This program is a developmental alternative to traditional AAU for boys in g.5 and 6.

AAU has become tremendously competitive, and as a result, developing players often do not have an opportunity to learn, develop, and get involved in a way that sets them up for future success. In this program, our athletes will focus primarily on developing individual skills and team concepts on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball. They will attend one skills practice per week and our coaches will provide in-depth skills training in a variety of different areas in a way that is engaging and fun. Players will learn the fundamentals of the game such as dribbling and passing skills, defensive principles, offensive moves on the catch and off the dribble, being "strong with the ball", rebounding, proper technique on layups using both hands, creative finishing moves, etc.) In addition, they will have one Team Practice/Game Day per week where they will learn team concepts and also put their skills to use by competing in live scrimmages. It's a nice mix, providing rigorous skills instructions while also giving the boys a chance to compete and have fun playing the game with active coaching and refereeing by our staff.

We’ve used a similar model in the past and found that the boys have really enjoyed the experience and seen tangible improvements in their skills.

The program would follow the same general timeline as our other teams in that it will start in the last week of March and run through the last week in May and will consist of 8 skills sessions and 8 team practices. The cost for this alternative program would be substantially less than the traditional AAU experience since we will not be competing in the (expensive) tournaments and won’t need uniforms (we will give each player a new Breakout T-shirt). The combination of the intensive skills training, team coaching, and consistent live-action opportunities should create a strong opportunity for development for the players while maintaining a level of competition that is appropriate (and fun) for everyone. As such, this developmental AAU program is appropriate for players at any level A-C.

- Skillz Practices run on ... Wednesdays from 6:50-8:00 at Furnace Brook Middle School in Marshfield (starting September 11 and ending on October 30)

- Team Practice/Live Scrimmage Days run on... Thursdays from 6:10-7:20 at Wolves Den for 2 weeks, followed by Furnace Brook Middle School in Marshfield (sessions start September 12 and end on November 7th) (*No practice on Halloween)

*If the numbers allow, we hope to set this up much like a basketball camp draft league where we pick teams and have a league schedule, playoffs, a champ etc. We will need to have around 45 to make that go so invite friends to join!

At Breakout, we make it priority to help all motivated players grow and contribute! Low-pressure, high-impact instruction, a positive encouraging environment, and a ton of fun! Our goal is for the boys to leave this experience loving the game and equipped for future success! I hope your athlete will join us and invite friends to do the same!