AAU Basketball in Minnesota: A Parent's Guide
What is AAU basketball?
"AAU" technically refers to the Amateur Athletic Union, a national organization that sanctions youth sports events. In practice, Minnesota families use the term for any spring and summer travel basketball, whether a given tournament is AAU-sanctioned or run by a private circuit like Prep Hoops or MYAS. The format is the same: club teams organized by grade or age, practicing locally and traveling to weekend tournaments.
AAU basketball is separate from school basketball. It runs after the winter high school and middle school seasons end, and players usually play for a club that has no connection to their school.
When is the AAU season in Minnesota?
Tryouts and roster formation happen in February and early March, right as the winter school season ends. Practices start in March. Tournaments run April through July, with most teams playing six to nine weekends. Some programs run fall leagues from September to November, but the main season is spring.
At MN Rush, boys teams for 7th grade and under hold open tryouts in February or early March; older boys teams are built through recruiting. Girls teams add players through individual evaluations year-round and announce tryouts when scheduled. See the tryouts page for current details.
What does AAU basketball cost?
Costs vary more than almost any other youth sport, because they depend on the circuit, the number of tournaments, travel distance, and whether the program covers uniforms and gym rental. Expect anything from several hundred dollars for a local program playing in-state tournaments to several thousand for a shoe-circuit team that flies to events.
Ask any program what the fee includes. Typical items are tournament entries, practice gym time, uniforms, and coaching. Typical exclusions are family travel, lodging, spectator admission at tournaments, and any optional out-of-state events.
Which circuits do Minnesota AAU teams play?
Boys teams in the Twin Cities area most often play the Prep Hoops Circuit (12U and up) and Prep Hoops NEXT, plus MYAS tournaments for younger grades and AAU-sanctioned events. Girls teams play AAU events, the Minnesota AAU State Tournament, and program-hosted tournaments such as MN Suns and North Tartan events. Our tournaments page lists where MN Rush teams play.
How do AAU tryouts work?
Most programs post tryout dates on their website and social media in January or February. Tryouts usually run one to three sessions and include skill work, 3-on-3, and 5-on-5. Coaches and directors evaluate and offer roster spots afterward, usually within a week. Not every player who tries out makes a team; programs that promise otherwise are usually filling a gym rather than building a roster.
Older teams (8th grade and up for boys, high school for girls) are often built through recruiting rather than open tryouts. If your player wants to be seen by a specific program, email the director with grade, position, and current team.
How to choose an AAU program
- Practice-to-game ratio. A program that practices twice a week and plays six tournaments develops players more than one that practices once and plays twelve.
- Who coaches. Ask about the coaches' backgrounds. School coaching experience is a good sign.
- Level of play. The right circuit is the one where your player competes, not the one with the biggest name.
- Travel. Mostly in-state events are better for most families. Out-of-state travel makes sense for players being recruited by colleges, which is a small number.
- Communication. A program that answers email in a day will answer it during the season too.
Frequently asked questions
Most Minnesota programs start teams at 3rd or 4th grade. At that age the focus should be fundamentals and fun; competitive circuit play usually begins around 6th grade.
For a player who loves the game and wants to improve against better competition, yes. For a player who is only doing it because teammates are, the cost and travel are hard to justify. The practice-to-game ratio of the program matters more than the name on the jersey.
Yes. AAU runs in spring and summer, after the school season. Minnesota State High School League rules allow it, with some restrictions on how many school teammates can be on the same AAU team during certain periods, so check with your school's athletic director.
Six to nine per season is typical for a Minnesota program. Shoe-circuit teams play more and travel farther.
Search for programs by region, ask your school coaches which programs their players use, and check program websites for tryout dates in January and February. MN Rush serves the Northwest Twin Cities metro from St. Michael-Albertville.
Related
Girls Program Director, MN Rush. Girls program director after coaching at the 13U and 14U levels. Former varsity assistant for North Branch Boys Basketball. girls@mnrush.com