Basketball is year-round in our area with training/development programs offered any time, AAU/tournament play lasting from February through July, and winter school teams and recreational teams several seasons. Yet with all these options, there is still an important need not being met.

Active Alex feels our area needs more winter leagues that are a step up from recreational play - where younger players (12 and under) are able to develop their skills more fully than in recreational play yet aren’t forced into AAU/tournament play before they are ready.

Play in these leagues differs from rec league play in that from a young age they keep score, teach and play man-to-man defense, ball stealing, picks and more. They incorporate specific training and clinics to develop skills for all the players. While rec leagues are a nice introduction to basketball, they fall short in preparing players for their middle school teams and AAU/tournament play – which is the goal for many players. Training/development programs are critical to player development but still should to be supplemented with quality play.

A few programs caught Active Alex’s attention and deserve some consideration in this regard:

Wake County Basketball Association (WCBA) The Wake County Basketball Association (WCBA) in North Raleigh offers winter (Oct-Feb) basketball for ages 6-18. They hold evaluations but no try-outs – it’s first-come, first-served once registration opens in August. Commissioner Steve Sterrett tells Active Alex, “We have doubled in the last three years with 472 kids this past year! We have five different age brackets and up to 16 teams in some brackets.” Their 8 players per team rule also helps ensure development.

The majority of players in WCBA are boys but girls who are interested in basketball benefit greatly by playing in this league at any age. “We have some tremendous female players,” says Steve.

The cost of this league is more than a rec league, but that only helps to attract players (and families) who are truly interested in this level of play and instruction.

Garner Athletic Association/Garner Flames The Garner Athletic Association (GAA) has a 20 year tradition of quality girls basketball with the Garner Flames AAU Program. Their many affordable camps and clinics offer quality training throughout the year. Beginning in October, Garner Flames will offer "A Complete Basketball Experience" for youth and pre-teenage girls. The GAA Winter League offers small group instruction, mini-camp skill development and competitive games at a higher level of play. "We are excited about the opportunities that our Winter League will create for our current players and athletic girls new to basketball. There will be elementary age groups with six team in each," says Athletic Director Richard Scott. While training and play has been in Garner and Raleigh in the past, this fall they will broaden their territory by offering skills clinics at Sport2Sport in Cary.

And boys take note: “We are adding Fall Workout Programs for boys ages 9-11 this year,” Richard tells us. “We’re starting with the 9-11 boys because we believe the foundation of skill development begins here.”

Hoops City U Known for their training and development for both girls and boys, Hoops City U also offers a fall and winter Saturday league for K-7 with an emphasis on instruction. The Saturday sessions include 30 minutes of instruction and two games in an hour and a half. There are four age brackets consisting of mostly boys.

Each of these organizations offers training and development programs and fall clinics to get ready for the season and quality AAU teams after the winter season. Check Active Alex under Sports & Activities and Basketball for links and more information.

And make no mistake – if your child wants to play for their school team, they will almost certainly need to play for an AAU/tournament team and do some sort of development/training program to gain the skills and experience. But these leagues that are a step up from rec prepare younger players for tournament play once they are ready.

Active Alex would like to see young kids be able to experience quality basketball during the winter season and traditional spring sports - like soccer, lacrosse and baseball/softball – during the spring season. Exposure is the name of the game when they are young. We encourage parents to seek out these options for their children who show promise in the sport.


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