Questions, answered.

Hang tight, the youngest players we take to the US are Year 9 students in the year of the tour. Year 8 students interested in attending the following year should register for AAU Tour Trials. If you're near our facilities, you can also explore our academy coaching programs in the meantime.

Players in Years 9–10 can attend our Boys and Girls AAU Tours, focusing on gaining experience, learning the American basketball style, and preparing for the more recruiting-heavy tours in Years 11 and 12.

The July trip of your final year of high school is always the optimal time to play AAU. July marks the start of the recruitment season, when scholarship availability is at its peak. Alternatives include the May tour (for boys post-graduation) or June/July (for Year 11 girls).

Yes. The May Tour is recommended for recent graduates, allowing time to prepare before US college starts in August.

Yes. We've had Australian, US, and other-passport players on tour. The US entry process differs by passport: Australian holders apply for an ESTA visa waiver before travel (approval usually instant, can take up to 72 hours), US holders need nothing, other passports verify visa requirements for their country. Trials and tour selection don't depend on citizenship.

If you can only go once, go in Year 12 — that's when the recruiting calendar opens up and scholarship availability is at its peak. But if you want to stack the odds in your favour, playing AAU multiple times helps tremendously. American basketball is a different style and environment, and most players aren't used to performing in front of college coaches. You'll learn a lot on your first tour, and you put yourself in the best possible position to be successful if you're able to go multiple times.

No. Attending trials involves no commitment. Selected players are given several weeks to decide before spots are offered to other candidates.

Alternative measures (highlight tape, playing level, age, raw workout footage) will be taken into consideration for players unable to attend in-person trials.

Selected players receive notification and can schedule a call with our staff. Successful participants then sign on and provide an initial deposit to reserve their position on the tour.

We offer guidance to unselected players and can recommend alternative programs to support their college basketball aspirations.

We put each player on the team that best matches their level and gives them the strongest opportunity to be successful in the United States. Final rosters are confirmed at the pre-departure camp before we fly.

It's the preparation block we run before flying out. Camp covers player feedback, the systems and style of play we'll use in the US, finalising team rosters, distributing tour gear, and a seminar on the recruiting process. We highly encourage attendance at all sessions but we accommodate other commitments where we can.

Each tournament has a four-game minimum, with 1–2 games per day on average.

Yes — exposure is the same for everyone. The catch is that college coaches often watch part of a game and then move on to the next court, so you have to take full advantage of every minute you're on court.

Coaches and tour leaders (all 25+ years old and first-aid certified) supervise players at all times. Daytime supervision is the coaches; evenings run on a night-supervision roster. Your chaperone is your 24/7 first point of contact, and players are never left alone in unfamiliar locations.

Airport transfers run on chartered buses. Travel between cities is by chartered bus or domestic flight. To and from venues we use 15-seat vans.

Yes. AAU tournaments welcome spectators, though entry is usually ticketed (price set by the tournament organiser, payable at the venue). Your tour coordinator will share venue addresses ahead of each tournament. Parents can also stay at the team hotel, booked at their own expense.

No. You have two options: travel with the team on the AUSA group flight, or book your own. Group flights mean you fly together, check in together, and arrive together with chaperone supervision the entire way. If you book your own, it's your responsibility to meet us in the United States — and if your flight arrives later than the group, you may need to arrange your own ground transport from the airport.

An initial deposit secures your seat. The remainder of the flight invoice is due approximately ten weeks before departure, once the group booking is confirmed.

Yes. All players must have travel insurance that includes cancellation cover and amateur basketball coverage. A copy of the policy (provider, policy number, dates) is provided to your tour coordinator before departure.

We recommend around $100 AUD per day for additional meals (lunch, dinner, snacks, drinks). Hotel breakfasts are typically included as part of the package. Shopping and personal spending is discretionary — families set their own budget for that.

There's no fixed timeline. Some players receive offers within minutes of playing; others may wait months after the tour. Offers typically come directly from a university head coach — if a coach expresses interest, the player should clarify: “Is this a scholarship offer?”

We provide varying levels of support, depending on each family's preference. That can range from advice on which schools to target, to recruitment timelines, to scholarship strategy conversations after the tour.

Not required, but highly recommended. AUSA records games on tour, so players can request footage and assemble a highlight reel for college coaches after the tour.