|
Player
Resources
Basketball is a 12-month, year
round sport. In order to do well at the high school level, and to have a
better-than-even chance of playing college ball, a player today must be willing
to make a January through December commitment. In many cases, this may
mean giving up other sports and cutting back on a social life. We'll
summarize the basic non-scholastic programs that a serious, aspiring player
might want to consider...
Off-Season Programs
AAU
Amateur Athletic
Union. AAU is involved in many sports, both youth and adult.
They specialize in off-season league play, and are probably the
oldest such organization on a national basis.
Girls Basketball is
one of the more popular AAU sports. Most starters on the
better Delaware high school teams play AAU in the spring and summer.
Games are played usually on weekends - two on Saturday and another
two on Sunday. The level of competition is very high as almost
every player in AAU is serious about and committed to the sport.
AAU supports Girls
Basketball from ages 9 through 18. There are district and
national championships for teams. For individuals, there are
also college "showcase" tournaments that give players exposure to
college scouts and coaches. These are usually held in June and
July, and normally involve teams in the high school age brackets
(generally 14U through 18U).
For more information
about AAU on the national level:
http://aausports.org/default.asp
For information on
AAU in the Delaware area:
http://midatlanticaaubasketball.org/
Also:
http://www.ma-aau.org/
AYB / AYB Tour
American Youth
Basketball. AYB is a similar setup to AAU. Unlike AAU,
teams are formed by scholastic grade (4th grade, 5th grade, etc.)
rather than by age. There are various levels of competition
and team championships.
For more information
on AYB / AYB Tour:
http://www.aybtour.com/About.asp
YBOA
Youth Basketball of
America. Still another off-season program. YBOA supports
ages 8 through 18, and uses high school rules for all age levels.
For more information
on YBOA:
http://www.yboa.org/Default.aspx
Local Summer Leagues
In both the grade
school and high school level, local summer leagues for girls have
been on the decline in recent years. The Diocese of
Wilmington's CYM summer league program (grade school) no longer
exists in its once classic form. At the high school level,
Stormin' Norman's (as such) ended after the 2001 season.
Efforts were made to replace it with varying levels of success.
The Val Whiting League of the late nineties/early 2000s morphed into
what is now called the Crozier League. This league is
virtually the "only game in town" for high school girls interested
in playing summer ball. Teams are organized by school
attended. Girls whose schools do not participate in the league
can get placed onto rosters. There are standings along with
playoffs and a championship.
For more information
on the Crozier League:
http://www.nccde.org/sports/home/webpage12.asp
Programs for Individuals
Camps / Clinics
There are probably a
gazillion (well, maybe not THAT many) coaches and former players who
are putting on camps and clinics as a way for the individual player
to not only improve her on-court skills, but to also get more
involved in physical conditioning. Camps and clinics are doing
booming business and have become very popular. Some of the
leading people in this area are, in no particular order, Val
Whiting, John Noonan, Michelle Albanese, Jeff Simpson, and Ursuline
Academy.
Click here for info on the Adidas Jr. Phenom
Program
Shootouts
Shootouts are among
the most interesting events in girls basketball. Girls
register for the shootout, show up at the gym, are assigned a team
to play with, then they simply play basketball for two to four
games. All this is done in front of college scouts and
coaches. It's an exposure event. A well-run shootout can
pay huge dividends to a player. Cost is usually under $200 per
girl, and, if she gets a college deal out of it, it'll more than be
worth the modest cash outlay. Shootouts are a fantastic way
for a solid player who might be on a weak off-season team to get the
all-important "college look." Shootouts are hosted by all
sorts of organizations. A good place to begin finding one is
to ask your school or off-season (AAU, AYB, YBOA) coach about them.
They get email and letters all the time about these events.
DVDs & Videos
Getting a good
practice/workout DVD or tape is a resourceful way for an average
local player to actually get coaching from nationally known
personalities - and for a bargain basement price. Just go
online and hit the old search engines! You'll find plenty.
Well, we hope the
information on this page has given you some good ideas to improve your
game. You may want to look into doing one or more of the things
detailed here.
DelGirlsHoops@aol.com
Home |
