Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am dreading the thought of our team going to AAU every year. It sucks on so many levels that I don't even know which reason I could mention first. Unless you are part of a very competitive team, I cannot believe that someone would actually want to go. Just celebrate that your team is not going! I love those self-aware teams that decide not to go to AAU: why waste so much time and money on a meaningless tournament? If you deserve to play in a national tournament, go ahead and earn a bid at the USAV Nationals. If you can't get a bid at the USAV Nationals, you are not at the level where you should travel to Florida. Where has all the common sense gone?

Then don't sign up for a club that goes to AAU Nationals every year! If you hate going to Charm City every year, don't sign up for a club that goes to Baltimore every year! If you hate going to Volley By The James, don't sign up for a club that goes to Richmond every year! This is all solvable with your own decisions, you know. It's just another tournament. There's no reason to hate it any more or less than other big tournaments, in my opinion.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am dreading the thought of our team going to AAU every year. It sucks on so many levels that I don't even know which reason I could mention first. Unless you are part of a very competitive team, I cannot believe that someone would actually want to go. Just celebrate that your team is not going! I love those self-aware teams that decide not to go to AAU: why waste so much time and money on a meaningless tournament? If you deserve to play in a national tournament, go ahead and earn a bid at the USAV Nationals. If you can't get a bid at the USAV Nationals, you are not at the level where you should travel to Florida. Where has all the common sense gone?

Aren’t they all meaningless? Whether it’s open at USAV GJNC or a one day at MDJRs, at the end of the day it’s still just kids’ sports. If you don’t like Orlando, that’s fine, but different strokes and all that. Maybe the OP is a Disney Vacation Club member and wants to combine volleyball with a family vacation? I personally don’t care much for Orlando either, but I do prefer it over Las Vegas which USAV seems to go back to every few years.

I honestly don’t know anyone in club volleyball who treats AAU Nationals the same way they treat qualifying for USAV Nationals. If a tournament is on your schedule from Day 1 of the season, or the primary barrier to entry is registering and paying before spots fill up, people understand that’s a different thing from earning a bid through qualification. I've never heard someone say they are "going to nationals" while speaking about the AAU event.

That said, I don’t really object to the concept of a large end-of-season tournament event outside of USAV Nationals with teams from across the country. Plenty of teams would choose that path intentionally from the start, just like they do with AAUs now. For many teams and families, it’s a fun destination tournament and a good way to end the season.

I suspect people would find it less irritating if it were branded something like the “AAU Cup” or “AAU Championship Classic” instead of “Nationals,” because the name creates an apples-to-apples comparison with USAV Nationals that doesn’t really exist on the girls’ side.

At the same time, it’s worth noting that in boys’ volleyball, AAU Nationals is actually viewed by many as the premier national championship event. So from AAU’s perspective, there’s probably little incentive to rename a tournament that already carries that level of legitimacy in another part of the sport.

I am curious how this split occurred with Girls USAV Nationals and Boys AAU Nationals.

THe only explanation I have heard is that boys don't like the USAV location but that seems like a thin rationale.