[brassmonkeys]

AAU is a business first and foremost by organizers of events. People talk about how the NCAA should be paying kids and they are being exploited. AAU is cashing in on the vulnerability and dream chasing of players, parents, and coaches. So Im gonna keep it real. If you complain College Kids should get paid, you should complain about AAU exploitation as well.


Here is your typical AAU cost breakdown (Reminder teams decide the amount and number of tournaments they want to get in).


300-500 Dollar Entry Fee Every Weekend for Team (Divide that up by number of players), 7-10 Dollar a Day Ticket, Hotel Fee's, etc. Then buy your Neon Glow and Military Colored Souvenir of Choice (Hundreds to Choose From) as you walk through said Gym host of Choice, some with your own kids pictures and names printed on them that they are selling for profit. By the way you didn't give them permission to do to this, or did you when you signed up to be in the AAU.


A few problems that I have with AAU is not the level of competition, its the "Team they play for this year or this week" that have coaches that try to act like they genetically conceived the child from cradle to grave. They dislike most high school ball and talk ish about the coaches, but tell their parents to make sure you text them their stats from their high school game, so they can put how well they did on our their AAU teams social media account. So in return the high school coach becomes the scapegoat, because your AAU team is winning the Hee-Haw in Sandy Hook Tournament, while the High School coach team is losing to a Sweet 16 team by double digits.



My suggestion is looking up a lot of high school job openings each year and applying, but that mean you would have to practice 5 days per week, instead of your usual 1 or 2. That means you could only coach one team and not your son, daughter and they friends team at once. That means you would have to use a lot more strategy (unless you recruit players to your school like some places do), that means you will have to pass a more extensive background check (AAU didnt even require background checks until 2012). Not to say high school coaches are saints, because there are bad dudes/ladies in all avenues of life. Its just easier said than done.



AAU has not taken the recruiting away from the high school game. Is ESPN coming to videotape AAU games each week or high school games? Last time I checked it was high school games. They may come to the National AAU tourney in Disney, but they are not coming to film the PeachBerry Strawberry JamFest Exposure event in Biloxi. Like I said before the best players will be seen regardless. There are only so many kids that are going D1 and to the NBA or WNBA. A good high school or AAU coach, parent, friend, or whatever can all aid in helping a kid get a scholarship.... My problem is that there are AAU coaches that think they did it all and there are high school coaches that they think they did it all. They need to get over themselves and realizes they both probably aided in helping the kid get their and quit peeing and moaning back and forth.

If I get back into coaching, I will invite any High School coach to my practices if I do AAU and any Any AAU coaches that come practice if I do high school.


High School sports suppose to be an extension of the school day and a carryover of classmates sharing a common interest with classmates. Its not to collect the most talent (which is "not suppose to happen") and let them put a beatdown on other high schools that already have a running clock rule.


Any ways long winded..