TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Organizers of Saturday’s Rim to Rim girls basketball showcase hope that this kind of event will help bridge a gap in the recruiting process for those hoping to take their talents to the next level.
High school coaches in attendance all agreed there is a sharp difference in recruitment opportunities for girls who play AAU travel ball compared to just playing on their high school team. College coaches, while indifferent on the topic, agree that the more opportunities you can get to step on the court, the better your chances of getting noticed will be.
So while the disparity between the two continues to be a prevalent issue in youth sports. Events like the Rim to Rim showcase serve as a leading way to help close the gap and offer an equal playing field for all.
“These events for us are invaluable because it gives our girls who don’t have an opportunity to play AAU to be seen with their high school teams," said Valdosta High School head girls basketball coach Edward Wilcox. "We don’t want AAU teams to really take over what we do because it’s our responsibility to try to put them in front of as many coaches as we can."
“Now we just see a realm of players coming in and maybe they know each other from opposite teams or they play on the same teams," added Tallahassee Community College assistant women's basketball coach Bianca O'Neal. "And once they bring it all together it gives coaches a chance to see how they play on their AAU teams versus how they play on their high school teams and compare the two.”
