Ellen Hicks

Dear AAU Parents, Please take a little advice from a parent who has been around AAU basketball as a Coach & parent for 20+ years. Stop chasing imaginary rankings from paid services like PGH and cool social media posts from programs that over hype players on socials because that is all they can offer. Don't get caught up with trainers who are only worried about your children when they are in their gym. Ask real questions of program directors about approach on player development, college relationships and track record of getting players to college programs. Ask directors about recruiting plans for their players. Pay attention to programs that retain players and are not out recruiting over entire rosters year over year. Track record & trust between families & programs matters; especially in a rapidly changing recruiting landscape, you better be with a program that is committed to all their players and not just a few high profile girls. The top of EVERY circuit has really good players/teams but the bottom of EVERY circuit has bad teams too. Being on an EYBL or 3SSB team, and playing 6-8 mpg can really hurt your recruitment. Not every program is a fit for every player/family but PLEASE do your homework!! Have honest discussions about potential level of play in college and where your child might fit. Be very weary of anyone who only talks about D1. Winning games in AAU is nice and hopefully your daughter is competitive and wants to win but it ultimately doesn't mean anything and not many college coaches are paying attention to the score unless one team is getting smoked. In fact, a coach might pay more attention to how your daughter is acting as a player when they are losing vs how they are playing in a 25pt win. Good luck to all as the girls get prepared for the High School season. @nj_panthers @CoachJordanNJP @unitedNJaau @ShoreshotsGirls @newjerseyrise @ESBC_BlueFlames @NJLadiesHoops @TinyGreenNBS @coachschoiceusa