Clear Lake Falconhoops

August 3, 2010

I have been following AAU off season basketball for well over a dozen years as it has evolved to it present state. These very beneficial articles provided by the Houston Chronicle are timely, if not overdue, and should be repeated every season.

Presented without much of the bias that parents or involved observers like me tend to have, these five articles on AAU basketball can help serve as a basic tutorial and are duplicated here to help provide a centralized, easy to find access which will remain available over time as opposed to searching throught the Chronicle's archives.

As an involved supporter (not a parent of a player) of a large 5A high school basketball program for over two decades, I have watched, and assisted,  parents as they progress through the various stages of awareness of what AAU basketball is all about and what it means to their family - from realizing that AAU existed to facing the decision making required to make the significant time and financial commitments necessary for their player to participate on an "unsponsored" team. I have also tried to help some parents deal with the realities of their son's participation on a sponsored team and the challenges and perceived inequities that can and do occur.

Without question parents often need help as they face the decisions they must make as they realize the role AAU often plays in the evolution of their young players. These articles should serve as an invaluable aid to parents attempting to navigate the swirling, murky waters of AAU basketball in its current state.