Most benefit: AAU or trainer

[SoonerNorm]

If you had a son or daughter who was being recruited to play college ball, would you want them to play AAU ball or stay home during the summers and work with a skills trainer?

 

[rocjunkie]

Skills trainer. If you have a solid fundamental trainer and my kid is willing to listen and learn, wanting to improve, then let them work on their weaknesses and improve their strengths. It will far out weigh playing constantly with the chance of creating bad habits.

 

[BigTime]

If it's an either or then definitely skills trainer. Fortunately, it's not so my answer would be both. The problem these kids have is that they go play 40-60 AAU circuit games and travel all around and they don't spend the time on their game like they should.

15-25 games and bunch of time working on your own (or with a skill trainer) is ideal imo

 

[j2d2]

Trainer. Concentrated and specific.

 

[sybarite]

I think it is interesting that baseball has developmental leagues in which they do nothing except instruct, instruct, and instruct. Time has taught them. By the time we see them, they have learned most of the fundamentals in Arizona.

 

[MsProudSooner]

My preference would be the trainer unless they were playing for an extraordinary AAU coach - and by that I mean a really good coach of the game, not someone who just 'gets your name out there'.

 

[womenssports]

A trainer. Even with the opportunity to play on a really good aau team, I think I would choose trainer. My focus would be on fundamentals, taking care of your body, and making sure she/he is happy and involved in other things.

 

[Soonerbay]

If my kid has a desire to play Div. I or II in college, then a very competitive AAU/Club because otherwise the investment has been made for the trainer but will not be seen by any college coaches. They only go to the high schools of players they've seen during AAU/Club tournaments (generally speaking). It would be a given that fundamental training would have to be a part of the program.

If my kid wants to play at a small college/Div. III then I'd forgo the AAU/Club season and send my kid to academic camps, hire a trainer (if the high school coach is incapable of teaching) and spend July on vacation before the kid goes off to college!

 

[BigTime]

If my kid has a desire to play Div. I or II in college, then a very competitive AAU/Club because otherwise the investment has been made for the trainer but will not be seen by any college coaches. They only go to the high schools of players they've seen during AAU/Club tournaments (generally speaking). It would be a given that fundamental training would have to be a part of the program.

If my kid wants to play at a small college/Div. III then I'd forgo the AAU/Club season and send my kid to academic camps, hire a trainer (if the high school coach is incapable of teaching) and spend July on vacation before the kid goes off to college!

You really don't need to be play high level AAU to be seen by the coaches. You could get away with going to do some brief cicuit stuff your junior year if you thought it was necessary.

The bolded part is often sorely lacking - especially in women's AAU.

 

[Soonerbay]

You really don't need to be play high level AAU to be seen by the coaches. You could get away with going to do some brief cicuit stuff your junior year if you thought it was necessary.

The bolded part is often sorely lacking - especially in women's AAU.

I have to totally disagree with you. With that said, there are always some exceptions. I'm not sure what you mean by "high level AAU". You can get away with "some brief circuit stuff your junior year" if you are exceptionally talented and seen by the college coaches while you're on the "brief circuit". It's not like they go to every high school game looking for players. They go in April and July, then determine what high schools to scout based on what they saw in the spring and summer.

It's up to a parent to put together the best plan for their child. There are a number of ways to approach it to make sure the kid is having fun, playing competitively, receiving fundamental skill training and maintaining academic excellence.

 

[GoWarriors]

I have to totally disagree with you. With that said, there are always some exceptions. I'm not sure what you mean by "high level AAU". You can get away with "some brief circuit stuff your junior year" if you are exceptionally talented and seen by the college coaches while you're on the "brief circuit". It's not like they go to every high school game looking for players. They go in April and July, then determine what high schools to scout based on what they saw in the spring and summer.

It's up to a parent to put together the best plan for their child. There are a number of ways to approach it to make sure the kid is having fun, playing competitively, receiving fundamental skill training and maintaining academic excellence.

I agree with Soonerbay. In today's world you have to play select to get college looks. The coaches are going to high schools less and less. The kids train year round already. At least most of them do.