Benefits outweigh negatives in AAU basketball

For many athletes, summer is a time for a break. A time where you can have no responsibilities.

Some just go out, and have fun.

Others do the AAU basketball circuit.

Basketball players in United States have turned to AAU programs to develop their skills during the off-season with traveling teams that play in local, regional or national tournaments every weekend during the spring and summer.

Many believe AAU basketball has ruined the quality of players coming out of the United States because of a lack of proper coaching.

Others also believe this circuit could make recruiting a lot more complicated - and unfair. There have been stories reported where AAU coaches are giving out money to influence a certain player to a certain school.

Some feel AAU basketball is corrupt and it teaches young, talented players poor skills.

What many don't realize, though, is AAU basketball has gotten so many players to develop - and improve - their game in the summer thanks to dedicated and honest coaches.

An AAU program is similar to an all-star team. The best players from each high school team in the area tryout to join the program. The best players make it on each team for each state.

Each program goes out and competes every weekend in tournaments, against the best players from each state, in front of tons of college coaches they are trying to impress.

Playing against the best players, under pressure every single weekend, helps develop their game. as does getting good workouts in and doing drills during a week of practice.

That is how you improve.

And that is what AAU basketball does.

It gives you a chance to go out and play in front of people and meet people who you never would have ever even dreamed of meeting.

AAU basketball gives every single person an equal shot at making it to the next level.

It also gives a chance for families to go out and travel together to places that they would not have been able to go to otherwise.

All in all, AAU basketball helps in so many more areas than it hurts. And it makes for a pretty fun summer, too.