AAU Basketball at In the Zone SPRING 2023:
In the Zone is forming AAU basketball teams for boys and girls grades 4-11 to compete in tournaments during the spring of 2023. In the Zone Basketball Club is a fundamentals driven program. We believe that you never outgrow the fundamentals of a sport. We stress playing the game, not running the play. Our goal is to provide players with the opportunity to gain experience in competitive game situations, improve their fundamentals and help them take their game to the next level. Our focus will be:
- Individual player development
- Improving fundamentals
- Teamwork and court IQ
Within this framework we will also:
- Provide an average of 6 minutes of playing time each game for every player in good standing* (assuming 16 min stop clock halves; 5 minutes if 14 min halves).
- Dedicate 20-30 minutes each practice to individual skills (ball handling, shooting, footwork etc)
- Conduct skill clinics that will focus specifically on individual skills.
*good standing means that a player attends practice, knows the offense and defense, maintains a good attitude, plays team ball and displays good sportsmanship. If a player is not in good standing, playing time is not guaranteed.
Team Options:
Girls PLATINUM Teams are National, A level teams and represent our highest level of play. Grades 8-11 focus on national level competition and college exposure. There can be significant travel involved with several overnight events (DC, Louisville, Chicago, etc) Not every age level will have a Pt team. Platinum teams grades 8-11 will likely play 8 tournaments.
ATTACK Teams are A and B level teams that travel and compete in regional level tournaments. These teams travel within a 2 hour radius that shouldn’t require overnight stays. Most of our Boys teams compete at the Attack level. Successful boys teams can play in national level events in May and June.
Spring to Sumer Training Program (SSTP): Those players not selected for an AAU team will be given the option of participating in the SSTP developmental program. This program consists of the AAU skills and drills during the spring and playing in the 3v3 summer league. This program is designed to enhance basic skills and develop court IQ.
Alternates: Alternates are practice players. They practice with a team but do not play in games unless invited by the coach. There are generally 2 types of alternates: 1) Athletes who play another spring sport and can’t make the time commitment to be a full player but still want to train. 2) Athletes whose skill isn’t quite high enough to be a full rostered player but still want to train in a team environment, work on their game and get better.
Tournaments: In the Zone participates in a wide variety of tournaments. Our Platinum teams play a national schedule and match up against the best teams in the country. The Attack teams play a very competitive regional schedule which includes 6 tournaments.
Basic Practice Schedule: We practice 2 times a week for between 90 minutes and 2 hours each: once on a weekday between 5:30 and 9:30 and once on the weekend. Generally 4-5 teams practice at the same time and rotate between half court, full court and the performance training area.
2023 TRYOUTS
Tryouts will be held in on 2 consecutive Sundays, Jan 8 and Jan 15, 2023. Players need to attend one tryout but may attend both. All players, including returning players, should plan on attending tryouts. NO Tryout fee.
8-11th grade Girls: Sunday Jan 8 and Jan 15, 2023, 12:00-1:00 pm
4-7th grade Girls: Sunday Jan 8 and Jan 15, 2023, 1:15-2:15 pm
4-6th grade Boys: Sunday Jan 8 and Jan 15, 2023, 2:30-3:30 pm
7-11th grade Boys: Sunday, Jan 8 and Jan 15, 2023, 3:45-4:45 pm
Projected Tournament dates:
-
Mar 18-19 FCP The Grand Opener, Iron Peak, Hillsborough NJ Apr 1-2 Premier 1 Mid-Atlantic Showcase, Westchester/Glenn Mills/ Westtown Apr 15-16 Zero Gravity, 76ers Hoops Challenge, King of Prussia/Wilmington DE/Downington Apr 29-30 Top Tier Events, Electric City Madness, Scranton PA May 6-7 Premier 1 @ May Mayhem Classic, Spooky Nook, Manheim PA May 20-21 FCP Mayhem, Iron Peak, Hillsborough NJ
Platinum teams:
- *April 21-23, 2023 Select Events, Live at the Nook
- *May 19-21, 2023 Select Events, Atlantic City Showcase
- *July 7-10, 2023 NCAA Live Period (Run4 Roses Louisville, KY)
- *July 21-24, 2023. NCAA Live Period. TBD
*NCAA Live period, for Girls Platinum teams only.
Registration:
All players: email Steve at sturpening@aol.com with the following information:
- Name
- Address
- Grade
- DOB
- Position
- Height
- Parents names, phone numbers and emails
- Players Experience level
- Previous AAU experience
- Special requests (buddy sign-ups, team/coach etc)
- Tryout date to attend
Registration Fees 2023:
Attack Teams: $650; includes 18+ games
Platinum Teams 8-11th grade: $790; includes 24+ games
SSTP: $295 ($150 deposit, balance due Mar 15)
Alternates: $325 ($150 deposit, balance due Mar 15)
A $350 deposit will be required within 10 days of being offered a spot on a team. The remaining balance is due March 1.
Uniforms: Players will be required to purchase their own uniforms. Uniforms will be reversible black/white and will likely cost under $90 for a complete set. This will be a one-time purchase; the same uniform can be used year to year. Players will also be required to wear practice jerseys at practice. The blue/white mesh practice jerseys will still be used for practice. Practice jerseys can be purchased for $20 at the front desk.
Attack Uniform online store link: https://itz2023-2ndstore.itemorder.com/
Additional benefits of playing at In the Zone:
- Open gym every weekday form 3:00-5:45 Mar-May (hours subject to minor changes)
- Discounts on 3 v 3 tournament fees (AAU member only) to 1/1/24
- 30% discount on basketball summer camps for 2023 (not transferrable)
- You’ll have access to a vast number of training opportunities throughout the year.
Agreements:
In addition to the registration form, players and parents will need to sign a Standards of Conduct Letter and abide by In the Zone’s policies and procedures.
AAU Age Bracket Determination:
AAU has gone back to age based eligibility standards for boys ages 6-14 but have kept the grade based standard for high school boys and all girls. The age determining date is August 31, 2023.
Boys: The boys actually have 2 different tiers; one grade based and one age based. For 9-11th grade, there is only one criterion: grade. Here are the brackets ITZ will follow:
11U No older than 11 on Aug 31, 2023
12U No older than 12 on Aug 31, 2023
13U No older than 13 on Aug 31, 2023
14U No older than 14 on Aug 31, 2023
15U/9th grade: in 9th grade and no older than 15 on Aug 31, 2023. Grade Exception: In 9th grade on 10/1/21 AND no older than 16 on Aug 31, 2023
16U/10th grade: in 10th grade and no older than 16 on Aug 31, 2023. Grade Exception: In 10th grade on 10/1/21 AND no older than 17 on Aug 31, 2023
17U/11th grade: in 11th grade and no older than 17 on Aug 31, 2023. Grade Exception: In 11th grade on 10/1/21 AND no older than 18 on Aug 31, 2023
Girls
11U/5th grade: In 5th grade on 10/1/22 and no older than 12 on Aug 31, 2023
12U/6th grade: In 6th grade on 10/1/22 and no older than 13 on Aug 31, 2023
13U/7th grade: In 7th grade on 10/1/22 and no older than 14 on Aug 31, 2023
14U/8th grade: In 8th grade on 10/1/22 and no older than 15 on Aug 31, 2023
15U/9th grade: In 9th grade on 10/1/22 and no older than 16 on Aug 31, 2023
16U/10th grade: In 10th grade on 10/1/22 and no older than 17 on Aug 31, 2023
17U/11th grade: In 11th grade on 10/1/22 and no older than 18 on Aug 31, 2023
Fall AAU 2022:
In the Zone is forming AAU basketball teams for boys and girls grades 4-12 to compete in weekend tournaments during the Fall of 2022
Our goal is to provide players with the opportunity to gain experience in competitive game situations, improve their fundamentals and help them take their game to the next level. Our focus will be:
- Individual player development
- Improving fundamentals
- Teamwork and court IQ
Within this framework we will also:
- Provide an average of 6 minutes of playing time each game for every player in good standing* (assuming 16 min stop clock halves; 5 minutes if 14 min halves).
- Dedicate 20-30 minutes each practice to individual skills (ball handling, shooting, footwork, etc)
- Conduct skill workshops that will focus specifically on individual skills.
*good standing means that a player attends practice, knows the offense and defense, maintains a good attitude, plays team ball and displays good sportsmanship. If a player is not in good standing, playing time is not guaranteed.
Practices: Team practices are Tuesdays or Wednesdays between 5:30 and 9:00 pm and Sundays between 2:00 and 8:30 pm. Practices start Tuesday, September 6 and conclude November 2. There are no practices on the weekends of tournaments. Practices schedules will be set once the teams have been established.
Tournaments: ITZ Fall AAU teams will compete in 4 tournaments (about 12 games). The 11/12 grade teams will compete in several showcase events for DII/DIII college coaches. There are no NCAA D1 live viewing periods this fall.
Projected Tournament Dates: Specific tournaments will be set later; the fall tournament schedule hasn’t been solidified at this point. Coaches can request playing on other dates depending on player availability. Projected dates are:
- Oct 1-2
- Oct 15-16
- Oct 29-30
- Nov 5-6
TRYOUTS are Saturday, August 27 and Sunday, August 28.
- 3:30-4:40 grades 5-7 co-ed
- 5:00-6:10 grades 8-9 co-ed
- 6:30-7:45 grades 10-12 co-ed
- Those who played ITZ AAU in the Summer of 2022 do NOT have to tryout. Players who have been recruited for a specific team do not need to attend tryouts.
New Players need to attend one of the tryouts. If you cannot make either tryout, email Steve at sturpening@aol.com to make other arrangements. There is a non-refundable $20 tryout fee which can be applied toward the Fall registration fee.
Registration:
- Returning players (those that played for ITZ AAU in the Summer of 2022) can register by making a $200 deposit. Deposit can be made 5 ways
- Online at: http://inthezonesports.biz/event-registration?ee=259
- Stop by ITZ and make the deposit in person
- Call 610-837-8605 for credit card payment.
- PayPal at sturpening@aol.com
- Venmo @Steve-TURPENING
Payment of the $200 deposit will register and secure a spot on a team for you. The deposit is non-refundable unless player becomes medically unable to play.
- New players, that did not play ITZ AAU in the Spring, need to register by emailing Steve at sturpening@aol.com with the following information:
- Name
- Address
- Grade
- DOB
- Position
- Height
- Parents names, phone numbers and emails
- Players Experience level
- Previous AAU experience
- Special requests (buddy sign-ups, team/coach etc)
- Tryout date to attend
To complete registration, pay the $20 Tryout fee at: http://inthezonesports.biz/event-registration?ee=258
Registration Fees: $405 Regular Player
$200 Alternate (practice player)
$360 Sibling discount 2nd child
$330 Sibling discount 3rd child
Note: Alternates are players that either cannot commit to the tournament schedule OR did not make a team as a regular player (more of a developmental position) but still want to workout and practice with a team. Alternates may play in tournaments IF the team needs players and is invited to play by the coach. The Alternate position is not a play-games-when-you-can-make-it position; it’s a play-games-when-you’re-needed position
Uniforms: Players will wear practice jerseys and black/dark shorts for the fall. Cost is $20 for the practice jersey.
Additional benefits of playing AAU at In the Zone:
- Open gym every weekday form 4:00-6:00 Sep 1-Nov 18 (hours subject to minor changes)
- 30% discount on 3 v 3 League and Tournament fees, to 3/1/23
- 30% off fall and winter skills and drills sessions, shooting clinics and other training programs.
- You’ll have access to a vast number of training opportunities throughout the year.
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AAU Frequently Asked Questions:
What is AAU?
AAU stands for Amateur Athletic Union and is one of the oldest and largest non-profit, volunteer sports organizations in the United States. It is a multi-sport program dedicated to the promotion and development of amateur athletes.
What is AAU Basketball?
It generally refers to tournament basketball. Instead of competing in a league and playing one or two games a week for 2-3 months, AAU teams play in weekend tournaments and typically play 3-5 games in one weekend. It is very common to play several games in one day. Each tournament is a stand alone event and teams compete to become tournament champions. Teams from all over the region compete in these tournaments.
AAU sanctions regional tournaments where teams complete to earn invitations to national tournaments.
There are several organizations that conduct tournaments and national level events. In the Zone runs “open” tournaments which means that any team can enter: school teams, recreation, AAU, travel, YBOA, etc.
Although not completely correct, recently the phrase “AAU basketball” has been used to refer to the general practice of competing in weekend tournaments.
What is In the Zone Basketball Club (ITZ BC)?
ITZ BC is an organization created to form and train basketball teams and players for participation in tournaments and leagues from March through June/July.
In the Zone has been fielding AAU teams for 10 years. We have grown from 3 teams the first year, to 33 teams the past few years which makes ITZ BC one of the largest AAU programs on the east coast. The In the Zone Basketball Club is a Level 2 AAU member club and is part of the Mid-Atlantic District.
Is there a lot of travel involved?
Generally with AAU programs there is a lot of travel. Our Platinum Teams travel quite a bit. The Attack teams travel within a 2 hour radius and play some tournaments at ITZ. Our Defender Teams don’t travel at all. They stay home and the competition comes here. This approach is especially appealing for families who have children participating in other activities and don’t want to devote an entire weekend traveling back and forth for games or spending extra money on hotel rooms.
My son/daughter plays another sport during the spring, can he/she still play AAU?
Yes, they can still play, but we do expect a certain level of commitment from players to attend practices and games. We recommend the “Defender” teams for players who play a 2nd spring sport. We realize there will be conflicts here and there, but players should be at almost all practices. It is assumed that players participate in AAU ball to get better so they can excel during the regular basketball season; it would be unrealistic to think a player is going to improve without attending practices. Additionally, it is not fair to the other kids on the team for a player to routinely miss practices or games. Not attending practices may impact playing time; although there is a fee for this program, that fee does not guarantee playing time. Players need to be in “good standing” to play.
Can my son/daughter play on more than one AAU team at the same time?
Technically, yes but we discourage it. It’s probably better to make a firm commitment to one team.
How competitive is AAU Basketball?
AAU Basketball is very competitive and is generally considered a higher level than school or travel ball. Kids that play AAU ball usually have committed to basketball as their main sport.
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