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How to get sponsors for aau basketball team


How to Find Companies That Sponsor Youth Sports

As a league or club leader, you want to do all you can for your young athletes. But funds can be tight. The good news is that you don’t have to fund your organization with just player registration fees. With a little research, you can uncover companies that sponsor youth sports to support your teams.

Where should you begin? Companies of all sizes contribute money and time to youth sports. You should first look to local organizations as potential sponsors. Once you've built your local sponsorship program you can look to pro sports organizations and national brands for grant opportunities for your organization.

Get creative and set aggressive goals to get new sponsors each season! Although financial sponsorships should be your top priority, you can partner with businesses to reduce your costs in other ways through field enhancements and equipment donations.

Every dollar you save can help keep registration and equipment fees down, which can help more kids access sports programs, and improve the overall youth sports experience in your community.

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    Local sponsorship is a big funding opportunity for any youth sports organization. Visit any community sports complex on a busy Saturday and look around. You’re likely to see banners advertising local companies on playing fields. Check the back of the players’ team shirts. Once again, you’ll find names of local businesses on display.

    When it comes to youth sports, local businesses are the most avid annual sponsors. Typically, local business owners have strong ties to the community where they do business. They may have even coached, volunteered, or have had their own kids play in local leagues or clubs. It’s natural for them to want to give back.

    Approaching small businesses for donations is a must for a successful sponsorship program. Here are a few tips to build up your sponsorship program before your next season...

    Write a Donation Letter

    How do you reach out to local organizations for sponsorship? Again, a personal approach works best. Make a list of target donors and get the names of key people from their website. Ask around the league. Find out who knows people affiliated with potential donors and work through them for an introduction.

    You can also send a donation letter to request sponsorships. Make sure your letter outlines the goals of your organization and the impact that sponsorships make on the community.

    Need help writing a donation letter? Check out How to Write a Donation Letter for Youth Sports.

    Clearly Explain the Value of a Sponsorship

    Also, make sure you explain the direct value your league can provide to the sponsor. Let prospective sponsors know if they’ll receive signage, advertising on your website, or other promos. Remind them of the goodwill and name recognition they can generate. And don’t forget the potential of a tax write-off for making a non-profit donation.

    Recognizing your local sponsors on your website is a great way to generate value year round.

    Reach out to board members, coaches, and parents

    Does anyone from your league or club work for a company you want to seek as a sponsor? Find out if they can make donation requests to their employer. Also, companies often make matching contributions. With that approach, the employee makes a donation, and the company doubles it.

    Every sponsorship helps keep costs low. In fact, this can be a powerful motivator for companies willing to sponsor youth sports. Let people know how their contribution directly impacts youth in the community. You can fund more scholarships and keep participation fees in check. And that can help make sports more accessible to kids and families.

    Once you've started to build momentum with your local sponsorship program, you should identify if there are national sponsorship or grant opportunities for your organization.

    Many nationally known brands have active charitable giving programs. Often, these companies offer funds to youth sports organizations. Through these contributions, companies gain brand awareness and build goodwill in local communities.

    Which companies donate to youth sports programs? Here are just a few that have ongoing support or have sponsored youth sports in the past:

    Nike Community Impact Fund

    Nike offers grants and donations to youth sports organizations, schools, and community sports programs as part of the Nike Community Impact Fund.

    The Nike Community Impact Fund focuses on communities that Nike has corporate offices - Portland, Brooklyn, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, and several others in the US.

    Nike also has a Mid-South Grants program that supports organizations in Tennessee, Arkansas and Mississippi. The Mid-South Grants are focused on organizations that give kids from underserved areas an opportunity to reach their potential through sports.

    If you think your organization might be eligible for the Nike Community Impact Fund programs visit their website or apply online!

    Chevy Youth Baseball and Softball

    Chevy Youth Baseball and Softball is one of the most well-known youth sports sponsorship programs. Since its inception in 2006 the program has supported over 26,000 youth sports leagues in the US.

    The program provides free clinics to players and also donates equipment. You can learn more or register a player for a clinic on www.chevrolet.com/youth-sports

    Chevy Youth Baseball supported over 632,000 athletes in 2020.

    DICK'S Sporting Goods Sports Matter Program

    DICK'S Sporting Goods Foundation provides funding and grant opportunities for youth sports organizations in all 50 US States.

    A few of the requirements include:

    • Must be a 501c3 organization

    • Must be in a community in which DICK'S has a store

    • Must have a team youth sports focus

    To apply for support for your program visit https://www.sportsmatter.org/funding/

    Xenith Sponsorships for Youth Football

    Xenith Supports youth football at all levels. If you've got a growing youth football program, or run a large post-season youth tournament you should complete Xenith's Sponsorship Application.

    If you're an individual or a coach, you can also join the Xenith MVP Program and earn rewards by purchasing Xenith products and spreading the word.

    Learn more about the Xenith MVP Program on their website.

    Buffalo Wild Wings & The Boys & Girls Club of America

    Buffalo Wild Wings and The Boys & Girls Club of America partner to help grow flag football, basketball, soccer and volleyball at Boys & Girls Clubs across the country.

    If your sports programs are affiliated with The Boys & Girls Club make sure you're taking advantage of funding opportunities for your sports programs!

    Target Youth Soccer Sponsorships

    In 2017 Target committed to supporting the growth of youth soccer in the US. The program includes grants for soccer programs and direct sponsorship of the US Soccer Foundation to build new facilities.

    Target made a $14 million commitment to youth soccer through two new national initiatives—an $8 million local soccer grant program, and a $6 million partnership with the U. S. Soccer Foundation.

    Verizon Community Grants for Youth Sports

    Verizon gives grants to local organizations that have a charitable purpose. If you're running a large event or league that makes a impact on your community you should reach out to apply for support from Verizon.

    You can contact a local Verizon rep on their Grant Application page.

    Scotts Baseball Field Refurbishment Program

    In 2021 Scotts and MLB created the Scotts Field Refurbishment Program to help nonprofit youth baseball or softball programs that are in need of field renovations. Grants are awarded to sports programs to give kids a modern and safe field to play on. In 2021, Applications were accepted in the Spring.

    Learn more or apply online on the Scotts Field Refurbishment Grant Application website.

    Finish Line Louder Than Words Program

    Finish Line supports communities through it's Louder Than Words program. Organizations must be a 501c3 to qualify, and must have 51% of the participants in the sports organization must be people of color.

    Apply online one the Finish Line Youth Foundation website or email [email protected] with questions!

    Keurig Dr. Pepper Let's Play Fund

    Let's Play is a program created by Keurig Dr. Pepper and Good Sports to provide sports equipment grants to youth organizations.

    Approved applicants receive up to $10,000 in new sports equipment and apparel to support their organizations. Apply online on the Let's Play Application site.

    Publix Event Sponsorships

    Publix specifically focuses on event sponsorships for local sports organizations. If you have a large one-day tournament or end of season event, you should consider applying for a Publix sponsorship.

    Gatorade Youth Sports Partnerships

    Gatorade provides opportunities to donate sports drinks to local events. They only accept applications from youth sports events, so be sure your event or program is focused on supporting kids in your community.

    Head to the Gatorade Youth Partnerships Website to apply for your program!

    Road Runners Club of America

    Since 2007, the Road Runners Club of America and Kids Run the Nation have assisted running clubs, schools, and community non-profits in starting youth running programs. Funds can be used for a wide range of expenses including hydration supplies, snacks for athletes, park permits or facility rentals, and website hosting.

    Grants from $500 to $1,000 are awarded to youth running programs in the U.S.

    If you want to start a new running program, or need help funding your existing program, you should considering applying on the RRCA Website.

    Once you've applied for sponsorships and grants from national businesses you should research professional leagues and local pro teams for support.

    Research Professional Leagues That Support Youth Sports

    Many professional sports leagues want to share their love of the game with the next generation of athletes. Here are a few of the most active programs in the US.

    NFL Foundation

    On a national scale, the NFL Foundation provides funding for youth and high school programs. In addition, the foundation supports clubs, coaches, and players who share the sport with young people.

    MLB Play Ball Program

    The MLB Play Ball Program helps provide resources to youth baseball and softball programs. Resources include sponsorship programs, free content for players and parents, and educational sources for coaches. Learn more about MLB Play Ball Partners at www.mlb.com/play-ball/partners.

    MLB Players Association Youth Development Foundation

    The MLB Players Youth Development Foundation focuses on increasing participation in youth baseball and softball. Organizations in the US and Internationally are eligible to receive grants from the Foundation and new grants are approved throughout the year.

    Learn more about the application process on www.mlbplayers.com/ydf

    The JR. NBA

    The Jr. NBA provides a wide variety of resources to help you build and grow a youth basketball program. Potential benefits of membership include:

    • Access to regional events

    • Discounts on uniforms and other league equipment

    • Free curriculum for players and coaches

    • Coach licensing and training

    • Access to Grant Funding

    • Discounts for players and parents in the NBA Store

    Register as an organization or player on the Jr. NBA website.

    NHL Learn To Play

    The NHL Learn to Play Program provides opportunities for young players ages 4-9 to start their hockey journey. Learn to play programs provide equipment to athletes at events and focus on athletes that haven't participated in hockey before or are beginners.

    Events are typically once per week and last for 4-8 weeks.

    Most programs are located near NHL Franchises and you can learn more about opportunities on the NHL Learn to Play website.

    Find Pro Teams That Support Youth Sports in Your Region

    Almost every professional team has some sort of program to support youth sports locally. Be sure to check out the professional teams in your town to see what type of current programs they have. In most cases you need to apply for grants and sponsorships at a specific time of year, so make sure you're researching well in advance of your season.

    Learn more about a few pro teams that support youth sports below. Don't see your team? Try Googling the name of the team and "youth sports" to see if they have a history of supporting youth sports in your area.

    MLB Teams that Support Youth Sports

    Cincinnati Reds - The Reds Community Fund and Cincinnati Reds Youth Academy

    Minnesota Twins - The Fields for Kids Program and Junior Twins Equipment Kits

    Pittsburgh Pirates - The Pirates Charities Fields for Kids Program

    Kansas City Royals - The Royalty Fields Program

    Boston Red Sox - The Boston Red Sox Foundation

    NFL Teams that Support Youth Sports

    Denver Broncos - Broncos Futures Program and High School Training Clinics

    Cleveland Browns - The Jr. Browns NEXT Program

    Los Angeles Chargers - Chargers USA Football Youth Football Grants

    Baltimore Ravens - Ravens Play60 Grants

    NHL Teams that Support Youth Sports

    Chicago Blackhawks - CBC Community Fund Grants

    Carolina Hurricanes - Hurricanes Foundation Grant Opportunities

    New Jersey Devils - Devils Youth Foundation

    NBA Teams that Support Youth Sports

    Los Angeles Lakers - Lakers Youth Foundation

    Portland Trail Blazers - The Trail Blazers Foundation PLAY Grant

    Golden State Warriors - Warriors Jr. NBA Week

    Philadelphia 76ers - Sixers Youth Foundation

    MLS Teams that Support Youth Sports

    FC Dallas - Community Action Grants and FC Dallas Field Development

    FC Cincinnati - FCC Foundation Mini Pitches

    LAFC - LAFC Youth Leadership Programs

    You need to get a bit creative to get the most out of your sponsorship program. Make sure at least one person on your board is responsible for sponsorships and fundraising so they can dedicate their volunteer hours to building relationships with sponsors.

    It's also critical to make it easy for people to become a sponsor. For example, asking parents if they would like to sponsor during registration is a great way to get a handful of new sponsors quickly. You can automatically add the appropriate amount to their fee so they can pay for their player registration and sponsorship fee all at once.

    The last question in your registration form can be a friendly request for sponsorship!

    And remember, organizations may not always be able to make a cash donation but may be able to help in different ways. Give businesses in your areas a variety of opportunities to contribute even if they can't make cash contributions.

    Some impactful ideas to consider are:

    • Working with a business to host a spirit night fundraiser. Through this activity, organizations may offer a share of purchase on a specific date at to your league.

    • Asking local organizations to volunteer their employees for pre-season field clean-up days. Many companies find that volunteering together is an excellent morale-building activity and a fun way to make an impact on the community.

    • Requesting goods for league events. A grocery store may be willing to donate hot dogs or ice cream cups for league celebrations, for example.

    Any of these ideas can help your league or club secure or save funds. And that empowers you to dedicate more money to serving your young athletes.

    There’s no question that budgeting for youth sports teams is challenging. Registration fees may not be enough to fund your organization and you can feel pressed to evolve the program without increasing costs for youth participants.

    Attracting sponsors is essential to your league’s success. Along with fundraising from grants, sponsors should be a critical part of your league budget.

    At first, your sponsorship pool may be small–but it will inevitably grow through the years. Over time, you’ll likely find many sponsors returning. They’ll start to put your league or club in their annual charitable budgets and won’t hesitate to offer support.

    Once you reach that stage, you can work on growing your relationship with existing sponsors while branching out to new ones. You’ll likely need a designated sponsorship manager on your board to oversee the process and manage relationships. A sponsorship program can require time and energy, but the rewards are worthwhile!

    Additional Resources

    How to Apply for Grants for Youth Sports

    How to Create a Youth Sports Sponsorship Package

    The Top Youth Sports Fundraising Ideas to Hit Your Goals

    How to Build a Website for a Youth Sports Program

    How to Write a Donation Letter for Youth Sports

    How to Score a Sponsorship for Your Youth Sports Team

    Youth athletics has become a billion-dollar industry. According to WinterGreen Research, a firm that tracks youth athletics, U.S. youth sports is a $15.3 billion market. And it’s only getting bigger. WinterGreen provided exclusive research to Time stating the youth athletics industry has grown by 55 percent since 2010.

    According to Time, retail and media companies are investing in technology related to youth athletics, and cities are investing in facilities in hopes of the young athletes boosting the area’s local economy. And leagues are investing in teams more than ever before. Teams are now using evaluation apps during tryouts, like TeamGenius Athlete Evaluation Software, to provide real-time statistics and results. This makes the process easier for teams and players, as they can get their results immediately after tryouts. Check out our post for additional benefits of player evaluation software.

    With money being invested and more eyes on youth athletics, companies are more likely to participate in team sponsorships to get a piece of the pie. Running a team is expensive for leagues and parents between fees, uniforms, equipment, transportation and travel fees, and sponsorships can help alleviate some of these costs.

    Download our free sponsorship packet template and checklist >

    How can your league cash in on this growing trend and secure sponsorships? Find out below.

    Start with who you know

    When trying to find sponsors for your team, don’t overlook the obvious – your team. Before hitting the pavement and trying to find a company to sponsor the team, start with the players’ families on the squad and those affiliated with the league. Do any parents on the team own a business they’re looking to promote? Or do any parents work for a company that’s looking to make an impact at the local level and would be willing to sponsor the team? Bring up sponsorships at an early-season meeting to see if there is any interest. You never know who has connections within their network, so it doesn’t hurt to ask.

    “Before you start hitting the pavement and trying to find a company to sponsor your youth sports team, leverage who you know and start with the players’ families and those affiliated with the league.” [Click to Tweet!]

    Go into the local community

    Local businesses like to make an impact in their communities and might be the perfect targets for sponsorships. ThemeBoy.com suggests to ask local businesses in your area who are affiliated with the sport or athletics in general, or businesses the team and its families frequent often, or any family-friendly establishment in the area that might be looking to extend its marketing efforts and help a local squad. To protect the image of the league, try to target businesses that make a positive impact in the community.

    Ask national companies

    Don’t be afraid to try to find a national-level sponsor. While local companies are unique to your community, national companies might be just as interested in getting involved at the local level.

    ThemeBoy.com states:

    “Often, smaller, local teams think they cannot bring any benefits to the table but that is not the case. Larger businesses and corporations are always on the lookout for promotion opportunities so it’s a good idea to make a list of businesses that cater to the same audience.”

    To get started, make a list of larger, national-level companies that are in your area. Go to their websites to find out who to contact and what criteria might be involved in securing a sponsorship.

    Be digitally savvy

    Going online can also help teams secure sponsorships and funding. Performing a search for youth sports sponsorships or grants can help provide a list of which companies are open to funding youth teams. Also think about how you can market your youth sports club with both on and offline channels. Your ability to position your club or team favorably in the community will impact your ability to land sponsorships.

    BizFluent.com created this list to help you get started.

    Create a package

    Before securing a sponsorship you need to determine what you are looking for from companies. Are you looking for a financial contribution for overall costs? Are you asking for donations to an overnight tournament or travel fees? Or are you looking for something specific, like devices to run tryout apps and stats software on, or equipment and uniforms? Being prepared will help you determine if you can accept donated items from companies or if you are only looking for financial contributions. Companies might be able to help in various ways if you are specific about what you are looking for.

    You can also think creatively when offering sponsorships. To entice companies you can look beyond physical sponsorship opportunities like uniforms and field signs, and also include digital sponsorship opportunities on the team website and email newsletters. Having more sponsorship opportunities available can give you more leverage when approaching companies. Click here for more information on building your sponsorship packet.

    Be professional and personal

    Put together a professional package to show companies exactly what you are looking for and who they are sponsoring. Creating a brief portfolio of the team, including a team photo, testimonials, team record and stats, and a list of where the requested money will go towards. This will give companies a better idea of if the sponsorship fits their needs.

    How would you spend your youth sports sponsorship dollars?

    Where and how to find a sponsor for an athlete or team

    Post text

    Marina Belousova, BTL
    expert Lecturer-expert of applied socio-economic programs of the Training Center "Specialist" at MSTU. N.E. Bauman

    The question of how to find a sponsor for an athlete or sports team has been asked since the end of the 19th century. It was then that the first Olympic Games were held with the involvement of sponsors. Since then, the urgency of the problem has only increased. In this article, we will consider the possibilities of sponsorship in sports and develop recommendations for athletes on finding sponsors.

    Where and how to find a sponsor for an athlete or team

    No matter how acute the issue of funding is, I want to say right away that it is in sports that sponsorship is best developed. Better than in other social non-productive sectors. There are all necessary prerequisites for this. A huge number of potential consumers of sponsorship products are involved in sports: the athletes themselves and fans, employees of enterprises producing sports equipment and inventory, sports uniforms, nutrition and even rehabilitation. Sports events and training of athletes take place on the basis of sports facilities, also served by people. It is impossible to list all the resources involved in one way or another in sports. One has only to pay attention to the fact that behind all this there are people, many people who are of interest to potential sponsors.

    In the previous article, I emphasized that the ultimate goal of sponsorship is the profit of sponsors. Therefore, when preparing proposals, sponsors should count everyone who sees sponsored advertising. Take the previous year of an athlete or team, list all the competitions in which he or they took part, add up all the spectators, boldly add 10% - service personnel and you will get an audience in numbers that will interest the sponsor as a potential buyer.

    In addition, sports team management must maintain regular records of the media that have covered the competition or the athlete's activities. Each media has its own circulation, broadcast coverage, which means the audience: reader, listener, viewer. This is also a potential consumer and the sponsor should also be told about it.

    Having decided on the target audience, you should proceed to the next point in preparing proposals to the sponsor - this is promotional products. More precisely, all objects where sponsored advertising will be placed.

    The most effective advertising, of course, are advertising structures on sports facilities. They are large and stationary. Therefore, it is quite easy to consider advertising. In addition, they constantly fall into the lenses of television cameras, which makes advertising even more effective. Advertising and production company "White Giraffe" specializes in the production of just such advertising. If you have your own sports facility, "White Giraffe" implements your entire advertising campaign on a turnkey basis: production of advertising structures, installation and maintenance in Moscow and other regions of Russia. Non-professional athletes and teams rarely have personnel in their arsenal who know the promotional product market. Therefore, contact the professionals: in the advertising and production company "White Giraffe" you are answered to customer requests around the clock.

    Some sports teams have their own vehicles or other vehicles necessary for participation in competitions: cars, bicycles, boats, etc. You can also place sponsor advertising on them - indicate how many units you have in your arsenal.

    Sponsor advertisements are placed on sports equipment and uniforms. It should be noted here that the size of advertising is regulated not only by sports federations, but also by the organizers of the competition. If you remember, there was a case when our athletes participating in the Vancouver Olympics had to seal the Bosco advertisement with adhesive tape, since its size significantly exceeded the limits allowed by the organizing committee of the competition.

    Solving the problem of how to find a sponsor for an athlete or a team, in theory, we have already solved two problems: we determined the audience and placement of sponsorship advertising. The last question in this chain remains: where to find a sponsor. Paradoxically, but it is the simplest. Sponsors are always:

    • fans represented by individuals and organizations;
    • manufacturers of sports equipment, inventory, gear, food;
    • enterprises serving sports in whole or in part - hotels, transfers, restaurants, medical and rehabilitation centers, sports facilities.

    The last two categories are quite easy to contact: write letters to them. But the first category of potential sponsors must be motivated. One of the effective ways is to involve them in your sports process.

    Announce a city, district, regional tournament in your sport with the participation of fans. This may be a tournament among urban planning or industrial - non-industrial, commercial, etc. enterprises, individual entrepreneurs. Contact the chamber of commerce and industry or another association of industrialists and entrepreneurs in your region with a proposal. They themselves will be happy to help you identify the circle of participants in the tournament. Time this tournament for some event: New Year, Defender of the Fatherland Day, Victory Day or another red day of the calendar, City Day, Athlete's Day, etc.

    Every company always has employees who have been involved in sports in the past. The winners of the tournaments are especially willing to subsequently respond to sponsorship offers.

    If there is no association of entrepreneurs in your locality, contact the local administration. Start with the trade department (management) - all entrepreneurs are known there.

    Parents and spouses of athletes can and should be involved in organizing tournaments. They can perform many administrative issues on their own and even better than sports officials. Their active participation also "bribes" sponsors - it becomes clear that behind the athlete there is a team that will never quit and leave neither the athlete nor the funds invested in him to his will.

    I declare with all responsibility: the interest in the amateur sports tournament will be huge. Thus, the Sports Support and Development Fund was created in my city. This is followed not by a one-time sponsorship, but by a regular one. Competitors annually transfer money to the fund.

    And in conclusion, on how to find a sponsor for an athlete or team, I want to draw your attention to the fact that you are looking for sponsors in accordance with the level of sports achievements. The winners of city competitions are among local entrepreneurs, regional competitions are among regional and regional enterprises, national competitions are among national ones, and foreign campaigns can already attract attention here. There is a wise proverb in Russian: “A hat doesn’t fit Senka,” which means it doesn’t fit in size. So, look for your level, based on real sports results.

    It only remains for me to wish you victory. Victories in competitions and in resolving the issue of financing sports activities.

    If you have your own opinion on how to find a sponsor for an athlete or a team, if you have experience, share it with us, your colleagues in the comments or on the official blog pages on social networks. Discuss, improve and everyone will benefit.

    What is AAU in American High School Basketball? Summer Basketball League for American High School Students - Sports and Education in USA - Blogs

    Many have watched videos of American high school students from Ball is Life or Hoopmixtape, where high school students do crazy dunks, beats and other basketball miracles. Most of these videos were filmed during the AAU summer season. In this article, I will talk about what the AAU championship is in American high school basketball.

    The regular basketball season in American schools is quite short, usually schools play games from November to the end of March. To ensure that the rest of the school year does not pass without games for schoolchildren, the AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) sports association has been created, which organizes competitions and tournaments for schoolchildren after the end of their main school sports season. AAU holds competitions not only in basketball, the association combines most of the popular sports in America (athletics, baseball, hockey, volleyball, American football, cheerleading, etc.)

    Shaquille O'Neal's 15 year old son during his summer games with the AAU team.

    In AAU tournaments, students no longer play for their school teams. In basketball, athletes play for teams independent of schools. These teams are made up of players from various schools, where the players strive to be noticed by university coaches and, in the future, receive a sports scholarship to the university.

    Unlike school championships, AAU teams are divided by age. Each age group (u19, u18, u17, etc.) play tournaments between their age group, while the school team is played by players from grades 9 to 12 (from 14 to 19 years old), i.e. in AAU teams, athletes play and train with their peers.

    Summer 2015 one of the Russian basketball players studying in America, Maria Bardeeva, took part in the AAU games. Excerpt from a November interview with Masha about her participation in AAU games :

    and there is a recruiting process going on as not many university coaches are present at the games during the school season.0085

    » all AAU teams have a certain rank, someone has sponsors who help the teams pay for tickets, tournaments, hotels. I played for the Tennessee Xtreme over the summer, we recently made it into the top 5 teams in the country, playing at the big ESPN Arena in Orlando. In July, all universities and colleges are recruiting players, so there are a lot of coaches at the games, especially if you play against cool girls who already have many interests from various universities, because the process of recruiting players by universities starts from 7-8 grade, and then scouts follow the players they are interested in. In the summer, schoolchildren in the United States no longer play for their school team, but for the AAU team - i.e. these are no longer school championships, but games among teams of players who want to get a scholarship to the university. "

    The AAU provides American high school students with an extra season where players can be spotted by a huge array of college coaches. During the high school season, varsity coaches only selectively attend high school games and tournaments, so some promising players may go unnoticed during their high school season.

    Games during the AAU are played in weekend tournaments (Saturday and Sunday). At such tournaments, 20-30 teams gather and games these days go from 8 am to 10 pm at several venues. In one day the team plays 2-3 games.

    An example of the AAU game schedule for sisters Polina and Nastya Nikulochkin from Moscow, born in 2000, who study at the Liberty Christian Tavares school in Florida.

    Girls participate in 9 tournaments, which will last from April to the end of July. In total, they will play about 40-50 games during this time.

    The main thing that gives AAU to high school athletes is the opportunity to be noticed by university coaches. During the AAU, it is much easier for university coaches to look for promising players, because 30 teams play at AAU tournaments in one day, which allows university coaches to see more than 300 players per day (compared to when coaches come to school tournaments, where only 5-6 teams usually play).

    Also, AAU gives university coaches the opportunity to look at athletes in a more competitive environment. AAU teams are teams of players where the strongest players from various schools in the district can play on the same team, so the average class of AAU team players is higher than ordinary school teams. Only students of a particular school can play in the school team and not always at the school the sports team consists entirely of high-level athletes, while each player of the AAU team strives to get a scholarship to the university and, in order to get into the team, must represent something and be able to prove himself against the strongest opponents.


    Learn more