Realistic Expectations

Your teens are growing up. They are becoming young adults and searching for independence and respect. They also have their own minds and may no longer care about going to the Nutcracker or decorating cookies and that’s okay. They may even have ideas of what they would prefer to do during the holidays, so try asking them.

Talk To Your Teens

Before you’re into the heart of the holiday season:

1. Talk with your teens.
2. Let them know what is important to you during the Holidays.
3. Make sure you have put thought into what is truly important, and then keep it simple.

Certain traditions. Spending a specific meal together. And then ask what is important to your teen. If you take the time to listen, you might be surprised. Maybe they just want a few hours to visit friends. Even if they don’t open up much, at least they will know in advance what to expect during the holiday season.

Discuss Screen Time Before The Holidays

Teens are going to want to be on their phones and playing video games. If you have family over during the holidays or plan on visiting family, talk to your teens about screen time. Older family members will especially appreciate one-on-one time without interruption. Work together with your teen to decide what’s okay as far as screen time. Don’t be rigid, look for a good compromise. Maybe no phone use for the first hour. Maybe phone checks and texts intermittently as long as it’s not constant. Or maybe no phone at all, but they can play video games all night when they get home. Have the conversation ahead of the holidays and see what solutions you can come up with together.

Be Flexible

As adults, we can get set in our ways. Take a look at things that you can be flexible on during the holiday season. Maybe this year you don’t spend New Year’s Eve together as a family, but you do brunch on New Year’s day. Maybe your teen misses one lighting of the Menorah and goes ice-skating with friends instead. Maybe your teen skips picking out a Christmas tree and spends the day with his girlfriend’s family. Find ways to give your teen a little more independence.

Enjoy Activities Together

If there are activities that your teen enjoys, try doing them together. Get outside if possible. Go play catch or Spikeball. Hit the ski slopes. Maybe play a board game or card game. Watch a movie together. Don’t expect your teen to spend all day as a family, but look for bits of time when you can enjoy one another.

Try Something New

Have you ever tried doing something different during the holidays? Ask your teen if they have ideas on celebrating, and you may even find a new tradition. Or, if you’re really feeling crazy, take your family away on vacation for the holidays. Ask your teen where they would like to travel and then try a new holiday adventure.

Help Others

Volunteer at a soup kitchen or buy gifts for families in need. So much of a teen’s life is focused on themselves. Help your teen to realize that there are other people in this world. Nothing boosts the holiday spirit more than giving a helping hand.

Enjoy the holidays with your teens. The season may look a little different than it has in the past, and your teen may want to spend time away from you. But that’s okay, different can still be a lot of fun.

Well, you’ve done the hard work, but there is still more that you can do to hold the attention of the recruiters, and it might not be what you’re thinking.

Character Counts

If you are being recruited, your social media is being watched. So be yourself but also think twice, or three times, before you post. Think about how your post might impact your future.

Many colleges outsource monitoring of social media. These services can even find those Snapchat posts that you think that no one will see. The services gather all of your social media information for the college to get a glimpse at your character.

Remember, what you post online can affect your recruiting process, and more importantly, it can affect you in many ways for the rest of your life. So it’s worth repeating: think before you post.

What do you want your social media to say about you?

What Coaches See

When a college coach comes to watch you in your sport, they already know what you can do in your sport. They want to know more about your character, if you are a team player, and if you’ll fit in with their program.

Before The Game

As a high school coach, I always reminded my recruited players that when a college coach came to watch them play, they would be watching them when they stepped into the gym. They would watch how they carried themselves and how they interacted with their coaches and teammates to feel their overall demeanor.

A college coach will often be there earlier so they can watch a recruit before game time. To watch them in the stands or sidelines where they show what they are really made of. Of course, every athlete has their own personality. Some players keep to themselves a bit before the game, while others are more chatty with their teammates. But whatever it is that you do, a coach will get a vibe by how you present yourself.

Think about what you do while you are waiting for your game to start. Are you nice to your teammates? Do you make sure you clean up anything you may have left in your area, like a Gatorade bottle or food wrappers? Think about the impression you will be making right from the moment you hit the gym, field, or ballpark.

Be the best possible version of yourself.

During The Game

Don’t overstress about your game just because a coach is watching. I know that’s easy to say, but the coach already knows that you can play, or they wouldn’t be there. So think about the team game plan and go the extra mile to work with your teammates to make it happen.

If you focus on the team and not yourself, you will shine as a team player. If you are playing basketball, I don’t mean that you shouldn’t shoot; I mean do what is expected of you and more. A college recruiter sees all aspects of the game. They will see the hustle and the team play, as well as the stats.

And if you make a mistake, that’s okay. College coaches understand that mistakes happen. They want to see what happens after you make a mistake. How you react. Do you throw a fit or move on? A recruiter won’t care if you miss a lay-in or strike-out, but they will mind if you hang your head and don’t hustle back on defense or stay positive as you head out to shortstop to start the next inning.

A college coach will also see how you treat your coach. They will notice if you roll your eyes at them or spend your time looking into the crowd during a timeout. A college coach wants to know that you will listen to what they have to say when you come to play for them.

They want to know that you are coachable.

A college coach will notice if you support your teammates. Suppose you thank them for passes and congratulate them on their successes. College coaches notice the little things, the highs 5’s, the points, and the back slaps. All the things that tell them, this athlete is a team player. They have what is needed athletically, but they also care about their teammates. If you work to raise the level of your teammate’s game, your team will be more successful.

A college coach wants a player who cares about the team.

After The Game

Again, be aware of how you represent yourself. If your team lost, don’t pout or be a bad sport. You can be disappointed, upset even, but a college coach will want to know how you handle failure because it is a part of sports and part of life. Losses and failures help you grow as a player and a person and, in the end, make the team stronger.

Communication

When a coach contacts you, be professional. Please get back to them promptly and use appropriate language. How you respond to them will give that coach a good idea of your interest level and how you might communicate with your teammates.

Meeting A Coach

NCAA rules vary depending on sport as to when you can talk with college coaches in person, but if you do have the opportunity, make eye contact with the coach, be gracious, be yourself, and always remember, character counts.

Read More:

• College Recruiting Simplified
• How an Injured Athlete Can Still Manage the College Recruiting Process Successfully

Don’t Let Your Opponent Set Up The Press

The best way to beat a press is to not allow it to set up. I know it seems too simple. But depending on the opponent, it can work, especially if you have established a hustle mentality with your team.

Your team must get the ball inbounds right after your opponent makes a basket. To make this happen, it’s important to have one person in the game who is assigned to inbound the ball. There will be a few players on your team who take on this role, depending on who is in the game. These players must know that it is their responsibility and should work on the role during practice, so that it becomes a habit.

All of your players need to be on board when it comes to beating the press. Guards must be ready to receive the ball right away. And they need to look up the court and push the ball, preferably with a pass, as soon as possible. All of this, however, should be under control. As coach John Wooden used to say, “Be quick but don’t hurry.” If a pass isn’t open, your player can dribble in the direction of their basket if the press isn’t set. If the press gets set, then your team should run your press breaker.

It seems simple, yet it’s not, unless your team has the right mentality. Players often get used to going to spots and setting up their press breakers, and not always at an extra fast pace. So it takes practice to get your players to take their hustle to another level.

Pass The Ball

If your opponent is able to set up their zone press before you get the ball inbounds, then attack the zone with your press breaker and emphasize passing. I’m sure you’ve heard it before, but it’s worth repeating, a pass moves faster than a dribble. If you have the chance to move the ball up the court with a pass, do it. Make sure to have your players work on passing in practice. Put them in pressure situations, teach them how to avoid traps, and how to pass out of them.

Avoid Traps

No matter how good your team is, your players will get trapped from time to time, so they must know how to stay calm and keep the ball moving up the court. Spending time on passing skill work and ball handling will help your athletes to feel confident and comfortable moving the ball up the court, and avoid traps.

Come To The Ball

Your players need to be aware that someone will be trying to steal the ball from them when they are being pressed. So teach them to come to the ball when it is passed to them. This way even if an opponent tries to jump in and steal the ball they can’t, and may even foul your player in the process.

Use Ball Fakes

Ball fakes work like magic against zones. Your opponent’s zone will shift and create openings with a good pass fake. Often opening up an easy pass, or making the zone adjust so that your team can easily reverse the ball. Or even make a gap worth dribbling through. I recommend passing, but if a good gap is there, use it.

That is the thing about basketball, it’s a game that is ever-changing, so although players need to have structure, they also need to be able to read the defense and work with what they are given. Often it’s a couple of quick passes, or pass fake and passes, but sometimes a player might need to dribble and when they do, I suggest they take it to the middle of the court, the same place I prefer that the pass goes.

Get The Ball To The Middle Of The Court

Every coach that I ever had told me that the best way to beat a zone press is to get the ball to the middle of the court. As you can imagine, that’s what I had my players do when I coached because it works. You will see teams run a sideline press breaker, but I can only tell you that when a player comes up the middle of the court and has the option to pass to either side, it opens things up. And when they stay away from the sideline, it’s more difficult to trap.

When your team breaks the opponent’s zone press, they will be able to set up their offense. That’s if they didn’t get an easy transition basket instead. Emphasize these fundamentals during practice, and your team will be one step closer to beating any zone press with confidence.

IT MAKES ME ANGRY when I hear about games like the Inglewood – Morningside high school football game where Inglewood ran up the score and won 106 – 0. Devastating another team is unacceptable.

Teach Compassion

I have experience winning and losing, as both a coach and a player. I can tell you that it’s one thing to lose and it’s another to have a team rub a loss in your face. If you are coaching a talented team, look for ways to take control of the final outcome. Give players on both teams the opportunity to grow and leave the court, or playing field, with dignity.

Control The Game

Each sport has different ways for coaches to control the outcome of the game. It’s not always perfect but a coach should make the effort. Think about the effect of the game on your players and your young opponents. Athletes that are just learning about the sport may find the experience so disheartening that they may never what to play again, and in the end, sports are not really about winning and losing (well, not all about it anyway), they are about teaching young athletes life lessons. Learning to bounce back after a bad loss is one thing, being humiliated is quite another.

Slow things down to take time off of the clock. Work on new plays. Get more players in the game. Each sport has different ways that a coach can work to keep a score within reason. If you coach football run the ball more instead of passing, and make sure all of your players get in the game. In basketball, use the shot clock during each possession. Don’t press or trap. Play a basic zone defense and don’t overextend it. Depending on the situation you might even talk with the opposing coach and the referees and implement a running clock. There are always options to be respectful and still play hard.

Win With Class

These options and others, give all of your players more experience and get your entire team to work together, which in the end will make your team stronger. When you have a talented team, think about all student-athletes on both teams and teach your player how to win with class.

As with any sport, it’s a good idea to set goals in your sport. Write down what you want to achieve during the season and the training that you need to do to reach your goals. Touch base with your coach before the season, especially if cross country is a new sport for you, and ask for help on how best to prepare and you will be on your way to a successful cross country season.

What Is Cross Country?

Cross country is a fall sport where runners race an outdoor course. Athletes earn points for their team depending on how they place in the competition. It is a fun and challenging sport. Everyone on the team can run, and even if they don’t place high enough to score points, they can often help in the strategy of the race.

Middle-school races are usually between 1.5 to 2 miles and high school cross country courses are generally 3.1 miles. College races courses are usually between 4 and 6 miles.

Comfortable Shoes

First, it’s important to have comfortable shoes when you’re putting so many miles on your feet. Your shoes should be padded enough to handle long endurance-building runs and light enough for some speed workouts. Your shoes will be your best friends throughout the summer and into your cross country season.

Build a Base During the Summer

Since Cross country is a fall sport, one of the best things that you can do to be prepared for the season is to get some miles in over the summer. If you are not running, or playing a sport before the season, you’ll need to train and get your body ready.

And start slow and run at an easy pace. Some suggest a pace where you still feel comfortable to hold a conversation while you are running. You can even use a run-walk method to get moving. Run for a couple of minutes and then walk for one, and then increase the running as you feel stronger. It’s also good to run outside on uneven surfaces, and in different climates, just like you will be doing during the season.

Be Consistent

When you are starting you need to be slow and steady. If you are an experienced runner but have not been training for a while, go on easy runs to get in miles at first, and then increase your miles until you build up your miles and are running on a regular schedule. Always find time to get in miles, and work up to running 5 to 7 days a week. Consistency is one of the most important things when training for cross country.

Basic High School Summer Workout Week (June – July)

• 3-4 Days – Easy Runs (20-40 mins)
• 1 Day – Long run (60-75 minutes)
• 1 Day – Rest or easy run

Pick Up The Pace In August

As the summer comes to an end and cross country season grows closer, it will be time to pick up the pace (This is only if you have been putting in miles and your body feels strong). To intensify your workouts, on two of your easy run days, you can either run faster for the last five minutes of the run, or you can run hill repeats. These speed days should not be back to back.

Basic High School Summer Workout Week (August)

• 2-3 Days – Easy Runs (20-40 mins)
• 1-2 Days – Speed Days (Easy 20-40 minute runs with the last 5 minutes at a faster pace, OR hill repeats – after a 10 minutes warm-up, run at 85% effort up a hill for 30 seconds, walk/jog back down. Repeat 8-10 times.)
• 1 Day – Long run (60-75 minutes)
• 1 Day – Rest or easy run

Listen To Your Body

Make Recovery a Priority. Take it easy on easy days. Get your miles in, but go slow. Make sure to stretch and roll out your body. Get a lot of sleep, eat healthy and drink lots of water.

Train With Teammates

Run with friends or teammates if possible. It keeps you accountable to your goals. Not to mention, you and your teammates will get better, stronger, and faster, and you’ll have a lot of fun.

Read More

• Cross Country Runner Nutrition
• How To Improve your Cross Country Race Times

Vaping has dangerous health risks and side effects due to nicotine and other chemicals that are inhaled. And as e-devices are relatively new and unregulated, there are many unknowns. Some people believe that nicotine can help athletes, but there is concern. It is even monitored by the World Anti-Doping Agency to detect patterns of misuse. Studies are inconclusive about possible benefits and don’t often take into consideration nicotine’s addictive nature and other chemicals involved. When vaping, a teenager inhales dangerous chemicals like formaldehyde, and heavy metals such as lead, into their lungs, which can cause short-term and possible long-term damage. The bottom line is vaping is harmful to a teen’s mental and physical wellbeing and can hurt their sports performance.

What is Vaping?

Vaping is a slang term for using an e-cigarette or e-device that emits vapor, not smoke. E-devices are electronic nicotine delivery systems, many of which are targeted to teens in forms that look nothing like cigarettes. E-devices heat nicotine (extracted from tobacco), flavorings, and other chemicals to create an aerosol that a person inhales. They can also be used to inhale marijuana.

Types of E-Devices

E-devices come in many shapes and forms. They are known as e-cigarettes, e-cigs, cigalikes, e-hookahs, mods, vape pens, vapes, and tank systems to name a few. They come in all shapes and sizes, and can be easily disguised. Teens inhale through e-devices that look like pens, phone cases, smartwatches, soda cans, lipstick tubes, USB drives, Sharpies, and highlighters. There are even hoodies and backpacks made to hold vaping devices.

Why are Teens Vaping?

Teens are curious. They are busy growing up, learning, and exploring. They are trying to connect with friends and fit in. Many are testing new things, and often if one of the new things is smoking, they instead try vaping because they mistakenly believe that it is a healthier option. Both smoking and vaping are bad for athletes, but vaping is certainly made to look inviting.

Vaping is targeted toward the youth with cartridges that smell and taste good. In 2009 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned cigarettes flavored with anything but menthol to limit their appeal to kids. Now e-devices cartridges come in flavors like apple pie and bubblegum, and every fruity sweet flavor you can think, and teens are hooked. Many even mistakenly believe that inhaling flavored vapors is not that harmful.

Harmful to the Body and Mind

Vaping is bad for teens. A growing body of evidence shows that using e-cigarettes or vaping maybe even more dangerous than smoking cigarettes. The chemicals that are inhaled are highly addictive, lead to health issues and alter brain chemistry. Vapors can mess with immunity, and many of the ingredients are cancer-causing chemicals.

Young vapers are having troubles with chronic coughs, bloody sores in the mouth, fatigue, bronchitis, and heart issues. And though teens believe it can help them with anxiety, in the end, vaping changes brain chemistry and can make life more stressful. Addiction to e-cigarettes is hurting today’s youth, teen athletes included.

Athletes and Vaping

The many potential health risks associated with vaping can greatly impair an athlete’s ability to perform. Nicotine-addicted teens are known to skip practice so they can take a smoke break and become tired faster during practice and games because of the effects that vaping has on their lungs.

Vaping is Addictive

Teens should understand that nicotine is addictive and that it can affect their health and performance in school and sports. According to Michael Joseph Blaha, M.D., M.P.H. Director of Clinical Research, Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, both e-cigarettes and regular cigarettes contain nicotine, which research suggests may be as addictive as heroin and cocaine. Many e-cigarette users get even more nicotine than they would from a tobacco product. There are even extra-strength cartridges, which have a higher concentration of nicotine, and users can increase the e-cigarette’s voltage to get a greater hit of the substance. Once a teen starts vaping, it can become compulsive and hard to stop. Evidence also suggests that vaping is linked to alcohol use and other substance use, like marijuana.

Harmful Ingredients

E-cigarettes contain harmful chemicals such as nicotine, formaldehyde, nitrosamines, and lead. Nicotine is an addictive colorless, oily chemical, which is also a poison used in pesticides. Formaldehyde is a toxic chemical added to plastics, dyes, and embalming fluids and is a known carcinogen, the chemical nitrosamine is linked to cancer and lead is a neurotoxin. Flavors used in e-devices have chemicals linked to lung cancer. There’s benzene, which is found in car exhaust, and metals like nickel, chromium, and manganese. The list goes on and this doesn’t even include the ease to add other substances.

Symptoms of Vaping

There are 326 negative symptoms reported from the use of e-devices. Most affect the mouth and respiratory system, and others are related to the nervous, circulatory, and digestive systems. A few are listed below.

• Dry mouth
• Chapped lips
• Cough
• Dry skin
• Itchiness
• Dry eyes
• Insomnia
• Nosebleeds
• Bleeding gums
• Gum disease could lead to tooth loss
• Asthma
• Dizziness
• Fast Heartbeat
• Nausea or Vomiting
• Weakness
• Stomach pains
• High blood pressure
• Insomnia
• Stroke
• Cancers of the respiratory tract and blood
• Irregular heartbeats
• Wheezing and shortness of breath
• Lung inflammation
• Decreased immunity to colds and lung ailments
• Upset stomach
• Headache
• Dizziness and fainting
• Nervousness and agitation

Unregulated and Untested

There is not a lot of research on the long-term effects of vaping, but it’s not looking good. Studies have shown that long-term inhalation of formaldehyde through vaping may present 5 to 15 times the cancer risk than smoking. Cigarette smokers with chronic bronchitis often develop permanent lung damage, as they get older. Researchers don’t know yet whether long-term vapers will too. Teens haven’t been vaping long enough to know all the answers.

The Dangers of E-cigarettes Batteries

Defective e-cigarette batteries can cause fires and explosions, which can result in serious injury. Lithium-ion batteries produce about two times the voltage of traditional batteries. They can explode if internal electrical components short circuit, resulting in spontaneous combustion. When an e-device explodes it leaves severe burns, lung damage, facial fractures, shattered teeth, and even broken necks and finger amputations.

When Quitting, Ask for Help.

It is not easy to stop vaping. Withdrawal symptoms like headaches, sweating, anxiety, depression, coughing, and shakiness, make it easy to fall back to the habit, so don’t be afraid to ask for help. Or if someone you know needs help, reach out to them.

What is a Ball Fake?

A ball fake is when the offensive player moves the ball in one direction, without letting go of the ball, to fake out or distract their opponent and gain an advantage. A player can use a shot, pass or drive fake to create space or make the defender move, so they can score or continue with an offensive move with the ball, such as a pass or a drive.

Catch The Ball in Triple-Threat Position

A player should catch the ball in triple-threat position. This means that when they receive the ball they are ready to shoot, pass or dribble the basketball, or be in the position to fake any of these moves. A player in triple-threat position should have their knees bent, their center of gravity low, and one foot slightly ahead of the other. The player should catch the ball in front of their body, not far from their hip, and be ready to move.

Look at the Hoop

The first thing a player should do after they catch the ball in triple-threat is to look at the basket. If they are open for a good shot, they should take it. This doesn’t mean they should shoot every time they catch the ball, only that when they are running the offense, they should look toward the basket and be ready to shoot. And when they do this they will be able to see anyone open near the basket.

Shot Fake

With a shot fake a player should stay low and imitate a shot. Look at the rim and sell the shot, but don’t over-extend your body or it will be difficult to make the next move. When the defender goes up with the shot fake it’s the perfect time to pass the ball or drive to the hoop.

Pass Fake

For a pass fake, a player keeps their center of gravity low and then pretends that they are going to pass the ball to their teammate. With a good fake, the defense will shift and the player will be open to pass the ball in a different direction, drive to the basket, or shoot. And with quick passes and good ball fakes players can quickly break down most zone defenses and score.

Drive or Jab Fake

Again a player should be in triple-threat and while staying low, jab their front foot in the direction they are pretending to go. This is generally toward the hoop, but a jab step can be a part of the pass fake as well. The jab should be a short, strong, and quick move. The defense should back up in fear of a drive to the basket. With a strong jab or drive fake, players can gain space and open themselves up for a quick shot or an easy pass.

Whether you are a player or a coach, don’t forget about ball fakes. This simple skill is worth using and perfecting to improve your game and help your team succeed.

There are many different activities that can help make this happen. The activities can be simple or complicated. They can take a couple of seconds or can last throughout the season. And they can be organized by the coach, a captain, or the team. This article gives you a few places to start, and then use your imagination. The possibilities are endless.

Set the Stage

From the beginning of the season, talk about the importance of team and working together. Have a team theme for the season and let the message infiltrate everything that you say and do. Better Together. Hear us Roar. Girls on Fire. Find something that resonates with you and your players. Use this connection as a starting point when building team activities.

Encourage Positive Communication

Praise your team on their successes and support them when they deal with challenges. Encourage your players to praise one another. Set an expectation that they give each other high-fives and thank you’s on the court or playing field, and that they congratulate one another when they come in and out of games. Expect your bench players to cheer from the sidelines.

Ask your captains to relay messages, suggest they work with the team to put together a pre-game cheer, and organize team activities. Work with them on their leadership skills and they will help to connect their teammates and make a strong team.

As the season goes on, continue to help your players with communication and they will learn to believe in one another. Often you’ll have a few players or groups of players who are already good friends, but it’s important to connect them all, so that they learn to work together as one. Through good and bad, stay positive and believe in the strength of teamwork.

Keep It Simple. Make it Fun

When I was coaching I used a lot of simple activities during practice to bring the players together. It is all about having them get to know one another better. Over the years we did all types of activities. We made our basic drills more competitive, which made practice more fun. Dividing the team into different sized groups or pairs, the players competed against one another to be the group with the most baskets in a specified time or the first group to get 10 points. Players will work together and cheer for one another to win competitions in practice.

We ran relays (even ones that included silly additions, like leapfrog, along with basketball skills) or competed in building puzzles. We would take a few minutes during practice to simply ask players about their favorite animal or color, and used icebreaker activities like 2 Truths and 1 Lie and the Human Knot. We watched inspiring basketball movies and went to sporting events together. We had team dinners and snacked on sweet treats after Saturday morning practices. And on occasion, we ended practices with Knock Out or shooting half court shots, just for fun. There are many easy team building activities that give your players the opportunity to have fun and learn more about one another.

Be Creative

Think outside the box. Think fun. And think about the theme that you set for your season. If Hear us Roar is your theme, create activities and items that support that theme. Every year we introduced journals and made dream boards. We made “I Like You’s” where the players wrote something nice about each of their teammates and then I put the notes together and then handed them out to players before a game. We learned and practiced yoga together, lifted weights, and if possible, I scheduled to have an instructor teach self-defense. We played fun games and had scavenger hunts around the neighborhood. All it takes is a little imagination and you’ll find something fun that your team will love.

The important thing is to set an expectation of togetherness. Work your players hard during practice, and expect them to do the same, but then reward them with fun to bring them together and your season will be a success.

AAU Basketball Pros

Time On The Court

When you play on an AAU team you might get more time on the court. There is no guarantee. It depends on the team and your ability, but if you are a player who starts, or gets into the games a lot, the extra time on the court can be worth it.

Better Competition

Often AAU teams play against better competition. Most AAU teams travel to tournaments and find high-level events to help improve their game and increase player exposure to college recruiters.

Visibility

Times have shifted over the years, college coaches still recruit great athletes from high schools, but they often hit the road to view players at larger AAU tournaments or showcases where they can see a lot of players from all around the country, at one time. Playing for an AAU team may get you a better chance to be seen, depending on what events your team goes to and if you get time on the court.

Fun

As with all sports, if you play on a competitive AAU team with players you enjoy playing with, you will have a lot of fun. And life doesn’t get much better than that, so it might be worth it.

AAU Basketball Cons

Little or No Practice

Even if you’re having fun playing AAU, being a part of the program might not be worth it if you’re not playing much and you’re not practicing. many programs don’t have practices, or if they do they often just scrimmage and forget about the fundamentals. If you want to become a better player, just playing games won’t do it. It doesn’t hurt, but practicing the fundamental of basketball is a key to success on the court.

Lack of Focus On Fundamental

Even when I first started coaching (back in the 80s), many of the girls who were playing AAU were very good but had terrible fundamentals. As I mentioned, if an AAU team does have practices, they often just scrimmage and don’t put time into the fundamentals. Simply adding basic fundamentals to your game, will make you a stronger player, so if you decide to play AAU, look for a program that has practices, and cares about the fundamentals of the game.

Coaching

There are amazing AAU coaches out there, and there are AAU coaches who know very little about the game or about teaching young athletes. Research your coach. ask about their basketball background and knowledge. check to see if there will have practices. Ask if they have worked with young athletes and in what capacity. Many AAU coaches have little or no background in teaching and working with children and young adults. They don’t need to have any certification or training. Go watch the coach during a practice or game. Look for a coach that will be a good fit.

Burn Out

Most AAU programs play a ton of games. This can be good and bad. Your playing time can be helpful for learning how to perform under pressure, but often it’s just one game to the next, and the next, and the next. With no time to learn from games, to discuss and work on mistakes, and celebrate the wins. For some basketball can get old when it’s game after game, tournament after tournament. I’ve seen it during my years of coaching. Athletes can burn out.

Take Away From High School Programs

Some athletes don’t care about their high school programs and only worry about AAU because they feel it is their road to playing at the next level. This is unfortunate because being a part of your high school program can be a great way to meet friends and build school pride.

Time

Playing on an AAU team can take a lot of time. Many teams travel almost every weekend. I have had players who were physically tired from so much time on the road, and as I’ve mentioned before, I have seen players who were mentally drained because so much time was spent playing AAU.

Cost

It can be costly to join an AAU team. A majority of the athletes pay to be on the team. They often pay for new uniforms and travel, including flights and hotels. Some athletes also pay for private training.

Often young athletes believe being on an AAU program will help them receive a scholarship. The right team might help, but players should strive to be the best they can be and play at the next level. But if you are fortunate to play basketball in college it doesn’t mean you will get paid to do so. It’s important to understand that 1% of high school athletes get full-ride athletic scholarships to play in college.

Each player should consider the pros and cons, and then decide whether or not they play AAU basketball based on what is best for them. If you want to play, find a team that fits you; a team where you can have fun, be competitive and, if possible, get time on the court. Find a program that helps you to become a better player, one that cares about all of the players (not just the top players). Look for a team that teaches the fundamentals of the game.

A Fast Break Mentality

Make sure your players know from day one, that they are going to be a fast break team. Explain what it will take to become a great running team and the advantages they will gain from the effort they put in. How they can get easy baskets and win games.

Set the Expectations of Hustle

To be an excellent fast break team your players need a different mindset. They need to hustle throughout practice. Sprint when they meet you at the baseline and when they line up for drills. They need to make hustling a habit. Not only will this help get them in shape, but it will also build their fast break mindset.

Push The Ball

We ran our transition offense up the middle of the court, but many teams run sideline breaks, the key is to move the ball up the court quickly. Normally one thinks of a fast break happening after a shot is missed, but a fast break mindset will help even after your opponent makes a shot. If your inbounder is trained to get the ball out of the net and hit a guard right away, you can often beat your opponent up the court and score before they can set up defense. Push the ball!

Start With The Rebound

You can’t run the ball if you don’t have it. Teach your players how to rebound and then look up the court and find an outlet. A quick outlet pass from the rebounder leads to a great fast break. If the ball bounces long off the rim, the rebounder may push the ball up themselves, but when the rebound happens inside, it’s best if your players learn to be strong with the ball, turn to the outside of the court and look for an outlet pass.

Passing Is Faster Than Dribbling

Every basketball coach has heard this before, and it’s true, so why not take advantage of it. Emphasize to your players to look up the court. As mentioned, after a player gets a rebound they should pivot and look up the court. When a player receives an outlet pass, they should turn and look up the court. A fast break mindset means looking up the court. Start building this habit during practice. For ball handling drills, make sure your players keep their heads up. Praise your players when they push the ball, and encourage them to look up the court when they forget. Do you have drills where you can push the ball more? Look at your practice plan and see where you can highlight passing.

Fast But In Control

As Coach John Wooden used to say, “Be quick, but don’t hurry.” Have your players push the ball, but also emphasize control. When players rush, they make mistakes. They need to learn to look up the court and read the defense. The more they practice doing this at a fast pace, the better they will get. Controlled quickness will limit turnovers.

Expect Mistakes

A fast break team tends to have more turnovers. Of course, you don’t want them, but that’s what happens when you push the ball more. Prepare your players by pushing the ball a lot in practice, and there will less mistakes.

Consider Defenses That Compliment Being A Running Team

Aggressive defenses can add to your opportunities to run transition. This isn’t a necessity but it can be helpful. When you get other teams off balance, you have more opportunities to steal the ball and get easy baskets. A running mentality should be integrated throughout your game.

Instill A Fast Break Mindset Into Drills

When you run a rebounding drill don’t forget to emphasize the outlet. When running basic laying lines, don’t allow lazy passes, set the expectation of precision and speed when passing to the next person in line. If possible, add an outlet to your favorite drill. It’s the little things that make a difference. Remind your players to push the ball during drills and remind them during scrimmages. Think fast break all the time, and your players will too.

Fast Break Drills

Your drills don’t have to be fancy. Simply work on having your players do the drills with a focus on pushing the ball up the court under control. Basic ball handling, passing, rebounding, and shooting drills, when done with a fast break mentality, will help your team become better at transition offense. Then, in no time, a fast break mindset will become second nature for your team during drills, scrimmages, and games.

5 Basic Fast Break Drills

• 3 Person Weave
• Rebound Outlet / Partner Layup (Continuous)
• 3 on 2 2 on 1 (Continuous)
• 2 End Layups
• 6 Passer Fast Break / Around The World