Transforming My Team: Escaping the AAU Norm for Success
Lee Taft 
Avoiding the Current
Man, do I love this!
All those organizers out there making tons of money for unknowing families and getting such little results for these kids are being proven wrong.
Once and for all!
Basketball is a game that requires skill- we know this. To gain skills, we have to practice the various skills of the game of basketball.
Passing, dribbling, shooting, finishing, defending, decision-making…
Most AAU organizers have you believing, “If you play tons of weekend games and tournaments for six plus months, you will get better and noticed by college coaches.”
I had to stop typing a few times because I was laughing. What a joke!
They are selling you on something that isn’t true for 95% of players in this country. The 1% don’t really need their help. While the other 4% could go either way.
If they follow the current AAU model, they risk it all. Injuries, overuse, burnout symptoms, poor skill development, bad habits, development of poor attitude, emotional fatigue, and on and on…
Players need to get better- Period!
What Players Need
Players need to learn to handle the ball, shoot, score, pass, and make decisions- but they won’t do this playing in games all the time. Get in the gym, shut the door behind you, and work smart!
Here is an overview of my team's activity over the last few months…
We played roughly twenty organized games during spring and summer. We trained three days per week when the players could make it. Many of them played a spring sport, and several played a different sport in the summer (recreational or club)—however, most found time to get faster, stronger, and more skilled.
Our games were scrimmages against other HS teams, scrimmages against travel teams, games at college team camps, and many highly competitive open gym games versus older players. One day and done!
We also ran 3-on-3 tournaments. Some of my players attended a one-day college showcase camp with tons of skill development, film, and games.
Big Takeaways
The biggest takeaway is we learned.
- We learned how to read the defense and make great decisions.
- We learned how to be much better at finishing at the rim.
- We learned how to pivot out of pressure and hit open teammates.
- We learned several actions that made the defense crazy.
- We followed the Basketball Game Model to a “T”!
My players got better without costing the parents a fortune. The fee was $150 for the HS players and $75 for MS, with an occasional 20 bucks here or there.
We have super fresh legs, healthy bodies, and minds, and we are much better as players and teammates than when I first took over the job a year ago.
As you can see, the Basketball Game Model has proven to offer payers of all ages and abilities what they need to compete at the highest levels or have the opportunity to enjoy a fantastic game.
Categories: aau basketball, basketball iq, basketball practice, basketball skills