3rd grade AAU basketball

[pignparadise]

Helped coach a third grade AAU basketball  team years ago. We went all the way to the national tournament at Disney World. This past season 5 signed college scholarships.
Peyton Willis with Vanderbilt. Tyrik Dixon with Middle Tennessee  State. Tyson Morris Central Oklahoma (football), Drake Wymer with Southwest Baptist (basketball  and football) and Jayden Hampton Minnesota West. Another Ross Childers was an 7A All State lineman but decided  not to pursue college athletics. Many have said that early AAU is bad for the kids but it worked out for these guys.

[Hawg Red]

Nothing you said in your post addresses the major issues people have with AAU basketball.

But good for those kids.

[ShadowHawg]

Nothing you said in your post addresses the major issues people have with AAU basketball.

But good for those kids.

Well put.

[hogsanity]

Helped coach a third grade AAU basketball  team years ago. We went all the way to the national tournament at Disney World. This past season 5 signed college scholarships.
Peyton Willis with Vanderbilt. Tyrik Dixon with Middle Tennessee  State. Tyson Morris Central Oklahoma (football), Drake Wymer with Southwest Baptist (basketball  and football) and Jayden Hampton Minnesota West. Another Ross Childers was an 7A All State lineman but decided  not to pursue college athletics. Many have said that early AAU is bad for the kids but it worked out for these guys.

How did all the kids who made it play in college, in any sport, ever do it before AAU basketball, or travel baseball? Mind boggling we even had college sports before those things took off.

I liked what John Kruk said during the LLWS, when he was growing up they played in their city league, maybe 12-14 games every summer, then they went and played football, then basketball, all in town or with th towns around them. That was all he ever did until high school, yet he, and hundreds of other pro athletes, and thousands of college players managed to do so without their parents pending thousands of dollars and countless nights on the road.

That is quite a collection of payers from that team, but if they were that talented, they probably would have ended up playing in college anyway.

[rzrbkman]

How did all the kids who made it play in college, in any sport, ever do it before AAU basketball, or travel baseball? Mind boggling we even had college sports before those things took off.

I liked what John Kruk said during the LLWS, when he was growing up they played in their city league, maybe 12-14 games every summer, then they went and played football, then basketball, all in town or with th towns around them. That was all he ever did until high school, yet he, and hundreds of other pro athletes, and thousands of college players managed to do so without their parents pending thousands of dollars and countless nights on the road.

That is quite a collection of payers from that team, but if they were that talented, they probably would have ended up playing in college anyway.

+1

[ShadowHawg]

How did all the kids who made it play in college, in any sport, ever do it before AAU basketball, or travel baseball? Mind boggling we even had college sports before those things took off.

I liked what John Kruk said during the LLWS, when he was growing up they played in their city league, maybe 12-14 games every summer, then they went and played football, then basketball, all in town or with th towns around them. That was all he ever did until high school, yet he, and hundreds of other pro athletes, and thousands of college players managed to do so without their parents pending thousands of dollars and countless nights on the road.

That is quite a collection of payers from that team, but if they were that talented, they probably would have ended up playing in college anyway.

Word

[Big Nasty 34]

How did all the kids who made it play in college, in any sport, ever do it before AAU basketball, or travel baseball? Mind boggling we even had college sports before those things took off.

I liked what John Kruk said during the LLWS, when he was growing up they played in their city league, maybe 12-14 games every summer, then they went and played football, then basketball, all in town or with th towns around them. That was all he ever did until high school, yet he, and hundreds of other pro athletes, and thousands of college players managed to do so without their parents pending thousands of dollars and countless nights on the road.

That is quite a collection of payers from that team, but if they were that talented, they probably would have ended up playing in college anyway.

Although I don't disagree with your opinion, there's no need to bring a negative side to this good story. Take the 3 letters "AAU" out and you probably would post a very happy congratulations. Neat opportunity for good Arkansas kids and athletes. 

[BigSexyHog]

3rd grade AAU ball.  Each and every one of those parents and organizers need to be castrated.   No need for AAU ball at that age.  *** stupid

[Porked Tongue]

Agreed.  Plus several of those players listed didn't exactly become good teammates at the their original high schools.

[hogsanity]

Although I don't disagree with your opinion, there's no need to bring a negative side to this good story. Take the 3 letters "AAU" out and you probably would post a very happy congratulations. Neat opportunity for good Arkansas kids and athletes. 

Without AAU there would have been no story because no aau "coach" would have been there to put together a team to do whatever they did as 3rd graders. Those kids would have all been playing in their local youth leagues, likely on different teams which would have made each of those teams better.

The only story here is some guy who helped coach that group acting like it was aau or the coaches who made those kids that good.

[pignparadise]

Ok I started this thread, so here's my thoughts.
1. Castration maybe for violent sex offenders  but certainly  not for parents and coaches.
2. I am not a big fan of AAU  basketball  and the handlers that perpetuate it. I only coached that one year because my stepson wanted to play and the coach needed help.
3. Did playing 3rd grade AAU basketball  have anything to do with their success? I doubt it. Their talent and work did it. However they are products of the AAU system flawed as it is.
4. The only thing they got out of playing 3rd grade AAU basketball was a free trip to Disney World. It was the first time many had been on an airplane. They will remember  the trip for as long as they live.
5. Mike Anderson is about to make a living off the Arkansas Wings alone.
6. Hog sanity anytime you feel you are man enough to castrate  my ass feel free to contact me.

[Dr. Starcs]

In fairness, he wouldn't be castrating your ass.

[pignparadise]

In fairness, he wouldn't be castrating your ass.

correct LOL! Thanks  doc

[JenksHawg]

Nothing you said in your post addresses the major issues people have with AAU basketball.

But good for those kids.

Exactly.  Pretty sure the same results would have occurred had they not spent tens of thousands of dollars and thousands of their family's hours on the AAU circuit.  If you do the math I bet it's a wash based on the schools they signed with. 

[JenksHawg]

On a similar note, my stepson is a 3rd grade football player at Jenks.  They practice 4 nights a week, for 2 hours a night, and play home and road games on Saturday.  The high school coach Allan Trimble is a legend and has won something like 15 state championships, but at the cost of probably hundreds of divorces, lower performance in school (from 1st through 12th grade) of thousands and thousands of athletes, and missed opportunities in extra-curriculars in anything "outside" of football.  I'm not a Jenks native and it's bizarre to be an outsider in this system as most parents are immune to it and have no issues giving up their nights and weekends from 1st grade on in the "program". 

[ricepig]

Ok I started this thread, so here's my thoughts.
1. Castration maybe for violent sex offenders  but certainly  not for parents and coaches.
2. I am not a big fan of AAU  basketball  and the handlers that perpetuate it. I only coached that one year because my stepson wanted to play and the coach needed help.
3. Did playing 3rd grade AAU basketball  have anything to do with their success? I doubt it. Their talent and work did it. However they are products of the AAU system flawed as it is.
4. The only thing they got out of playing 3rd grade AAU basketball was a free trip to Disney World. It was the first time many had been on an airplane. They will remember  the trip for as long as they live.
5. Mike Anderson is about to make a living off the Arkansas Wings alone.
6. Hog sanity anytime you feel you are man enough to castrate  my ass feel free to contact me.

1) Agree with that
2) I had Ky, Hunter, and Wayne Martin, Jr, lost all of them to the "big" guys
3) Pretty sure I had zero impact in their careers
4) Trips are fun
5) Arkansas Hawks
6) You're safe at Razorback games from this

[rzrbkman]

On a similar note, my stepson is a 3rd grade football player at Jenks.  They practice 4 nights a week, for 2 hours a night, and play home and road games on Saturday.  The high school coach Allan Trimble is a legend and has won something like 15 state championships, but at the cost of probably hundreds of divorces, lower performance in school (from 1st through 12th grade) of thousands and thousands of athletes, and missed opportunities in extra-curriculars in anything "outside" of football.  I'm not a Jenks native and it's bizarre to be an outsider in this system as most parents are immune to it and have no issues giving up their nights and weekends from 1st grade on in the "program".

My kids are both in middle school. They play basketball, volleyball and softball that is all tied in with the school, but their seasons do not collide with each other, 1 practice per week with each sport. I want my kids to know who grandma and grandpa are as well as all of their aunts, uncles and cousins and we are able to do that because we don't tie up all of their weekends playing sports. They get to play a lot of games in different sports without being tied down. We spend our weekends together going places, seeing things on our own time, or just staying home relaxing and/or completing chores at home.

When I was growing up, sports was something that gave a kid  fun things to do during periods of time when school was out for the summer, or after school a day or 2 a week at most. At that time sports was meant to fill a void in kids/students lives, it was never used to consume all of the extra time a child had available when they were not attending school.

[sigpooie]

Now go pick a boys club team with no one related to you and coach them for 3 to 5 years straight. Do this every 4 to 5 years so you get one off.  If each of you will  pick up a  team we will have more hogs, red wolfs and bears.. and you will have a great blessing posted to your name.. "Coach".

[LR HAWG]

3rd grade AAU ball.  Each and every one of those parents and organizers need to be castrated.   No need for AAU ball at that age.  *** stupid

Sometimes I wish hogville required one pass an IQ test before they can start posting. You sir, are an idiot. I bet you are one of those parents who gives out "participation" trophies.

Granted AAU ball has its problems.. However, AAU provides a great opportunity for kids from different neighborhoods to get together and make great memories and stay out of trouble.

[Jonteviosk]

I don't know enough about AAU to state an opinion.

[hogsanity]

Sometimes I wish hogville required one pass an IQ test before they can start posting. You sir, are an idiot. I bet you are one of those parents who gives out "participation" trophies.

Granted AAU ball has its problems.. However, AAU provides a great opportunity for kids from different neighborhoods to get together and make great memories and stay out of trouble.

That is what local boys clubs and other youth leagues used to do, without having to tie kids up every freaking weekend and costing thousands of dollars for travel. Those youth leagues got killed when all the talent got sucked out by "travel" teams ( aau, usssa, etc ).

For decades, kids played on neighborhood teams and did just fine, and colleges and pro sports still had plenty of good athletes. I guess in hind sight it is amazing guys like Ted Williams ever learned to hit a baseball without travelling every weekend, or all those great Celtic players in the 50's and 60's ever learned to dribble and shoot without AAU.

[ShadowHawg]

I bet you are one of those parents who gives out "participation" trophies.

I like participation trophies. If only people with pro potential play kids sports, then there wouldn't be very many leagues at all when you consider that those people represent less than 2% of the population that play sports.

I also think that when a CHILD completes something positive, they should be rewarded. The reward should match the significance of the achievement. I don't think a cheap plastic trophy is out of proportion to simply completing a task such as participating on a team in a league to the best of your ability.

I think that the champions of any sport, should be set apart through unique and achievement appropriate rewards like bigger trophies, medals, etc that none of the other participants receive.

What I find both hilarious and sad, simultaneously, are people who probably rode on the back of some talented kids to some championships acting as if they "achieved" at a team sport by their own sheer will and talent because we all know KIDS sports, played by CHILDREN, are all about commitment, desire, blood and guts, and have zero to do with something as mundane as clean, family oriented, fun.

[WilsonHog]

Three things I am not in favor of, regardless of sport:

(1) kids specializing in one sport;

(2) AAU "travel ball;" and

(3) non school affiliated coaches.

In a nutshell, I prefer the days when athletes played whatever sport was in season and then spent the summer doing other things.

[pignparadise]

Three things I am not in favor of, regardless of sport:

(1) kids specializing in one sport;

(2) AAU "travel ball;" and

(3) non school affiliated coaches.

In a nutshell, I prefer the days when athletes played whatever sport was in season and then spent the summer doing other things.

I agree

[rzrbkman]

Three things I am not in favor of, regardless of sport:

(1) kids specializing in one sport;

(2) AAU "travel ball;" and

(3) non school affiliated coaches.

In a nutshell, I prefer the days when athletes played whatever sport was in season and then spent the summer doing other things.

Agreed.

[HogNiner12]

I like participation trophies. If only people with pro potential play kids sports, then there wouldn't be very many leagues at all when you consider that those people represent less than 2% of the population that play sports.

I also think that when a CHILD completes something positive, they should be rewarded. The reward should match the significance of the achievement. I don't think a cheap plastic trophy is out of proportion to simply completing a task such as participating on a team in a league to the best of your ability.

I think that the champions of any sport, should be set apart through unique and achievement appropriate rewards like bigger trophies, medals, etc that none of the other participants receive.

What I find both hilarious and sad, simultaneously, are people who probably rode on the back of some talented kids to some championships acting as if they "achieved" at a team sport by their own sheer will and talent because we all know KIDS sports, played by CHILDREN, are all about commitment, desire, blood and guts, and have zero to do with something as mundane as clean, family oriented, fun.

Participation trophies should be banned for life!! It makes kids lazy and not work for anything. The kids that are busting their butts off get the same trophy as the kids that miss half the practices and Expect to get something for just showing up? REALLY? Entitlement is ruining this country. Kids need to learn that the world isn't just going to hand you everything on a silver platter.

[hogsanity]

Participation trophies should be banned for life!! It makes kids lazy and not work for anything. The kids that are busting their butts off get the same trophy as the kids that miss half the practices and Expect to get something for just showing up? REALLY? Entitlement is ruining this country. Kids need to learn that the world isn't just going to hand you everything on a silver platter.

Those trophies are fine for younger ages. The fall baseball league I am part of gives small medal to all the coach pitch kids ( ages 6-7 ), but gives bigger trophies to the league champions. Once they move to kid pitch, only the teams that win the reg season or the post season tournament gets trophies. The idea is to keep the younger kids interested so they want to keep playing.

As for kids who only make half the practices, if mom and dad won't bring them, how are they supposed to get there?  Is it the 7 yr olds fault that mom and dad ( or maybe it is a single parent home ) have to work, or take another sibling somewhere for a school event? Punishing/rewarding kids for what boils down to parental acts is really kind of low, imo.

[rzrbkman]

Those trophies are fine for younger ages. The fall baseball league I am part of gives small medal to all the coach pitch kids ( ages 6-7 ), but gives bigger trophies to the league champions. Once they move to kid pitch, only the teams that win the reg season or the post season tournament gets trophies. The idea is to keep the younger kids interested so they want to keep playing.

As for kids who only make half the practices, if mom and dad won't bring them, how are they supposed to get there?  Is it the 7 yr olds fault that mom and dad ( or maybe it is a single parent home ) have to work, or take another sibling somewhere for a school event? Punishing/rewarding kids for what boils down to parental acts is really kind of low, imo.

The kids that I notice that miss most of the league practices are those on weekend travel teams. My son always had 2-3 travel ball players on his summer league team(1 practice, 1 game per weeknight, sometimes 2 games) and they NEVER showed up for practice but always started in the games because they were too good to be passed over.

[hogsanity]

The kids that I notice that miss most of the league practices are those on weekend travel teams. My son always had 2-3 travel ball players on his summer league team(1 practice, 1 game per weeknight, sometimes 2 games) and they NEVER showed up for practice but always started in the games because they were too good to be passed over.

That is an issue, but that still comes down to a parental act. IF your kid is on a travel team, why does he need to play league ball as well. 

[rzrbkman]

That is an issue, but that still comes down to a parental act. IF your kid is on a travel team, why does he need to play league ball as well.

That I don't know, but many of them do.

[hogsanity]

That I don't know, but many of them do.

Oh I know. I have coached youth league baseball for 13 years and helped administrate our league. I can't count the number of times a coach has called asking to move a game because 3 or 4 players are gone to a travel tournament. The parents do it, imo, so they can watch their above average kid dominate rec league players, which is despicable to me.

[HogNiner12]

Those trophies are fine for younger ages. The fall baseball league I am part of gives small medal to all the coach pitch kids ( ages 6-7 ), but gives bigger trophies to the league champions. Once they move to kid pitch, only the teams that win the reg season or the post season tournament gets trophies. The idea is to keep the younger kids interested so they want to keep playing.

As for kids who only make half the practices, if mom and dad won't bring them, how are they supposed to get there?  Is it the 7 yr olds fault that mom and dad ( or maybe it is a single parent home ) have to work, or take another sibling somewhere for a school event? Punishing/rewarding kids for what boils down to parental acts is really kind of low, imo.

I'm not griping about the kids who can't make the practice, my beef is with the parent that doesn't make the commitment to get the kid there and then gripes because their kid didn't get a trophy or isn't playing. That is the real problem, a lot of well off parents just use a sport as a baby sitting program so they don't have to entertain the kid and are the first to gripe about playing time.

[latrops]

The kids that I notice that miss most of the league practices are those on weekend travel teams. My son always had 2-3 travel ball players on his summer league team(1 practice, 1 game per weeknight, sometimes 2 games) and they NEVER showed up for practice but always started in the games because they were too good to be passed over.

I think we might be painting with too broad of a brush on some of this.  My 7 year old has started playing travel baseball this year.  The team he plays with goes out of it's way to avoid these "double booked" situations so that kids can play with their classmates/friends/community in league ball, and also play a more competitive, higher level brand in travel tournaments.  Many of the dads of travel kids (myself included) actually coach their county league teams.  It can work if people are trying.  If the intent is to show off....then there's a problem. 

[hogsanity]

I think we might be painting with too broad of a brush on some of this.  My 7 year old has started playing travel baseball this year.  The team he plays with goes out of it's way to avoid these "double booked" situations so that kids can play with their classmates/friends/community in league ball, and also play a more competitive, higher level brand in travel tournaments.  Many of the dads of travel kids (myself included) actually coach their county league teams.  It can work if people are trying.  If the intent is to show off....then there's a problem. 

I have to ask, and I ask as a parent who had a child play league and travel for 1 yr as a 10 yr old, why does a 7 yr old need to play both? Why can't he just play league with his friends OR play travel? That is a lot of baseball for a 7 yr old.

[latrops]

I have to ask, and I ask as a parent who had a child play league and travel for 1 yr as a 10 yr old, why does a 7 yr old need to play both? Why can't he just play league with his friends OR play travel? That is a lot of baseball for a 7 yr old.

He'd play a double header every night and tournaments every weekend if he could.  In his spare time he runs around the living room pretending he's playing baseball.

After next weekend, baseball is over until March except for the occasional indoor practice the travel team will do to try and stay sharp.

If he doesn't play travel now, it would be a bit more difficult to make one when he is older, as we found out with our 9 year old.  It is hard to keep up with kids that play twice as much in a more competitive environment.

[hogsanity]

He'd play a double header every night and tournaments every weekend if he could.  In his spare time he runs around the living room pretending he's playing baseball.

After next weekend, baseball is over until March except for the occasional indoor practice the travel team will do to try and stay sharp.

If he doesn't play travel now, it would be a bit more difficult to make one when he is older, as we found out with our 9 year old.  It is hard to keep up with kids that play twice as much in a more competitive environment.

my 13 yr old has been that way since he could walk, he loves baseball. We did the dual thing one year, and it was too much. He played over 100 games that year. He will probably travel next year since our local league is just horrid at that age, no pitching at all.