AAU Basketball Not The Answer For The Hoops Purist
Posted
Jerad Shaw-
Editor’s Note – this is the first installment of a guest column that will appear in print and the online edition each Wednesday The author’s views don’t necessarlily reflect those of the Times-Union.
“There comes a time, when winter will ask, what have you been doing all summer?” Henry Clay’s quote, familiar to anyone that has worn a Warsaw Tiger basketball jersey in the last 30 years, calls to the work required in the summer to improve both your individual and team skills. Once upon a time, the answer to Clay’s question was found in individual and team workouts designed to hone the physical skills of the player, as well as the cohesion and strength of the team. Today, Clay’s question is answered not by focusing on the development of the individual’s character and skill for the betterment of the team, but by the “me first” showcase of talent in hopes of landing a scholarship or shoe deal by the age of 12. This of course is brought to you by AAU basketball. An organization, that although founded on sound principles of developing character, skills, and opportunity for athletes, has become an industry of developing bad habits in players, coaches and leaders. For the basketball purest, there is no greater disappointment than an AAU basketball tournament. There is no semblance of team play. Coaches give little to no attention to detail, on either side of the ball. God help you if you expect to see defense of any kind played when you walk into one of these AAU places like Spiece Fieldhouse in Fort Wayne. Rotation and help side defense? Not a chance. These traits are taught to kids all summer long, only then to be shipped back to their high school coach in the fall, forcing them to relive some kind of twisted basketball “Groundhogs Day.” Now, not all AAU programs are bad. Luckily, in our community, we have one of the good ones. Thunderbird AAU is what AAU basketball should be – coaches spending time improving kid’s fundamentals, while also functioning as a team throughout the summer months and giving kids in our area an opportunity to grow as athletes. Unfortunately, Thunderbird AAU is the exception and not the rule, but they’re our exception. At the end of the day, protecting the interest of the kids has to be at the top of the priority list. Putting people in the proper spots of an AAU organization is the key to make sure that is the goal. There is a fine line between giving an athlete an opportunity for exposure, and giving the time needed to improve the skill set of that same athlete. With a full summer schedule of games, it’s the adults that must keep things in perspective. Parading around high school athletes for three months is costing not only the athlete, but the high school team he will play for when the summer is over.
