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A really good article on AAU basketball. Too long to copy
but here's a link http://www.hartfordadvocate.com/articles/aauhoops.html and interesting passages: But the biggest difference between the two worlds is the atmosphere. Witness the boys' Northeast Shoot-Out, New Haven, where hardly any parents watched. Simone says the upper level boys' game is overwhelmingly urban and that many of his kids do not have a stable parental structure. So he winds up chauffeuring his players to and from tournaments. Simone also does not charge any money to be in the program, which allows lower income kids to participate. He funds his program through his tournament, sneaker sponsorships and limited fundraising. In contrast, girls' basketball is still predominantly a suburban animal. That means the majority of players are white. So a top girls program like the Starters can charge $1,800 per season and not sacrifice its talent level. ... Although it has not happened yet, many fear the girls' AAU game could go down that path, if the shoe companies start pouring more money in. Karl Herbert, an assistant boys' coach at Northwest Catholic in West Hartford and Starters girls' coach, says his experience with AAU has been overwhelmingly positive. He acknowledges the fears, but says girls have different goals than the boys and operate on a more humble level. They do not dream of the WNBA in the same way boys think about the pros. "I don't think it will get as corrupt as the boys'," Herbert says. "But will it get more corrupt? Yes." Since AAU basketball has been at the forefront for less than ten years, the effects of the subculture on kids have not been fully gauged. But the NCAA has made up its mind. Last month, the organization passed new guidelines that will phase out the summer recruiting period for college coaches. The intent, though not explicitly stated, is to remove influence from AAU coaches and return it to the high school coaches. Most people involved in AAU say this will do nothing to reduce the problems associated with certain coaches; kids are going to play in the summer, one way or another. |
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