In the Zone is forming AAU basketball teams for boys and girls grades 4-11 to compete in tournaments during the spring of 2023.   In the Zone Basketball Club is a fundamentals driven program. We believe that you never outgrow the fundamentals of a sport. We stress playing the game, not running the play.  Our goal is to provide players with the opportunity to gain experience in competitive game situations, improve their fundamentals and help them take their game to the next level.   Our focus will be:

• Individual player development
• Improving fundamentals
• Teamwork and court IQ

Within this framework we will also:

• Provide an average of 6 minutes of playing time each game for every player in good standing* (assuming 16 min stop clock halves; 5 minutes if 14 min halves).
• Dedicate 20-30 minutes each practice to individual skills (ball handling, shooting, footwork etc)
• Conduct skill clinics that will focus specifically on individual skills.

*good standing means that a player attends practice, knows the offense and defense, maintains a good attitude, plays team ball and displays good sportsmanship. If a player is not in good standing, playing time is not guaranteed.

Additional benefits of playing at In the Zone:

• Open gym every weekday form 3:00-5:45 Mar-May (hours subject to minor changes)
• Discounts on 3 v 3 tournament fees (AAU member only) to 1/1/24
• 30% discount on basketball summer camps for 2023 (not transferrable)
• You’ll have access to a vast number of training opportunities throughout the year.

Girls PLATINUM Teams: National,  A level teams, representing our highest level of play.  Grades 8-11 focus on national level competition and college exposure. There can be significant travel involved with several overnight events (DC, Louisville, Chicago, etc)  Not every age level will have a Pt team.  Platinum teams grades 8-11 will likely play 8 tournaments.

ATTACK  Teams: A and B level teams that travel and compete in regional level tournaments.  These teams travel within a 2-hour radius that shouldn’t require overnight stays. Most of our Boys teams compete at the Attack level.  Successful boys teams can play in national level events in May and June.

Spring to Sumer Training Program (SSTP): Those players not selected for an AAU team will be given the option of participating in the SSTP developmental program.  This program consists of the AAU skills and drills during the spring and playing in the 3v3 summer league.  This program is designed to enhance basic skills and develop court IQ.

 Alternates: Alternates are practice players. They practice with a team but do not play in games unless invited by the coach.  There are generally 2 types of alternates: 1) Athletes who play another spring sport and can’t make the time commitment to be a full player but still want to train. 2) Athletes whose skill isn’t quite high enough to be a full rostered player but still want to train in a team environment, work on their game and get better.

Basic Practice Schedule:  We practice 2 times a week for between 90 minutes and 2 hours each: once on a weekday between 5:30 and 9:30 and once on the weekend.  Generally, 4-5 teams practice at the same time and rotate between half court, full court and the performance training area.