Drew Batten

Unpopular opinion… AAU doesn’t need to lead to college basketball to be worth it. For a lot of players today, it’s simply part of becoming competitive enough to play varsity basketball. Not every player is chasing a Division I scholarship. Some are chasing a varsity roster spot. Some want to make the rotation. Some want to help their high school team win. Some just love the game. And that’s enough! I think we’ve become too obsessed with using college basketball as the scoreboard for whether a player’s journey was worth it. What if they never play another organized game after high school? If they loved the practices… loved the tournaments… loved the road trips… loved the teammates… loved competing… Wasn’t that valuable too? Not every basketball journey has to end with a scholarship to be a success. Sometimes success is simply getting better, building friendships, making memories, learning life lessons, and squeezing EVERY DROP out of a game you love. If you’re playing on Court 1 or Court 37, play hard. The love of the game doesn’t care what division you’re headed to. ❤️🏀