WHEN IS THE RIGHT TIME TO PLAY AAU?

The July trip of your final year of high school is always the optimal time to play AAU. July is the beginning of the college recruiting season and coaches will be looking for eligible players starting college in August the following year. There is the greatest number of scholarships available at this time. The next best time for boys to attend is April, the year after finishing high school. April immediately follows the end of the college season, and coaches are looking to fill their final scholarship spots and address roster imbalances for the upcoming season. For this reason, limited scholarships are on offer at this time. If you are a younger player who plans to attend multiple tours, you can gain the required experience from attending either the April or July trip.

WHAT IF I CAN’T ATTEND AAU TRIALS?

Our in-person National AAU Trials are an essential part of the process of choosing who is in each AAU team. If you can't make it, players will be asked to send over either a highlight tape or a workout tape and from there, you will be connected with an AUSA team member to discuss the online assessment. We believe the best way to be assessed is in person, so the online assessment is strongly discouraged but only acceptable when there is no other choice.

HOW ARE THE TEAMS SELECTED?

If you are selected at our National AAU Trials to come on tour, the next step is team selection camp. About a month before leaving, we run this over a weekend in Sydney. This allows us to construct balanced teams based on position, but also which colleges will likely be targeting and recruiting them. To get recruited, it is not about having thousands of coaches watching you play, it is about having the right coaches watching the right players. Whilst teams are loosely graded on ability at camp, we will also take into consideration,

WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM THE TOUR?

The tour allows honest reflection, allowing players to find out if they are good enough to play at the collegiate level. Players will also be expected to study, train and take care of their bodies for three straight weeks whilst experiencing some of the best high school competition in the world. We have a mentally and physically intense training camp prior to the tournaments for the boys to prepare for the rigorous AAU circuit. Teams will then compete in two AAU Tournaments, likely the hardest competition they have ever played.

WHAT IS THE ACCOMMODATION SITUATION LIKE?

In previous tours, players have stayed in D1 college dormitories. We did this to give our players the college experience. All dorms are shared with other players and the tour chaperons are always close by to ensure the players have support and are safe.

WHAT HAPPENS IF A PLAYER GETS INJURED?

All tournaments have first-aid and physical training staff on hand to handle any injuries immediately. In the situation of a serious injury where a player needs to be taken to hospital, they will be taken care of by an AUSA Tour chaperone. As long as the player has travel insurance, their hospital fees will be taken care of.

HOW ARE PLAYERS SUPERVISED ON TOUR?

Our carefully selected tour chaperons and coaches are responsible for the safety and supervision of each team. Each team will have their own chaperone. They are all first-aid qualified, are above 25+ years of age and hold a wealth of experience coaching basketball teams at all levels. Most have been on numerous AUSA AAU tours and American tour trips so this isn’t our “first rodeo'‘. Read more about tour safety here.

WILL THE PLAYERS HAVE ANY FREE TIME?

Yes. We prioritize keeping the players engaged with basketball activities as our main focus. Cultural activities will be seamlessly integrated around their basketball schedule. We also understand the importance of downtime, and there will be dedicated periods for the players to relax and unwind.

WILL THE PLAYERS BE ABLE TO SPEND TIME WITH THEIR PARENTS?

Yes, the best time to see the players will be during tournament play. The players have an action-packed schedule throughout the week, making it much more difficult to interact during this time. On a case-by-case basis, players will be permitted to spend time with parents but we would prefer that they spend the majority of their time with the team on tour.

WILL THE PLAYERS HAVE ACCESS TO WASHING/LAUNDRY FACILITIES?

Yes. We will provide laundry instructions to ensure the players are equipped with the necessary skills. We will also monitor the players while they are doing laundry.

WHAT ARE THE LUGGAGE AND BAGGAGE RESTRICTIONS?

Every player will have an AUSA backpack for carry-on and only one suitcase for baggage.

HOW MUCH MONEY SHOULD BE SET ASIDE FOR ADDITIONAL MEALS?

We recommend $50-60 AUD per day for additional meals.

HOW MUCH MONEY SHOULD BE SET ASIDE FOR ADDITIONAL SPENDING E.G. SHOPPING?

Shopping is discretionary for parents, allowing them the flexibility to decide how much they want to allocate for shopping during the trip.

HOW SHOULD PLAYERS HANDLE THEIR MONEY E.G. CASH, TRAVEL CARD, CREDIT CARD?

Considering the player’s age and the desire to avoid carrying too much cash, here are a few recommendations:

• Prepaid Debit Card: Explore the option of a prepaid debit card. It operates similarly to a regular debit card but isn't tied to a bank account. This way, they can have a controlled spending method, and you can manage the funds easily. In the USA, Visa is the easiest way to go.

• Travel Money Card: Look into a travel money card, which is specifically designed for international travel. These cards allow you to load a specific amount onto the card and can be used like a debit or credit card, offering security and convenience.

APPROXIMATELY, HOW MANY GAMES WILL THE PLAYERS PARTICIPATE IN EACH DAY?

There is a 4-game minimum in each tournament, the players will play in. Generally, this means they will play in 1-2 games per day.

MY CHILD IS ONLY IN YEAR 9/YOUNGER, DO THEY NEED TO BE REGISTERED FOR THE NCAA ELIGIBILITY CENTRE?

Yes, every player playing in an AUU tournament must be registered with the NCAA Eligibility Centre (you can create an account for free).

MY CHILD IS ONLY IN YEAR 9/YOUNGER, DO THEY NEED TO HAVE HIGHLIGHT TAPES?

No, it’s not required. It’s good practice to learn how to create one, but you can wait until the tour is running to get that game tape, and we can use that to make highlights.

MY CHILD IS IN YEAR 11/12 AND HAS UPCOMING EXAMS AND ASSESSMENTS, WILL THEY HAVE TIME TO COMPLETE THESE?

3 hours per weekday of “study hall” is built into the itinerary of each of our Senior players. This will give them ample time to work individually or in small groups to complete any study, assessments, or exam revision.