Have you seen the future of basketball? You can this summer at various gyms in cities throughout Georgia and for just a few dollars. So, what will you see? You’ll see thirteen year olds who handle the ball like a Maravich and six foot five fifteen year olds who play like O’Neal, but more importantly you’ll see coaches who insist on integrity and sportsmanship from every player. It’s Amateur Athletic Union basketball and what makes it so special is the atmosphere of family that permeates every gym during the games. I saw it first hand as a basketball official during one of the AAU tournaments held recently in Macon. The sense of family was overwhelming and could serve as a model for all of us who strive to make this great democracy a thing in which we can all take pride. So what else will you see? You’ll see players patting each other on the butt saying, “great move” or “great shot” when an opponent does something exceptional on the court.

You’ll see them addressing officials and coaches with “yes sir” or “no sir” when spoken to, although they will have their “moments”. Something interesting happened during one of the games when a team was losing badly in the first half. One of the players, a little fellow, maybe five feet at best and their best ball handler, during a moment of frustration looked over at his coach and said, “they’re cheatin coach”, meaning us, (the officials after all, are fair game when a team is having problems on the court). His coach replied, “No they’re not, they’re just making poor decisions!” And maybe we were because in the second half they came back to win by ten points! I thought the coach, who was also frustrated, turned what could have been a negative situation into a teachable moment and hopefully the little fellow learned that officials are human. You’ll also see parents cheering for normal every player who turns in a performance worthy of accolades. Not just their kid but all their “kids”. That’s not to say you don’t have the occasional parent who thinks he’s the one on the court and not his child. But you always have those and they are certainly in the minority at AAU games.

These AAU folks seem to have discovered something that cannot be defined but nevertheless transcends normal human behavior during a sporting event. They cheer for both teams! I’ll admit I was confused at first when I heard one side of the gym cheer for their team and then turn around and cheer when a good play was made by the other team. I thought, there can be only two answers to this anomaly. They either don’t know who their child is or they don’t know the name of his/her team, after all, they probably just followed a bus and found themselves here. The truth is they know both but they also know the importance of making each child feel successful, needed and appreciated as a member of the team. Don’t misunderstand; the competition is fierce with each team putting everything on the line to win. But in the end, when the final score is tallied and someone wins and someone loses you’ll hear a coach say, “Go shake their hands, and look them in the eye when you do it”. Powerful stuff no doubt and worthy of a community’s support. I guess what I really like about AAU basketball is the great mix of people watching the games. People from different walks of life and ethnic backgrounds come together for a short time and cheer for a common goal, sportsmanship. And there, in the gym, we see what we as a country can be; people who want the best for their children. If that goal can’t bring us together as a country we are indeed doomed to fail. Interesting to think that basketball, being America’s game might be one of the ways in which Americans can come together for our most important.