Randy Smith: AAU Basketball Needs House Cleaning

I've written many times before about youth sports and the actions of coaches and parents. I've stated that as I watch travel baseball, the worst thing about it is the loud, over-bearing parent. If you've seen a game or two you know what I'm talking about. There is also the coach with a bias against game officials. Those kinds of things can ruin what should be a great experience for the young players. However, after watching several AAU basketball games I find that youth baseball isn't all that bad especially when compared to the hoops game.

I attended a local boys and girls tournament this weekend and I was absolutely shocked at the behavior of parents and some of the coaches. You never really know what to expect, so I imagine that's why each game has a couple of paid security officers on site. For instance, this weekend I witnessed a coach using profanity in front of his players. In the same game I watched as parents went after a young player for throwing elbows, demanding to see her and her parents, then waiting outside the gym until she and her teammates tried to leave. I also saw game officials "jawing" back and forth with parents and fans during games. The officiating was pretty bad all weekend, with most referees letting anything go and seldom blowing the whistle, which allowed some games to get out of control. In fairness to the officials, some of them were too young and inexperienced to be out there.

All in all, I was pretty disgusted when I left the gymnasium. I'm not the only person who has seen these kinds of things because AAU basketball has a pretty bad reputation and not just around Chattanooga. There are reports of people acting as "agents" for really good players, with those same people demanding a certain amount of money to sway a player to accept a scholarship offer from a certain university. That's been going on for years.

The bottom line is this: AAU basketball is about making money, period. There is little player development because few team practices are held. It's all about playing as many games as possible and showcasing individual talent, rather than stressing teamwork. People have been calling for regulations on how AAU basketball is being run for a long time, but it's falling upon deaf ears. There are some good AAU coaches out there, but they're few and far between. And as far as teaching fundamentals is concerned, it's for the most part non-existent.

Not everything is bad in AAU basketball. Like everything else, the bad things need to be changed and the egos need to be left at home. After all, it's supposed to be for the kids.