NORTHEAST

Why Join a NorthEast Spirit Basketball Team?

Development
The athletes on travel teams are placed by tryout, so they learn and compete with others at their age and proficiency level. Practice occurs twice per week with focus on skill development as well as team instruction. Competition opportunities include a full schedule of weekend tournaments and scrimmages as available.
 
Quality Coaching
Our coaching staff is primarily composed of superior and experienced coaches who have demonstrated a positive and supportive outlook with a solid technical background. Each head coach has obtained NCAA Certification. All coaches and assistants have cleared criminal background checks and received Dept. of Welfare child abuse clearance certificates.
 
Exposure
Tournament schedules are built to support athlete exposure for teams 14 and above.  With our tournament schedule, we cover many of the East Coast venues.  College recruiting seminars with athletes and parents are currently being developed.
 
Balanced Teams
A balanced team has little difference between the strongest and weakest players. We draw athletes from a broader geographic base giving the teams more depth. This balanced team gives coaches more freedom for substitution which translates to more balanced play time during competition. Minimum play time rules exist to ensure all athletes are utilized.

Opportunities
Based upon the success of the team, they may qualify to attend AAU national level tournaments. While this presents a higher financial commitment, the positive life experience associated with national tournament attendance is an opportunity every athlete should have.

Environment
A team-parent oriented organization with instruction from quality coaches, higher competition & exposure levels has supported our growth thus far.  This club provides a positive and open athletic environment at a very reasonable price.

The Rest Is Up To You!

The AAU has a 118-year history of providing sport and fitness opportunities to enthusiasts of all ages. AAU is a 501(c) tax exempt organization so designated by the Department of Revenue.  During the 2007 fiscal year, 4.7 million men, women, boys and girls participated in sporting and fitness programs administered by the AAU. From AAU’s Regional District Programs to National Championships, from the AAU Sullivan Award to the AAU Junior Olympic Games, the organization prides itself on participation, education, and recognition.  In today’s competitive college recruiting world, probably 80 % of junior and senior age basketball players who go on to play in college,  get “looked at” at AAU events. For younger athletes (ages 10 to 15), AAU provides a highly competitive environment in which to improve a players’ fundamentals and knowledge of the game, to develop lasting friendships with same age players from all over the country and to realize increased enjoyment and success once back with their school teams in the winter.  AAU provides positive direction to its member athletes and teaches them what they need to succeed on the court and in life.  Your Club Membership Fee includes the fee for membership in the National Organization and the cost of the insurance (supplemental) that is provided by AAU.

Our Philosophy for Student Athletes of the Pocono Region

When Victor Robinson (a long time and respected boys’ basketball coach here in Northeast Pennsylvania), and I realized that there was not a solid fundamentals and education oriented basketball program for the area players, we made a decision to form NorthEast Spirit AAU.  Both Vic and I have many years of experience coaching and our AAU experiences demonstrated over time that the players were not getting as much instruction as they could if we began a program requiring coaches to be certified and emphasizing those things we both knew were necessary for success in High School and in College and which were lacking in this region.  The priority structure of Family, Education and Athletics was quickly identified as a core value of the program. Next, it was determined that priority would be given to shifting the financial burden from the families where it so often falls, to private contributors.  The typical costs of AAU basketball programs range from $350.00 per player to $1,250.00 per player for a four month program.  In 2010, the membership fee to be paid by the players of NorthEast Spirit is $200.00.  The costs associated with putting the teams together, uniforms, additional insurance costs, tournament fees, balls, tape, etc is about $10,000.00 per team. Potential contributors should write wawcoach@ptd.net for the tax deductible receipt information.  Coach Robinson said it best when he told a reporter, “It’s just not about what you charge them, it is about what you teach them.” I tell people all the time, we can get every certification available, attend clinics all over the country and work camps all summer long, but if a family can’t afford to bring their children, we can’t pass on what we have learned.

The Basics of an AAU Season

After tryouts and player selection, the registration process is completed and the fee is paid and the medical forms filed with the Club.  The Players AAU membership cards (required at most tournaments), are ordered, and their coaches contact them with practice times and locations. The tournament schedules are set by the Directors and the coaches.  Typically, there are 3 or 4 tournaments on weekends in April May and June.  Teams usually play 14 to 18 games during the season.  Scrimmages with nearby clubs may be arranged during practice times or on off weekends.  There is at least one tournament that requires overnight stay in hotels.  Players stay for free; parents are responsible for their lodging costs. Details are provided by the coaches.  Questions should be directed to the team head coach or thereafter to Coach Robinson or me.  Every effort is made to coordinate the tournaments so the players can see and support the other age and gender teams in the Club. At the conclusion of the season, a picnic or gathering of some type is planned for one Saturday in August. The coaches are a great source of information on what summer camps you may want to consider sending your child.  Once Summer Leagues start in early July, the Club may sponsor a team or teams, depending on availability of funds, coaches and player.

Coaching Requirements

Each person selected as a coach or assistant coach for NorthEast Spirit must pay $20.00 and complete the necessary forms for criminal background check and Department of Welfare Child Abuse History Clearances.  Head coaches obtain NCAA certification by paying the fee and taking an examination that primarily focuses on eligibility rules for college prospects, contact rules, visit rules and variations in requirements for D-1 through D-3 schools.  We encourage the coaches to attend a coach’s clinic held each fall near Washington D.C. and we bring the information received to those coaches who cannot make the trip to Washington.

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