AAU Basketball Is The Worst Thing That Happened To Youth Sports

In this video I delve deeply into the issues with AAU and how it will effect basketball at all levels in the years to come, and the paradox it creates. I believe AAU at it's core was a great idea and provides platforms to talented players, but I believe it has gotten worse and worse and will continue to be detrimental to real hoop culture.
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Thank you so much for watching. Basketball is my passion and I wish to pass on my values of hard work and grit in this sport to anyone watching! Peace love and faith always.

[@Justinsharpdiscussion]

In 5 years they'll have a rude awakening when kids from Europe, and even Africa replace them in the NBA. European kids learn play sets and you have players like Luka claiming the NBA is more easy than European basketball.

[@frivolousaccount291]

You’re definitely right about this

[@Justinsharpdiscussion]

@@frivolousaccount291 look at the top 10 players in the under 25 category.

[@Justinsharpdiscussion]

@@frivolousaccount291 look at the recent 1 pick and the future number one pick this upcoming draft.

[@bigmoeleflare1234]

Not so fast. It’s going to be a long time before American kids aren’t the best basketball players.

[@Justinsharpdiscussion]

@@bigmoeleflare1234 that gap is slowly closing. Pay attention to certain last names and who they're pushing in the next 5 years.

[@brianmoeller3539]

How does this not have more views and likes?! Spot on IMO. I coach 6th grade school ball. This off season has been an explosion of kids talking about going only AAU. I look over their shoulders and see them constantly watching TikTok highlights of athletic AAU monsters. They are running to tournament after tournaments and I can see their parents feel like they going to be superstars for it. These boys are living on borrowed time. They got an edge on many of the other kids through shear athletic gifts or they were held back a year and have an age advantage. They also have a me first attitude instead of team play. ARGH!! They (or their parents) don't understand the importance of skill development. Playing games is not skill development, it's skill application.

[@ToyotaNutjob]

I feel bad for basketball coaches youth. Hockey kids are way more humble

[@dramatyst5661]

My wife is a teacher at a prominent school in Boston and basketball players are catered too and the parents feel like they are the ones who play the game and feel entitled. I don't even attend the school games anymore the crowds are out of hand!

[@ToyotaNutjob]

@@dramatyst5661 wow say something that's never been said before since youth sports.

[@dramatyst5661]

@@ToyotaNutjobThe same thing could be said about your comment too buddy 😂.

[@mohamedabdourahman9845]

If they don't show a team first attitude then bench them.

[@floridacityathletics]

IMO: Anyone offended by this needs to stop playing basketball. Complete agree, AAU puts a lot of additional miles on your knees and body. AAU teams play an average 30 games in Spring. Another 30 games in Summer. Then you are expected to be ready to play high school season ??? How does this make any sense when you are making your body injury prone ?? Give your body a break and skip AAU. Attend college camps and put in the work to get better. Lastly, AAU is big business and very few actually care about the players.

[@thebosscarter2143]

I just got done with my high school season, I’m thinking about skipping AAU but I wanna do track do you think that’s to much on my body? Or should I skip out on that to

[@bonkersdonkers7381]

@@thebosscarter2143 doing another sport is not a bad idea. It’s your off season, and there have been guys like Wilt Chamberlain and Walt Clyde Frazier who were known to not play basketball at all in the offseason. They played volleyball, even as pros. Skip AAU, enjoy other sports and have fun being a teenager.

[@simeon8967]

@@thebosscarter2143playing another sport is one of the best things you can do in the off seadon

[@coltononline]

Just figured this out/came to this conclusion with my boy LAST MONTH. I wish I would have seen this video sooner. For him, these past 2 AAU summers have just been pick-up games 5 days a week with no real isolated skills development. I cut his season short and spent the same (actually less) money on a trainer instead. He's already made massive improvement.

[@emart398]

prime example Jalen Green. low BBIQ and lacking in fundaments. he's so streaky, if he isn't scoring, he offers you nothing

[@rowland5951]

Your currently seeing this mindset with the mac mcclung saga. The guy is not NBA level but because he's been going viral since high-school people think he should be starting in the NBA game.

[@JJWilliams910]

The first career we’ve seen destroyed by this is Harry Giles. His body was done before he even finished high school due to AAU, Jr Olympics, Highschool and Camps.

[@MindofStretch]

8:24 Jason Tatum played for big AAU team. St. Louis eagles in the EYBL.

[@redwolf8135]

The European development model for youth basketball is the best. It's being emulated in Australia and South American countries such as Brazil and Argentina. Even African countries are starting to come along as well. Europeans, Australians, and South Americans will make up over 1/2 of the NBA in 20 years.

[@LL-rc2ol]

yay

[@raybrown9513]

The NBA is only popular because African Americans watch it on TV. You take African Americans players out of the game and the league will crumble. They are the biggest supporters of the NBA and make up nearly 60 percent of the TV audience. The rule changes were implemented to cater to European and foreign players. The problem is the foreign audience doesn’t watch in massive proportions.

[@cenvalleybasketball]

I totally agree with all of this and something I've been saying for yrs but sadly the NBA is now pretty much AAU 2.0 so the players wont suffer in the league the way we think or they should. I think it's more telling on the college level when u see these HS stars struggle there but when they get to AAU 2.0 they shine again....I think the NBA knows players aren't as skilled or have a high IQ as in past eras so they resulted to this style of play which is so up and down, 1v1 offensive focused basketball. And it's extremely hard to watch smh.

[@sergioortega9684]

Great vid, totally agree.

[@salaamkhafid9141]

I hate the ugly of AAU, the business side of it! I love seeing kids hoop and meet different hoopers from across the country though. A lot of opportunities have became available for kids due to exposure. We can’t only highlight the negative. Also, what should the alternative be?

[@BoilingHotCoffee]

AAU doesn't need to be removed, it just needs major reforms Not having these kids play a ridiculous amount of games in a single day is a start. A lot of these players bodies breakdown before even making it into the league. Also the fact that long-distance travel is required to become a pro nowadays makes the it ridiculously pay-to-play. No more will we have NBA players that have poor or homeless backgrounds. Most players entering the league today have upper-middle class backgrounds or higher. We are shrinking our own available talent pool by doing this. They also lack proper coaching of the fundamentals. Many players come today come into the league not know a lick of how to play proper defense or how to work with others as a team. The quality difference in off-the-ball movement between foreign and domestic players is laughably insane.

[@salaamkhafid9141]

Also, I think your right about the recovery aspect BUT incorrect about these players not having time to develop. These kids train before and after school. Most of these AAU kids have personal trainers. Sounds crazy but it’s fact!

[@Ghostkilla773]

Which ones. The rich kids?

[@Broski12345-]

@@Ghostkilla773nah, the rich kids usually do but don’t put effort into it. The ones who parents save a lot of money put effort and the heart into it

[@rooftopstruggle4360]

I'm trying to get info on any leagues in S. Korea like Under 19. I know there are FIBA teams, but wonder where they draw from.

[@abimaellopezmaylord27lopez7]

Do you live in South Korea

[@rooftopstruggle4360]

@@abimaellopezmaylord27lopez7 currently, but leaving in a few months.

[@salaamkhafid9141]

The Lebron analogy wasn’t the best. Of course he wasn’t the same player in 04’ as opposed to the 16’ player. He’s supposed to come in the league (18yrs) and be at the very peak of his game? Again, your correct with the injury/recovery point, but I’m not really sure you know how much work these kids put in.

[@derekandkaty4593]

Late to the party but yeah. I’m an 03 Ohio kid myself and his hype was organic. I remember reading about this freshman kid from Akron on JJHuddle and by the end of his Sophomore year, people were really starting to take notice. He was on another planet from other high schoolers.

[@stupidvickfan3744]

It's just unorganized basketball

[@GunsandGearNetwork]

Correct it is nothing more than glorified show boating streetball.

[@TravisTrilla]

Not in all cases Some AAU may be much different than what you see on the "Internet"

[@Happi___LBJ]

The only competent non-iso based AAU basketball circut i realy see is the Under Armour Rise circut, their style is more based of plays and toughness. The only somewhat flashy players they have produced has been Anthony Edwards, who has been flourishing in the NBA.

[@floridacityathletics]

Completely agree. Power needs to go back to High School instead of AAU. Taking care of your body and development should be priority instead of playing 50-60 games over spring and summer. Remember AAU is big business.

[@sjb3240]

This won't happen because there are too many high schools and teams are watered down, the lack of a shot clock in some states creates a "hold the ball/excessive passing" strategy which doesn't exist at the next level, and impossible for college coaches to weed through the tons of high school events during college season. AAU is terrible, and needs many improvements but there's no way the current high school system can replace it to be a way for college coaches to scout talent.

[@chandlerwillis91]

Growing up I played center ended up playing ball in high school but was only 6’1 couldn’t dribble or shoot because I never was taught then the kids who are taught guard skills never Make it

[@SportStem]

It's all about money and greed. The AAU used to be an excellent basketball league for youth players. The biggest mistake that the AAU has made was to allow shoe companies to run the show and allow everybody and anybody to register their team.

[@WolverineX]

the game of basketball died a long time ago. It’s really just a business now. I’ve seen it first hand, that a lot of teams and leagues don’t even care about the player’s health long term. It especially doesn’t help that the game is so over saturated with casual hoopers. Even social media plays its own part as well. The passion is just not there anymore.

[@02REESE]

This is not the most skilled era. Just a bunch of guys who grew up playing the same way so it's looked that way because centers can't post up but look different because they've been dribbling the ball a little more and don't face rim protectors.

[@pascublan]

How the hell do they play 6 games a weekend that for me is crazy its just not healthy

[@SeverSTL]

It takes more brains to take a dump than to dunk a basketball.

[@jimmynickles804]

My son is currently in 8th grade and played his first year of ball.. he's now playing for an AAU team for the first time because he needs more experience on the court. Is this a good move? School ball will always be out major focus, but like I said he needs some more on the court experience because he never played, just a rim in the back yard. I heard what you said and it makes sense...Anyone?

[@codegaming_yt7704]

Yea that's where I say AAU is a benefit this dude talking recruits

[@stupidvickfan3744]

I remember playing against grown men in aau. I had one on my team lol

[@porterwake3898]

I have to break my damn varsity kids of awful AAU habits. Catch the ball, then they dribble right away looking for iso, then pick up the damn ball.

[@Ghostkilla773]

Great point about Lebron

[@alanrolon5230]

Fax

[@westcoastkidd17]

Damn, it's crazy how someone like coach BOB KNIGHT is needed to swing the pendulum around and restore fundamental basketball in America

[@robertbaker837]

You’re missing something. All those kids that are killing Amari in college also played AAU ball.

[@seabass4tw]

I’ve been recently considering playing AAU I’m only 13 but I played basketball for a season in 7th grade, I’m going into 8th this august, I wanna do AAU to refine my skills and it seems a lot of fun, it would be cool to be on Ball is life but I need some opinions AAU or no?

[@trevormostert]

Aau is very different to how it seems, ball is life isn’t at any aau games except the top in the country like eybl and adidas gauntlet, there’s is hundreds of not thousands of aau teams. I think you should play but focus on school ball

[@beckettkriner8050]

How do you get exposure and how do you get scout attention from just high school programs?

[@derekandkaty4593]

If a kid is good enough, a scout will find him. I played in rural southeast Ohio and there were a couple kids from rural ass river towns that played D1 ball because they were just flat out ballers The reality is most kids aren’t good enough to play college level ball

[@kendrickjobe2149]

*most skilled in terms of dribbling and shooting. Midrange, five-on-five play have regressed. Post play is extinct.

[@codegaming_yt7704]

So what leagues do they play in then once HS ball is over? And what about these you 10-14 age group who is actually getting playing time. There are different reasons

[@rich2056]

AAU basketball is glorified pick up basketball…it’s the reason pick up games at your neighborhood courts and/or gyms is practically non existent. AAU has created a transfer portal for HS basketball…for players to team up and ditch their local schools to play with other standout players. Trust me, I have no issue with players stepping out and challenging themselves…but it’s not good for basketball when every player is trying to do this🤷🏾‍♂️. Just look at your local school programs…you see a void these players leave behind and it takes the schools years to rebuild a solid program.

[@maneiloveyall3672]

Eybl better development than AAU, people making teams cause they kids not Elite to hoop. Sucks

[@imaniberrios3647]

So glad you highlighted Bron... the chosen one WASNT HIM. He needed D wade to tell him to be a leader. He came into the game a tight end playin ball, ofc he was physically dominant. But the GOAT....never that.

[@TheBlackRickGrimes]

I believe basketball development should be a constant routine outside and after hours to be a better basketball player ⛹🏽‍♀️. Also, being a good player requires 10,000 hours of practice and games along with developing a variety of skills.