 Our team is planning to compete in the AAU regional qualifier. Assuming we do well, everyone is excited about the possibility of playing in a national tournament, but I wondered how hard it is to play at that level. Do you have any thoughts on this?
Sandy
Dear Sandy:
It’s important to have realistic expectations about national competition. It’s tough and the teams are very good – the best of the best. The teams I know that have been successful in a national AAU environment are those that can consistently play up one or two grade levels year round and win games at those levels.
You may dominate in your grade level, but it means nothing. That’s because the AAU national tournaments are based on age level (12 and under, 13 and under, etc.) rather than grade. As a result, most teams have players who are older (and bigger and more skilled), which gives them a competitive advantage.
Here’s how it works. The majority of girls start playing basketball in recreation leagues when they are in elementary school. These teams are formed by grade level, which is also how tournaments and leagues are run. You are not allowed to “play down” by entering a team of 7th graders to play at the 6th grade level, although you can always “play up” by having your 7th graders play against 8th or 9th graders.
When you get into AAU regional and national competition, however, the rules completely change. You are now allowed to have older girls on your team, as long as they meet the age requirements – the cutoff is Jan. 1 at midnight to determine the qualifying age. Pacific Northwest AAU tournament director Jerry Jones uses this example: A girl born in 1987 could play on a 16-and-under team in 2004, even if she turned 17 on Jan. 1 at noon. Another way to look at it, Jones said, is if you were 16 years old at any time during 2004, then you fit into the 16-and-under category.
To be competitive in this venue, coaches with an eye on the national prize will find the best players who meet the age requirements. For example, if you had a seventh grade team and wanted to be competitive at a national AAU tourney, your best bet would be to recruit as many “young” eighth graders as possible – girls with birthdays Jan. 1 or later – and play at the eighth grade level all year long. (It’s also important you have seventh graders who can handle playing at a higher level year-round.)
If you play in an AAU regional qualifier, you have two choices – compete in Division I, which qualifies you for the Division I national tourney if you win your age level, or play in Division II, which allows you to play in the Division II National Invitation Tournament regardless of how you finish. (You can also play in the Division II Tournament if you competed in the Division I bracket, as long as you weren’t the winning team.)
It’s tempting to play in Division II just so you can go to a national tournament without having to qualify for it, but be honest with yourself about what to expect. You will be investing a lot of time and money in airfare, hotels, entry fees and related expenses. Make sure your parents are aware of the time commitment involved, from fundraisers to extra practices during summer vacation, so that there are no surprises.
If you are not a top-tier team playing at least a grade level ahead of your peers, you are very likely to lose most, if not all, of your games. Some parents are OK with that knowledge -- they simply want the experience of playing in a national venue and view it as a summer vacation, regardless of wins and losses. Others will resent it, and may even quit the team after a week of frustrating competition. (I talked to one coach who lost several players after playing in a national AAU tourney a few years ago.)
I think it’s too bad that there aren’t more national venues for grade level teams, especially at the younger levels, in which to compete on an even playing field. There have been numerous discussions within AAU over the years about changing the age level requirement to a grade level to reflect the way that most teams are formed but that has been a political hot potato, and I don’t see it changing any time soon (if ever).
Hoop Mom
Teresa Wippel is team manager of the Warriors Basketball Club, a 6th Grade
girls' team from the Seattle area, and mom to Warriors post player Amanda
Waldron. In her other life, she is a freelance writer and editor. To ask Teresa a question, email her at teresawippel@earthlink.net
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