Developing basketball players isn’t an exact science. Each player is different and needs different things. But in general, all players need the same things. Repetitions with detailed instruction, accountability, and competition. While playing 5 on 5 is certainly important at some point, there’s way too much emphasis on that and not enough emphasis on the instruction and accountability parts. When you’re in a team setting, it’s hard to get the necessary reps at any one thing, especially when practice time is limited and there’s such a focus on winning.
Having said that, it doesn’t make sense to play AAU before the 6th grade. Most kids younger than that need a lot more time in the gym working on their skills and playing 3 on 3. After spending 5 hours recently at an “AAU tryout,” the best player in the gym had never played AAU before. The majority had played multiple seasons.
Why is that? Because the best one had been working on their game, but not just in 1 on 1 training sessions. That player received countless repetitions with detailed instruction, accountability, and competition.
If you’re playing AAU to prepare for middle school, it makes sense. If you get cut from your school team, it makes some sense. But even then, there’s a reason you got cut from your school team. Are you spending the necessary time working on those deficiencies?
Once you’re good enough to make your school team, I don’t understand why you play AAU or whatever until you’re ready to be recruited. For most, that’s going to be at least the summer prior to their junior year.
Not playing basketball year-round gives you an off-season where you work on your game. It gives you a mental and physical break. You might even play another sport.
Playing multiple games in one or two days every other weekend is too much. Spend more time in the weight room doing basketball-specific training. Not power lifting or even just random agility training. Some sports overlap. Most do not. Spend more time practicing and learning how to play. You don’t have to run around and play in tournaments to do that. We put players in competitive situations every day to help them work on different parts of the game. And in 30 minutes, they can get more repetitions than they will get in a whole weekend of playing AAU. It isn’t glamorous or popular. It’s not going to get likes or followers. But it works.
Notice, I didn’t say don’t play at all. I’m assuming you’re still playing for your school team. I’m sure someone is going to say their high school team is “political.” Trust me, I’m sure it is. But if you’re good enough, the coach will play you. And I don’t mean borderline good enough. I mean, undeniably, unmistakably, obviously good enough.
College players have an off-season. Pro players have an offseason. Why don’t high school players?
If you’re 15 playing against 15-year-olds, you’re not getting recruited. That’s basically JV basketball.
If you can play 17U at 14 or 15 years old, that’s different, but not the norm for most players. Most players aren’t playing varsity as a freshman. That’s not unusual. But unless you’re a significant contributor on your high school varsity team, playing AAU is taking time away from what you need to do to actually develop.
I understand that college coaches aren’t running around to high school games looking for players. But scoring 25 points in a game on right-handed layups in transition against players who aren’t very big or athletic doesn’t translate to the college game either.
Every situation is different, but the majority of players don’t get recruited or talk to any coaches. We have helped numerous players get full scholarships who weren’t getting full scholarships before and it wasn’t because they were playing AAU. It starts with are you good enough to get recruited. That evaluation is hard but it’s the key to the whole process. Most players aren’t yet but it doesn’t mean they can’t get there.
