being cut. It's probably 70/30 the former

*** There seem to be a limited number of good teams so girls move around between teams a lot then? Are there any DMV teams where you are not likely to be cut if you keep working on your game (not necessarily putting in effort to be elite) and get to enjoy playing at a fairly high level?

At elevate, the gold teams seem to remain the gold teams for the most part. 3SSB just form above the gold team. They are also adding S40 which will be somewhere between the two. Some girls from the original gold team will move up and some will move to other clubs, but a lot will stay.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The AAU is about showcasing talent not building talent. It is designed to get top high school kids recruited.
In middle school find a team that does not travel and spend the money you save on high quality training. If kid makes progress, join a real travel team in high school.

A team that doesn't travel probably isn't playing high level competition. Even locally, the teams that travel the most tend to also play at local tournaments against each other. You can train all you want, but if you aren't playing with and against better players, there is a limit to what training can do

[Anonymous]

The above two posts are in direct contradiction with each other. As the parent of a MS kid I’m lost. I guess there is no right or wrong thing to do - upto each family on what is best for their kid (and their pockets!)

[Anonymous]

DP. My advice is a hybrid of their advice in the sense that the traveling part is for the most part not necessary for developing in the sport although it serves as team bonding. Here's the thing about training... my son plays on a pretty high level AAU team and the kid who looks the best in training gets scared in games (especially when they play against really high level competition). Kids need to learn how they can make threes and dribble penetration in training and then execute these skills in games in order to really get the development they need.

[Anonymous]

It sounds like the OP doesn't live in the DMV. There is no "competitive" basketball that's a step up from rec but not AAU/Travel. That option actually sounds appealing as a middle ground and wish we had something similar to it here other than FCYBL.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DP. My advice is a hybrid of their advice in the sense that the traveling part is for the most part not necessary for developing in the sport although it serves as team bonding. Here's the thing about training... my son plays on a pretty high level AAU team and the kid who looks the best in training gets scared in games (especially when they play against really high level competition). Kids need to learn how they can make threes and dribble penetration in training and then execute these skills in games in order to really get the development they need.

This is my son (but he does train)!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here- thanks for the responses. One more thing I have realized is that just because you play on a travel/competitive team it doesn’t mean you are necessarily better than another player who hasn’t played on a travel team.

I feel like there is so much wrong with the sports culture here and the need to keep our kids in these sports and competitive teams even when we see no improvement.

I have a good basketball playing son who did not make a competitive team this year despite being as good as some of the kids who were already on the team. I have learned from the process that if you come in at age 12, the teams are already almost full and the team is looking for new talent. The team will not replace a bench with another bench. My child was disappointed but has been playing in a team with some friends and is the star of his team. He makes 20 points every game. He is too good for rec basketball but apparently not good enough for travel or AAU.

Most travel teams I know started with a rec team that made the leap, with all the rec kids who wanted to join and open tryouts for just a few spots. Sure, as the team went up, some kids dropped out or went in different directions. But at some point, they were just a rec team.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here- thanks for the responses. One more thing I have realized is that just because you play on a travel/competitive team it doesn’t mean you are necessarily better than another player who hasn’t played on a travel team.

I feel like there is so much wrong with the sports culture here and the need to keep our kids in these sports and competitive teams even when we see no improvement.

I have a good basketball playing son who did not make a competitive team this year despite being as good as some of the kids who were already on the team. I have learned from the process that if you come in at age 12, the teams are already almost full and the team is looking for new talent. The team will not replace a bench with another bench. My child was disappointed but has been playing in a team with some friends and is the star of his team. He makes 20 points every game. He is too good for rec basketball but apparently not good enough for travel or AAU.

Most travel teams I know started with a rec team that made the leap, with all the rec kids who wanted to join and open tryouts for just a few spots. Sure, as the team went up, some kids dropped out or went in different directions. But at some point, they were just a rec team.

In basketball? That is not accurate for the many, many AAU teams I am familiar with in the DC area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here- thanks for the responses. One more thing I have realized is that just because you play on a travel/competitive team it doesn’t mean you are necessarily better than another player who hasn’t played on a travel team.

I feel like there is so much wrong with the sports culture here and the need to keep our kids in these sports and competitive teams even when we see no improvement.

I have a good basketball playing son who did not make a competitive team this year despite being as good as some of the kids who were already on the team. I have learned from the process that if you come in at age 12, the teams are already almost full and the team is looking for new talent. The team will not replace a bench with another bench. My child was disappointed but has been playing in a team with some friends and is the star of his team. He makes 20 points every game. He is too good for rec basketball but apparently not good enough for travel or AAU.

Most travel teams I know started with a rec team that made the leap, with all the rec kids who wanted to join and open tryouts for just a few spots. Sure, as the team went up, some kids dropped out or went in different directions. But at some point, they were just a rec team.

In basketball? That is not accurate for the many, many AAU teams I am familiar with in the DC area.

It's not accurate for any of the big AAU clubs and not accurate for most FCBYL teams. I guess it's accurate for the one off AAU teams

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here- thanks for the responses. One more thing I have realized is that just because you play on a travel/competitive team it doesn’t mean you are necessarily better than another player who hasn’t played on a travel team.

I feel like there is so much wrong with the sports culture here and the need to keep our kids in these sports and competitive teams even when we see no improvement.

I have a good basketball playing son who did not make a competitive team this year despite being as good as some of the kids who were already on the team. I have learned from the process that if you come in at age 12, the teams are already almost full and the team is looking for new talent. The team will not replace a bench with another bench. My child was disappointed but has been playing in a team with some friends and is the star of his team. He makes 20 points every game. He is too good for rec basketball but apparently not good enough for travel or AAU.

Most travel teams I know started with a rec team that made the leap, with all the rec kids who wanted to join and open tryouts for just a few spots. Sure, as the team went up, some kids dropped out or went in different directions. But at some point, they were just a rec team.

In basketball? That is not accurate for the many, many AAU teams I am familiar with in the DC area.

This may be accurate for BRYC and CYA with teams that play year round in local AAU tournaments after winter travel season ends. And I think several Loudon county teams stay together year round or re form to play local and national tournaments.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here- thanks for the responses. One more thing I have realized is that just because you play on a travel/competitive team it doesn’t mean you are necessarily better than another player who hasn’t played on a travel team.

I feel like there is so much wrong with the sports culture here and the need to keep our kids in these sports and competitive teams even when we see no improvement.

I have a good basketball playing son who did not make a competitive team this year despite being as good as some of the kids who were already on the team. I have learned from the process that if you come in at age 12, the teams are already almost full and the team is looking for new talent. The team will not replace a bench with another bench. My child was disappointed but has been playing in a team with some friends and is the star of his team. He makes 20 points every game. He is too good for rec basketball but apparently not good enough for travel or AAU.

Most travel teams I know started with a rec team that made the leap, with all the rec kids who wanted to join and open tryouts for just a few spots. Sure, as the team went up, some kids dropped out or went in different directions. But at some point, they were just a rec team.

In basketball? That is not accurate for the many, many AAU teams I am familiar with in the DC area.

+1.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Great thread - provides good perspective. Can someone comment on how much of this is relevant for girls travel basketball. Are there any clubs/teams you recommend that focus on the developing the whole team? Are the top teams like Fairfax Stars, Elevate Elite just picking best players each season and cutting the rest or do they focus on player and team improvement?

The top Fairfax Stars/Elevate teams will always pick the best girls. At the higher levels, the EYBL teams (Stars, Takeover) recruit the best of the best, even kids from far away who commute into the DMV for the team. At all levels, these types of teams focus on player development, but with an eye towards tournament play.

Stars usually has two teams per age group. Elevate has multiple teams per age group. There are always one or two girls on the second team good enough to play on the top team, but rarely more than that. The lower teams still get great coaching and development at these programs, even though they are not not he top teams. All of the girls on the second team, for example, will play varsity high school even if they aren’t on the top AAU team in their club.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here- thanks for the responses. One more thing I have realized is that just because you play on a travel/competitive team it doesn’t mean you are necessarily better than another player who hasn’t played on a travel team.

I feel like there is so much wrong with the sports culture here and the need to keep our kids in these sports and competitive teams even when we see no improvement.

I have a good basketball playing son who did not make a competitive team this year despite being as good as some of the kids who were already on the team. I have learned from the process that if you come in at age 12, the teams are already almost full and the team is looking for new talent. The team will not replace a bench with another bench. My child was disappointed but has been playing in a team with some friends and is the star of his team. He makes 20 points every game. He is too good for rec basketball but apparently not good enough for travel or AAU.

Most travel teams I know started with a rec team that made the leap, with all the rec kids who wanted to join and open tryouts for just a few spots. Sure, as the team went up, some kids dropped out or went in different directions. But at some point, they were just a rec team.

In basketball? That is not accurate for the many, many AAU teams I am familiar with in the DC area.

This may be accurate for BRYC and CYA with teams that play year round in local AAU tournaments after winter travel season ends. And I think several Loudon county teams stay together year round or re form to play local and national tournaments.

BRYC and CYA still have tryouts for their FCBYL teams. They aren't just rec teams that decide to call themselves a travel team

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here- thanks for the responses. One more thing I have realized is that just because you play on a travel/competitive team it doesn’t mean you are necessarily better than another player who hasn’t played on a travel team.

I feel like there is so much wrong with the sports culture here and the need to keep our kids in these sports and competitive teams even when we see no improvement.

I have a good basketball playing son who did not make a competitive team this year despite being as good as some of the kids who were already on the team. I have learned from the process that if you come in at age 12, the teams are already almost full and the team is looking for new talent. The team will not replace a bench with another bench. My child was disappointed but has been playing in a team with some friends and is the star of his team. He makes 20 points every game. He is too good for rec basketball but apparently not good enough for travel or AAU.

Most travel teams I know started with a rec team that made the leap, with all the rec kids who wanted to join and open tryouts for just a few spots. Sure, as the team went up, some kids dropped out or went in different directions. But at some point, they were just a rec team.

This is completely absurd LOL. No. That is not how 95% of aau/travel basketball teams are formed.