How to Start Your Own AAU Club, Register Your Team
Players: Q & A
1. Do I need to register a club? Yes! You can not just register a team. All teams must belong to a club. It is easiest to fill out a Club Registration Form online at: www.aausports.org and click on Join AAU. You will receive an AAU Club Number. This must be performed before registering athletes and coaches. You can then get a printed copy. This is then forwarded to the Registration Chairperson, Kim Raifsnider. Ms. Raifsnider has the right to deny membership within a 30 day period.
2. Do you need to register each of your players and coaches? Yes! It is easiest to register online. Go to www.aausports.org and click on Join AAU. Each player is required to have registered and therefore receive an AAU Card Number. This will therefore cover each player and coach in all AAU Sanctioned Events in terms of Insurance. AAU Cards cost $12 for athletes and $14 for Coaches. You may choose to pay an additional $2 for an Added Benefit AAU Card. This Added Benefit covers each participant in Non-AAU Sanctioned Events.
3. Where do AAU teams compete? There is no league in the Middle Atlantic Association. There are many Open Tournaments in addition to the Association Championships in each age group. There are several lists available. The local, Middle Atlantic Association Open Tournaments are listed on this Web Site as well as the Regional Qualifiers to the National Tournaments. Another listing for tournaments are posted at: http://www.usjn.com/master.htm. There are also various National type tournaments, like the AAU Spring Fling, NICs, Junior Olympics, along with other privately run national tournaments mostly in the month of July.
4. AAU Rules? All Girls' Basketball Handbooks are printed online at: www.aausports.org. Each Association has Age Group Championships each year and top teams from each Association compete in the National Championships during the summer months. There is also a National Invitational Championships in which any registered team can attend. The Junior Olympic Games also includes girls' basketball and occurs in late July-early August. Each Association can send two teams to the Junior Olympic Games.
5. Who is eligible to participate? Any girl, starting 10-And-Under through 18 years of age. Age requirement for an age group is January 1 to December 31st. You can play up in age, but not down. Sometimes 9-and-under girls play up into 10s.
6. Where and when do tryouts take place? Most clubs hold tryouts in the late winter, January, February and sometimes March. Others tryout in the Fall for the following year's teams. Some teams are picked and do not hold tryouts at all. It is really up to the individual club.
7. How much does it cost to play AAU basketball? All clubs and even some teams in various clubs have a different fee system. Some charge for registration, then a fee per tournament, others charge a flat fee for the entire season, some teams have sponsorships and do not charge at all. Some clubs and teams offer fund raising opportunities.
8. When does the season start and how long does it run? The open tournaments start some time around mid-March and continue until the beginning of July for most age groups with some of the older ages playing through July. Some teams may participate or qualify in National Tournaments which can involve an extension of the season. Sometimes teams play shorter or longer seasons, it is up to the individual club, team or coach. There are also tournaments in the Fall where teams elect to participate.
9. Where and when are the tournaments? Locally, Regionally and Nationally. See the tournament listings pages on this site.
10. How do I find a team? Go to Find a Club on the www.midatlanticbasketball.org Web Site. Locate a club which interests you and contact that club directly.