The top-level AAU teams scout players throughout the area and poach the best from other teams, including PPA (I've seen that specifically happen multiple times). If you don't get a tap on the shoulder from an AAU coach/admin at a tournament, your kid probably isn't AAU material.

PPA doesn't scout so much as it invites the best players from its Development programs to try out for Premier. Because it's drawing from such a self-contained talent pool, PPA by nature isn't going to be as strong.

Anonymous wrote:How about the i270 league - is that still considered strong? Feed into the MOCO high schools?

i270 depends on the regions.

In the hypercompetitive/expensive regions, there are a good amount of aau players on the teams. For some of the players, it's just one of the many teams they are on during the season. We heard some families who had kids come from good teams in other leagues or travel teams complain about lack of playing time on their i270 team.

Likewise some other teams looked like they carried almost 20 players and basically took everyone from tryouts. But heard complaints from some families how only a select few actually get to play during games and they weren't happy that their kids hardly saw any playing time.

There are some areas which seem to be kind of low key, like slightly above rec level. But they tend to get runover by the other teams. I think one of the teams ended up not showing up to the playoff games but it was also either bad weather that day or a rescheduled day due to weather.

I have determined that a lot of programs purposely target richer areas because people in those areas are more likely to pay the large amount of money they charge. But personally think a lot of those families would've saved money and got more if they put their kids in rec. Some of the players could barely dribble or shoot a ball. The issue with rec, is that you never know what you're going to get and have to hope for a good parent coach. Although some of those expensive programs look for parent coaches too, so am not sure of the benefit of their program. And maybe there is a benefit of playing with/against higher skilled players and teams, with a lot of the limiting rules in rec removed. ie it's not guaranteed playing time for everyone, can full court press the entire game, no mercy rule, etc

I've heard from other people that like rec, the experience can vary within a program depending on coach and players on a team. So while I was unhappy with our experience with some of those programs. Know families that are happy with a team in another group and coach in the same program.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PPA is primarily a program for upper middle class white players who are decent players but not on the level of Takeover, Durant, Warriors, etc.

If your player is white and looking to play at a higher level (major private high school or college basketball) I would encourage them to consider a tryout for different teams. Fairly or not, PPA players aren’t viewed as as serious players.

This race stuff is weird. My kid played on teams in NW and SE DC and PG county, and while he was sometimes the only white player on his team, he never encountered a team that was “for white players.” What does that even mean? Basketball is generally the least segregated environment on earth.

Uh, no it’s not. DS has also been the only white kid on a team. At the more elite levels there’s a bias towards Black players. If you’re white you have to prove yourself more. At lower levels some coaches favor Black kids to give them more opportunity to grow. I get it. For some kids basketball is the ticket to colleges their families might otherwise not be able to afford.

As an athletic 6’4” white kid with a good shooting stroke, my kid had to prove himself LESS than equivalently talented black players. Seeing my kid jump and hit a couple of threes was all it took at tryouts for coaches to conclude that he was a great player, and they overlooked some weaknesses in his game that they shouldn’t have. My kid got his first in-game dunk during a 15u AAU game, and it was striking how much more excited the coaches and even other parents were for him than for a black player on his team with a similar skill set who got his first dunk in a game the week before.

were the black players also 6'4"?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PPA is primarily a program for upper middle class white players who are decent players but not on the level of Takeover, Durant, Warriors, etc.

If your player is white and looking to play at a higher level (major private high school or college basketball) I would encourage them to consider a tryout for different teams. Fairly or not, PPA players aren’t viewed as as serious players.

This race stuff is weird. My kid played on teams in NW and SE DC and PG county, and while he was sometimes the only white player on his team, he never encountered a team that was “for white players.” What does that even mean? Basketball is generally the least segregated environment on earth.

Uh, no it’s not. DS has also been the only white kid on a team. At the more elite levels there’s a bias towards Black players. If you’re white you have to prove yourself more. At lower levels some coaches favor Black kids to give them more opportunity to grow. I get it. For some kids basketball is the ticket to colleges their families might otherwise not be able to afford.

As an athletic 6’4” white kid with a good shooting stroke, my kid had to prove himself LESS than equivalently talented black players. Seeing my kid jump and hit a couple of threes was all it took at tryouts for coaches to conclude that he was a great player, and they overlooked some weaknesses in his game that they shouldn’t have. My kid got his first in-game dunk during a 15u AAU game, and it was striking how much more excited the coaches and even other parents were for him than for a black player on his team with a similar skill set who got his first dunk in a game the week before.

PPA Green kids, at the young age groups, can certainly and often do leave for more competitive DMV programs.

Gets harder the longer you stay with PPA (i.e., by middle school, unless you have a huge growth spurt, probably too late).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PPA is primarily a program for upper middle class white players who are decent players but not on the level of Takeover, Durant, Warriors, etc.

If your player is white and looking to play at a higher level (major private high school or college basketball) I would encourage them to consider a tryout for different teams. Fairly or not, PPA players aren’t viewed as as serious players.

This race stuff is weird. My kid played on teams in NW and SE DC and PG county, and while he was sometimes the only white player on his team, he never encountered a team that was “for white players.” What does that even mean? Basketball is generally the least segregated environment on earth.

Uh, no it’s not. DS has also been the only white kid on a team. At the more elite levels there’s a bias towards Black players. If you’re white you have to prove yourself more. At lower levels some coaches favor Black kids to give them more opportunity to grow. I get it. For some kids basketball is the ticket to colleges their families might otherwise not be able to afford.

The poster above is correct. A white player playing on a team with a majority black players will be taken more seriously than a white player on a team that is majority white.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PPA is primarily a program for upper middle class white players who are decent players but not on the level of Takeover, Durant, Warriors, etc.

If your player is white and looking to play at a higher level (major private high school or college basketball) I would encourage them to consider a tryout for different teams. Fairly or not, PPA players aren’t viewed as as serious players.

This race stuff is weird. My kid played on teams in NW and SE DC and PG county, and while he was sometimes the only white player on his team, he never encountered a team that was “for white players.” What does that even mean? Basketball is generally the least segregated environment on earth.

Uh, no it’s not. DS has also been the only white kid on a team. At the more elite levels there’s a bias towards Black players. If you’re white you have to prove yourself more. At lower levels some coaches favor Black kids to give them more opportunity to grow. I get it. For some kids basketball is the ticket to colleges their families might otherwise not be able to afford.

Anonymous wrote:Curious as to whether the board has a view on PPA Premier Hoops for boys at the younger age groups?

Is the program respected? If a kid is talented, for instance a top player on a Green Team, is it seen as a platform that would allow for exposure to some of the better programs in the area (i.e., Takeover, Durant, Warriors)?

It's expensive, so hoping to solicit views before making a commitment after tryouts this week.

There’s not a lot of crossover between PPA and Takeover/Durant. It’s not so much a race thing as a class thing. PPA draws from wealthy neighborhoods and private schools in Bethesda and NW DC.

Takeover and Durant draw from the entire DMV and can choose the best.

PPA Premier teams have uneven coaching. I’ve seen a couple stellar coaches. Most are okay but not necessarily brilliant.

Anonymous wrote:PPA is primarily a program for upper middle class white players who are decent players but not on the level of Takeover, Durant, Warriors, etc.

If your player is white and looking to play at a higher level (major private high school or college basketball) I would encourage them to consider a tryout for different teams. Fairly or not, PPA players aren’t viewed as as serious players.

This race stuff is weird. My kid played on teams in NW and SE DC and PG county, and while he was sometimes the only white player on his team, he never encountered a team that was “for white players.” What does that even mean? Basketball is generally the least segregated environment on earth.

How about the i270 league - is that still considered strong? Feed into the MOCO high schools?

Anonymous wrote:PPA is primarily a program for upper middle class white players who are decent players but not on the level of Takeover, Durant, Warriors, etc.

If your player is white and looking to play at a higher level (major private high school or college basketball) I would encourage them to consider a tryout for different teams. Fairly or not, PPA players aren’t viewed as as serious players.

This is correct. But not many teams are on the level of Takeover and Durant period...If you want better programs in the area, that aren't on the level of Takeover, but still really good, focus on Nova Cavs, Nova 94, Team Attack, DC Blue Devils, Family over Fame.

What are the alternatives for a talented 4th or 5th grader that lives NW DC or Bethesda? Tru2Form? Pat The Roc?

Lot of talk on this board about NOVA options, but what are good travel options for late elementary boys in southern MOCO?

Not going to answer white or black because if you can hoop, it doesn't matter.

PPA is primarily a program for upper middle class white players who are decent players but not on the level of Takeover, Durant, Warriors, etc.

If your player is white and looking to play at a higher level (major private high school or college basketball) I would encourage them to consider a tryout for different teams. Fairly or not, PPA players aren’t viewed as as serious players.

Anonymous wrote:Curious as to whether the board has a view on PPA Premier Hoops for boys at the younger age groups?

Is the program respected? If a kid is talented, for instance a top player on a Green Team, is it seen as a platform that would allow for exposure to some of the better programs in the area (i.e., Takeover, Durant, Warriors)?

It's expensive, so hoping to solicit views before making a commitment after tryouts this week.

No. What are your other options? Are you white? How tall is your kid likely to be in middle school?

Curious as to whether the board has a view on PPA Premier Hoops for boys at the younger age groups?

Is the program respected? If a kid is talented, for instance a top player on a Green Team, is it seen as a platform that would allow for exposure to some of the better programs in the area (i.e., Takeover, Durant, Warriors)?

It's expensive, so hoping to solicit views before making a commitment after tryouts this week.