No AAU season hurts youth athletes

No AAU season hurts youth athletes

BECAUSE THEY CAN'T PLAY IN FRONTOF THESCHOOLS OR SCOUTS AND COLLEGES,I KNOW THAT'S HURTING THEMPRETTY BAD RIGHT NOW."HOOP PHENE ELITE -- ABAKERSFIELD AAUPROGRAM HAS HAD TO HALT ITSOPERATIONS DUE TO THECORONAVIRUSPANDEMICSOT - JESSE CONTREREAS - VICEPRESIDENT, HOOP PHENEELITE"WE'RE A BASKETBALL PROGRAM THATWANTS TO DEVELOP KIDS FROM THEGROUND UP, BEING ABLE TO GETTHEM OUT OF TOWN AND GET THEMTHEEXPOSURE THAT THEY NEED."THE PROGRAM HAS 12 TEAMS -- WITHDEDICATED COACHES SPENDINGCOUNTLESS HOURS HELPING KIDSIMPROVE THEIR GAME.SOT- ANGEL MARQUEZ - PROGRAMDIRECTOR, HOOPPHENE ELITE"WE'LL BE IN THE GYM, THE VERYFIRST ONES IN THE GYM AND BE THELAST ONES TOLEAVE FROM AT LEAST 8 TO 10 OCLOCK AT NIGHT."WITH JUST 3 AND A HALF PERCENTOFHIGH SCHOOLERS PLAYINGBASKETBALL AT THE NCAA LEVEL --AAU PROVIDES A WAYFOR KIDS TO GET COLLEGE OFFERS--"OUR SCHEDULE FOR HOOP PHENEELITE WAS GOING TO THESE LIVEPERIOD TOURNAMENTS TO TRY ANDGETS THESE KIDSLOOKED AT."WITH TOURNAMENTS CANCELED --KIDS AREMISSING OUT ON SCOUTINGOPPORTUNITIES AND ANOTHER BIGASPECTOF THE GAME"PLAYING EXPERIENCE IS HUGE WHENIT COMES TOBASKETBALL, JUST HAVING THATSENSE OF TOUCH, THAT SENSE OFFEEL FOR THE GAME."THE LOSS OF THE SEASON ISUNFORTUNATE -- BUT PRACTICING ATHOME AND PUTTING THE WORK ISWHAT THESECOACHES ARE PREACHING."THEY CAN DEVELOP AS MUCH ASTHEY CAN IN THE FRONT YARDAND THEY CAN BECOME A GREATPLAYER STILL."HOOP PHENE ELITE IS HOPEFUL THEYCANRETURN TO THE GYM SOON -- ANDWHEN THEY DO THEY'LL BELAUNCHING A NEW IN-TOWN KIDS LEAGUE FOR AGES FIRSTTHROUGH EIGHTH .FOR 23ABC SPORTS IM MATT LIVELY--CONNECTING YOUHAPPY MOTHER'S DAY FROM 23 ABCNEWS CONNECTING YOUWE WILL BE RIGHT BACK.