Select or Summer Basketball Team

[NothingButNet]

Does anyone know the rules in starting your own basketball team?  Do you have to go through an organization, be certified, etc?

[Bigcam2903]

Rule #1 Know why you are starting the program & stay true to those guidelines. My question is why are you starting a program when there are plenty to choose from already? Just asking because many teams are formed because a certain kid didn't get what he/she expected. Well, what happens now is the Summer teams have just gained another inexperienced organization that doesn't know the ins & outs and have asked kids to play & if that parent gets frustrated, now we have another team that will form from that situation. Look up & we have 50 teams in a 10 mile radius & probably one organization knows what it takes to build a program, or what College Coaches need & want from a prospective player. My advice would be to first be an assistant to an organization & learn a few things before jumping into the fire. I admire the fact you want to help young people, but sometimes we can cause more harm if not properly prepared. Inbox me info if I can help in any way. God Bless

[2PointConversion]

Bigcam is right on the money.  Joining a group already established is a lot easier and provides you a background.  I did not do that, but would have benefited from it.  However, what you decide to do depends on how competitive and how much time you can give to it.  I did it a few years ago and am still doing it.  The first thing you need to decide is when/where you want to play.  There are many playing opportunities throughout the year, but depending on your competition level, you may not need to be as formal in your program.  If you play in certain tournaments, like AAU specific, you need to be registered with AAU.  However, one of the misconceptions I had was thinking that I had to do everything through AAU.  If you have a team that you are building, once you enter tournaments, many coaches will help you move the ball forward.  Beware though, if you have some great talent, some will also want to lure that away as well.  That's one of the frustrating sides to creating it.  I did not have that problem as much, but I see it a lot.  I like to think my talent stayed with me because I created our group specifically to give the kids opportunities to play, and as they got older, I involved them in the decision making.  Many of my kids I have coached for years.  We took some lumps, but we also gave them.  I am always happy to pass on any info I have to anyone that is interested in getting kids into playing basketball.  Not that I know everything, or even a lot.