ELITE Basketball offers AAU team programs for players in grades 3-11 at the National, Regional and Local levels. As a member of the New England Athletic Amateur Union (NEAAU), we subscribe to the mission and vision of the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU): “To offer amateur sports programs through a volunteer base for all people to have the physical, mental, and moral development of amateur athletes and to promote good sportsmanship and good citizenship. To offer amateur athletes volunteer opportunities to develop to their highest level through a national and local network of sporting events. Through participation in AAU, we achieve our dreams as athletes and as valued citizens of our communities.”
Our AAU program’s mission is three fold. One, we will have the best teachers of the game coaching all of our teams in order to promote the education on all aspects of the game of basketball. Two, we will produce highly competitive teams that can play at both the national, regional and local levels. And third, we will give our players the opportunity for exposure to prep school and college coaches, allowing them to play basketball at the highest level their ability gives them. Currently our program is one of the most sucessfull AAU programs in all of New England. Our program currently consists of players (ages 8-17) from the Middlesex County and the North Shore. At the high school level we offer our players the opportunity to participate in some of the top regional college/prep school exposure tournaments in New England and also offers our players first class recruitment advisory services. Some of the exposure events that our players participate in include: NERR College Showcase, Hoop Mountain Invitational, Gym Rat Challenge, Rumble in the Bronx, Hall of Fame Invitational, Elite 75 Showcases and other exposure events.
We supports both National, Regional and Local level boys teams starting with 3rd graders and going through high school, up to age 17 (For official AAU age group definitions, please see www.aauboysbasketball.org.) Teams are formed two times a year – in early September for the Fall season and in early February for the Spring AAU season.
By joining the AAU as participanmts of our program, players and teams are provided with insurance coverage for practices and games and are eligible to play in the NEAAU Spring Regional tournaments and Massachusetts State tournaments in the Spring season which qualifies teams for the AAU National Championship tournaments in June/July.
For a FAQ of our ELITE AAU program then please click here
TRYOUTS:
Our program holds tryouts twice a year, in the Spring and Fall, and players already on teams must try out each time. Tryouts for each age group are run by the “A” or “National Select” team coach and include drills in ball-handling, shooting, defense, running as well as scrimmages. The players’ skills, effort, behavior, and attitude are important factors that coaches consider in making their selections for the team. We offer a local level AAU program for all players who were not selected for our “A” and “B” level teams.
COMMITMENT LEVEL:
Participation on an AAU club team demands a big time commitment from players and families. We expect for each athlete that family, religious, and school-related events will get the priority, and we request that such events be communicated to the coaches well in advance so that practices, tournaments, etc., can be planned accordingly, given that the team may be missing your child that day. While we encourage our club members to participate in other sports such as soccer, lacrosse, cross country, track, baseball, etc. to develop their overall athletic abilities and capacity, our AAU program is an elite, higher level program and parents and athletes must really be careful not to be overcommitted to multiple teams, leagues, etc.
COSTS:
With many years of operating experience, ELITE BASKETBALL has established standard budgets for each season for our AAU teams. Each player-family will be required to make the financial commitment to support the team’s plans including fundraising events to help offset individual costs for teams that qualify for the AAU National Tournament. Program fee’s will consist of uniforms, gym time, tournaments, leagues, coaching expenses, including travel reimbursements, supplies such as first aid items and training equipment. Individual player expenses generally are $445-650 per season, this obviously based on the level of team that your son is placed.
PROFESSIONAL COACHING MODEL:
Our programs offer a “Professional Coaching Model” for the hundeds of players in our program. All coaches seleced to serve as Head Coaches of “A level” National Select teams have significant levels of coaching experience at the college and high school levels. “B Level” Competitve teams consist of Associate Head Coaches who are all overseen by our National Select coaching staff. Available coaching positions are announced for the Spring in November and for the Fall season in June of each season. All available coaching positions are posted onto our website, eventually leading to a selection of candidates being interviewed and potentially hired by our Basketball Operations Staff. All coaches are paid between $1500-$2000 per season and also are given hotel/travel accomodations on overnight trips that occur throughout the season.
ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP:
Our program is comprised of a Basketball Operations Department who serves as the chief administrators of the basketball program. The basketball administration consists of a Director of Basketball Operations, Associate Director of Basketball Operations, High School Boys AAU Director, Elementary/Middle School Boys AAU Director and a Director of Coaching/Skills Enhancement. An Advisory Board is also assembled to meet regularly with our Basketball Administration, this consisting of local college, high school and travel basketball coaches.
PROGRAM CURRICULUM/ENVIRONMENT:
Our Organizational Leaderships will work with all coaches to ensure that there is consistent instruction that builds a foundation of skills, drills, and team play in our middle school program that transitions players into the High School Program. Coaches will also provide an environment that demonstrates good sportsmanship, respect for the game, referees, coaches and teammates and emphasizes development of life skills through competitive sports. Coaches’ expectations for players will be according to the “ELITE Basketball Creed” PLAY HARD, PLAY SMART, PLAY TOGETHER
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON OUR PROGRAM THEN PLEASE EMAIL US AT: epolli@mail.masselite.org
