It’s that time of year again. AAU is underway and we want our children with the best of the best! I get it and understand; especially if your child is in high school. You’re trying to get them in the spot light, but understand that coaches are looking for consistency!
If you want your child to be serious about the game, get him/her established on a team early. Find a team where they can have fun, while also working on fundamentals and skill work. Get your child with a coach who will help develop them. Parents should not be worried about their child being ranked at an early age, or even later in age, because coaches don’t care! Yes, it feels good knowing your child is in the top ten in their city or even state, but it adds pressure to them and reduces their excitement for the game. You should definitely work to pull the best out of your child and make them play hard, but avoid getting caught up in the hype.
If your child is an exceptional player once they reach high school level, coaches will already know them. This is the level in which coaches start not only looking at their skill set, but also their character: what type of kid are they on and off the court? Are they the type of kid that makes their teammates better or are they only focused on themself? Coaches also look at fundamentals: is your child dribbling unnecessarily, failing to pass, slow moving? Make sure your child is with the right team that will grant them exposure. Today’s kids have the “microwave mentality”, meaning they want everything at a fast pace. If it doesn’t happen quickly, they want to move on to something they think is a better situation. Do not let your child be “that kid”. Most of the greats did not hop from team to team.
The most important thing is consistency. Does your child jump from team to team? When things don’t go the way he/she thinks they should, do you move them on to the next team or next school? Reality is, it doesn’t matter if you’re with the best AAU team or high school team; what matters is how loyal they are to their teammates and coaches. Yes, life happens and it may force you to move on and join a new team, but don’t let your kid be labeled as the good player who lacks consistency. Consistent hard work, breeds success! Success breeds Greatness!