Anyway, there are a few of my players that play AAU each year. Some of it is to get better and some of it is to position themselves into maybe being noticed by a college coach. Playing AAU has become almost imperative to play college basketball, it isn't a necessity, but it is nice to do. It helps get your name out there and to be honest, unless you are an elite athlete most college coaches aren't going to make a drive in January to a high school game to watch one player. They can go to an AAU event where there are hundreds of players playing and smaller colleges can be more cost effective and efficient this way.
What I really enjoy is going to watch my players play in a different setting. Whether it be AAU or some fall or spring league, I enjoy watching them to see if they are learning anything. I like to watch and compare them with kids from other programs and I am not talking about skills (sometimes), but basketball IQ. I enjoy watching to see if they are coachable by someone else. I know they are with me, but how do they handle being coached by someone different? I enjoy talking to them after the games and getting feedback on how they think it went and what they need to do to improve.
I also think it is important for me to be there when it is possible. I want our kids to know that I care about them not just as basketball players, but as people too. If I can take some time out of my schedule during AAU tournaments, drive to the games (some are 20 miles away, some are 100 miles away), it shows the players that I care about their development and am willing to prove it my seeing them when they aren't "mine".
Thankfully, their coaches and they themselves know that I am willing to do this and I am informed quite often when some of the guys play. So, this weekend, I will be heading out to watch a couple of players for all of the above listed reasons.
