When will AAU be back in Ohio?

 
I seriously doubt school facilities will be okayed for use this summer, so probably not until next spring.
 
Remember, local playgrounds and other ad-hoc basketball opportunities are very limited anymore. AAU does have its flaws, but it does get the kids a run in the summer.
 
yakyak said:
Remember, local playgrounds and other ad-hoc basketball opportunities are very limited anymore. AAU does have its flaws, but it does get the kids a run in the summer.
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My comment was (mostly) tongue-in-cheek hence the emoticon.

That said, it is true that I officiate very little summer basketball because of those "flaws."
 
A kid averages around 17-20 in AAU and mommy and daddy wonder why they only average 8 during regular season. It’s called DEFENSE and some coaching. Glad they play some AAU but the coach in the winter gets the blame.
 
1 time said:
A kid averages around 17-20 in AAU and mommy and daddy wonder why they only average 8 during regular season. It’s called DEFENSE and some coaching. Glad they play some AAU but the coach in the winter gets the blame.
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Probably not even playing high level AAU... probably playing in some local yocal tourney.
 
True. There’s some big time AAU stuff and then the weekend moneymakers that have average talent. Big time coaches don’t go to the latter.
 
1 time said:
True. There’s some big time AAU stuff and then the weekend moneymakers that have average talent. Big time coaches don’t go to the latter.
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IMO, AAU is the same from the top to the bottom. It serves a purpose but it is also a big money maker for the organizers. The coaches are just smart enough to make someone else pay to make their recruiting easier. Hopefully the kids enjoy their time playing because the reality is that almost none of them are going to make a living playing basketball.

As to the question, it really is tough to say. People on both sides of the reopening issue are very passionate about their positions. Not sure what it will take to move a few more over to the reopen side.
 
Yappi said:
IMO, AAU is the same from the top to the bottom. It serves a purpose but it is also a big money maker for the organizers. The coaches are just smart enough to make someone else pay to make their recruiting easier. Hopefully the kids enjoy their time playing because the reality is that almost none of them are going to make a living playing basketball.

As to the question, it really is tough to say. People on both sides of the reopening issue are very passionate about their positions. Not sure what it will take to move a few more over to the reopen side.
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The portion of your comment I placed in bold could be one of the main issues for no AAU, if they are allowed to play, but crowd size is limited, are the organizers going to be willing to put on these tournaments with little or no money to be made?
 
JU-ICE said:
The portion of your comment I placed in bold could be one of the main issues for no AAU, if they are allowed to play, but crowd size is limited, are the organizers going to be willing to put on these tournaments with little or no money to be made?
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That would be a big fat N-O.
 
I agree about local AAU tourneys. Waste of time. Pure $$$ grab. However, anyone who is anti-AAU should check out a circuit event (EYBL, UAA or Adidas). The talent level is ridiculous and makes local high school basketball seem boring. Kids that get the chance to play on a circuit would give up high school basketball in a heartbeat to play AAU. Best way to get exposure.
 
GopherHole said:
I agree about local AAU tourneys. Waste of time. Pure $$$ grab. However, anyone who is anti-AAU should check out a circuit event (EYBL, UAA or Adidas). The talent level is ridiculous and makes local high school basketball seem boring. Kids that get the chance to play on a circuit would give up high school basketball in a heartbeat to play AAU. Best way to get exposure.
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Those tournaments are money grabs, too. All "travel ball" is a money-making endeavor, first and foremost. Yes, it's the best way to get exposure to college coaches, but not without parents paying and arm and a leg.

I enjoy officiating high school basketball in sold out gyms in passionate communities. I like fundamentally sound basketball and the enthusiasm of players competing for their schools and towns. I like working with coaches who, for the most part, do their job while I do mine and understand their role. Talent level is far down my list of priorities when deciding which games I officiate (I wish more officials had this mentality, too, but to each his own). That's why the only time you'll see me selling my soul to officiate street basketball is if I'm participating in an officiating camp held in conjunction with an event.
 
zebrastripes said:
Those tournaments are money grabs, too. All "travel ball" is a money-making endeavor, first and foremost. Yes, it's the best way to get exposure to college coaches, but not without parents paying and arm and a leg.

I enjoy officiating high school basketball in sold out gyms in passionate communities. I like fundamentally sound basketball and the enthusiasm of players competing for their schools and towns. I like working with coaches who, for the most part, do their job while I do mine and understand their role. Talent level is far down my list of priorities when deciding which games I officiate (I wish more officials had this mentality, too, but to each his own). That's why the only time you'll see me selling my soul to officiate street basketball is if I'm participating in an officiating camp held in conjunction with an event.
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How is circuit basketball a money grab?? If a kid makes the team, the team covers all expenses (food, hotel, travel, gear). Each team is given a lump sum of money from the shoe company for being on the circuit. Only expenses for parents is if they want to also attend the games. That is their choice if they want to spend $$.
 
GopherHole said:
How is circuit basketball a money grab?? If a kid makes the team, the team covers all expenses (food, hotel, travel, gear). Each team is given a lump sum of money from the shoe company for being on the circuit. Only expenses for parents is if they want to also attend the games. That is their choice if they want to spend $$.
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Yeah, for the very best of the best players. The majority of college recruits are not in that category.

What Adidas did a couple years ago with the Lavar Ball incident tells me all I need to know about what those circuits value.

And my opinion really doesn't matter. But thankfully, I have the right to not associate myself with those tournaments.
 
zebrastripes said:
Those tournaments are money grabs, too. All "travel ball" is a money-making endeavor, first and foremost. Yes, it's the best way to get exposure to college coaches, but not without parents paying and arm and a leg.

I enjoy officiating high school basketball in sold out gyms in passionate communities. I like fundamentally sound basketball and the enthusiasm of players competing for their schools and towns. I like working with coaches who, for the most part, do their job while I do mine and understand their role. Talent level is far down my list of priorities when deciding which games I officiate (I wish more officials had this mentality, too, but to each his own). That's why the only time you'll see me selling my soul to officiate street basketball is if I'm participating in an officiating camp held in conjunction with an event.
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There’s the self righteous attitude people cant stand about refs. Why do all refs feel the need to tell everyone about their “craft” and that AAU is below them? SO many refs have an attitude that they’re bigger than the game, and I honestly can’t understand why, because most of them suck, especially the high school refs. Yeah I know, that’s not you, because you‘re a craftsman that constantly works on your craft.

You’d be much better off laying low. The best refs you don’t even know they are there.
 
JU-ICE said:
The portion of your comment I placed in bold could be one of the main issues for no AAU, if they are allowed to play, but crowd size is limited, are the organizers going to be willing to put on these tournaments with little or no money to be made?
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How much revenue is from gate vs. sign up team fees? My thought was that gate/concessions is a minor part of the revenue stream. If they bump up registration fees (if my assumption on the allocation is correct) they can cover some of the gap. Teams (Parents) will pay anything to play probably at this point. The sponsored teams can raise fees to whatever level the organization running the event asks also at this point.

Summary: Spend by spectators the day of the event I doubt will be a factor. Probably a huge factor for an event like FTTH though, but a different thing.
 
GopherHole said:
How is circuit basketball a money grab?? If a kid makes the team, the team covers all expenses (food, hotel, travel, gear). Each team is given a lump sum of money from the shoe company for being on the circuit. Only expenses for parents is if they want to also attend the games. That is their choice if they want to spend $$.
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Sponsored teams are in the minority of the aau basketball circuit. Across all the types of tournaments it is much more of a pay to play scenario. (Again except the highest levels)
 
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carefree93 said:
There’s the self righteous attitude people cant stand about refs. Why do all refs feel the need to tell everyone about their “craft” and that AAU is below them? SO many refs have an attitude that they’re bigger than the game, and I honestly can’t understand why, because most of them suck, especially the high school refs. Yeah I know, that’s not you, because you‘re a craftsman that constantly works on your craft.

You’d be much better off laying low. The best refs you don’t even know they are there.
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:ROFLMAO: Oh the irony of a clown like you calling me self-righteous.

I'm an independent contractor and can work whatever games I am offered.

"Most of them suck" come join us, partner, and show us how it's done...

 
carefree93 said:
There’s the self righteous attitude people cant stand about refs. Why do all refs feel the need to tell everyone about their “craft” and that AAU is below them? SO many refs have an attitude that they’re bigger than the game, and I honestly can’t understand why, because most of them suck, especially the high school refs. Yeah I know, that’s not you, because you‘re a craftsman that constantly works on your craft.

You’d be much better off laying low. The best refs you don’t even know they are there.
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One correction . . ."Most ALL of them suck . . ." and they all have an attitude bc it makes up for the fact that they know they suck
 
GopherHole said:
One correction . . ."Most ALL of them suck . . ." and they all have an attitude bc it makes up for the fact that they know they suck
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It seems as though you and your friend just don't like getting your opinions challenged. It's happened on multiple threads recently where whenever someone disagrees with you, you resort to ad-hominem attacks. Not really sure why, this isn't personal - it's a message board, people are allowed to disagree.

I could referee the first perfect game and you and your buddy would still say I did an awful job - because you don't know the first thing about officiating.

Try harder.
 
Being a good official is not easy and most do not know that. I have seen many officials get upset at coaches or players or fans during games and that should not happen. I view an official like a mediator. You should have no personal interest and what gets said during the event does not influence your decisions. Not many officials can do that and do it well. IMO

With all that said I also feel some of the attacking of officials from the stands has gotten out of control and should be handled with severity to reduce it from happening in the future.

To the topic, I would enjoy seeing some AAU programs fall apart due to this down time.
 
spirit454 said:
Being a good official is not easy and most do not know that. I have seen many officials get upset at coaches or players or fans during games and that should not happen. I view an official like a mediator. You should have no personal interest and what gets said during the event does not influence your decisions.
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My only rebuttal is that it is very hypocritical for certain coaches and fans to behave the way they do sometimes then chastise an official because he lost his cool - they think they get a pass because they have a rooting interest in the game. At the high school level especially, there is no excuse for unsporting behavior, and if you can't keep your cool, you should get lost (that goes for coaches, fans, AND referees). Yes, as officials we must have thick skin, but at the end of the day, we are all human beings capable of inappropriate reactions to certain situations. No one should get a pass.

But that's why we have technical fouls at our disposal. Always easier to defend a technical foul than an emotional verbal spat. Unfortunately too many officials are scared to use them.
 
As I said, being a good official is not easy. Most cannot go without a rebuttal. What is the equivalent of a technical for a coach to use on an official who should not get a pass?
 
AAU is dirt cheap compared to what so many parents ridiculously shell out for soccer. The circuit teams are free and the kids get free gear. I don't understand why there are always so many haters of AAU. Yes there are some sharks out there not in it for the kids best interests but the bottom line is that kids are getting to play in the spring and summer - that's a good thing. As many have said, I doubt that there will be any tournaments in schools this summer but maybe there will be some in the privately owned facilities.
 
spirit454 said:
As I said, being a good official is not easy. Most cannot go without a rebuttal. What is the equivalent of a technical for a coach to use on an official who should not get a pass?
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You expressed your opinion, I expressed mine. (And if you didn't notice, I agreed with the gist of what you were saying.)

This is a false equivalence. Officials are paid to be in charge of the game, and that includes penalizing unsporting behavior. Coaches are not.

If an official's behavior is truly inappropriate I can assure you the assigner for the game would want to hear about it. No assigner likes problem children - and chances are, that same official is not held in high regard by other coaches or his fellow officials. If the coach chooses not to report the official's actions, that's on him.

Misbehaving during the game is certainly not the proper way to address it.
 
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zebrastripes said:
It seems as though you and your friend just don't like getting your opinions challenged. It's happened on multiple threads recently where whenever someone disagrees with you, you resort to ad-hominem attacks. Not really sure why, this isn't personal - it's a message board, people are allowed to disagree.

I could referee the first perfect game and you and your buddy would still say I did an awful job - because you don't know the first thing about officiating.

Try harder.
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Seems like my "buddy" and I hit a nerve . . . You probably are one of those refs that can't even see your shoes and make it past half court
 
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