Elevation F.A.Q. | Elevation Basketball

10 ELEVATION F.A.Q.'s

(* plus a bonus question!)

1. Let's cut to the chase. There are a LOT of AAU programs out. Why should I consider Elevation and how is Elevation different from other programs? Like anything, AAU and club teams can vary in their approach. Regardless of your experience (if any) with other programs, I can promise you the following about this program:

We are organized, communicate consistently and clearly, and are entirely transparent. I am a father, teacher, and coach for 30+ years. I know the challenges for parents of balancing time, schedules, and finances with doing what is best for our children. I will always be honest and work with you to make it work for you and your family.
We evolve - every season I am looking to make the program better. Over the years we added skills nights, then game nights, later replaced skills with flex practices, we limited teams to 8 players, and then expanded teams back to 9 or 10...well, you get the idea. I am always trying to find ways to make the Elevation experience better and I am always looking for suggestions and feedback.

Our price is going down - you read that right, DOWN. I realize AAU and other club sports is not cheap! Part of this is due to the steady increases in gym rental fees and tournament entry fees. These, combined with the ridiculous admission fees families are charged to watch their child play, makes it a significant financial investment. I am continuing to work to find program sponsors to help lower our cost. 2026 Spring and Fall fees will be $750. This is a decrease from 2025 and this lower fee will include a new uniform. (If you are in need of any financial assistance, please reach out).

We are not a large program. You will not get lost amongst hundreds of players and families. We respond to emails quickly!
All of our coaches I have either coached as players, coached with, or I know very well. Our coaches are enthusiastic, knowledgeable, relatable and kind. Our coaches do not make it about themselves.
There will be skill development, practices, scrimmaging and feedback. This will not just be all about the games.
Your child will get the attention they deserve, both in practices and games. They will develop increased confidence over the course of the season. They will be coached by knowledgeable and enthusiastic coaches who love teaching the game.
Your child will learn skills. Games are fun but our belief is that learning and developing skills are most important!
By the end of the season your child will have a clearer understanding of both his/her strengths and areas in need of improvement. If your child aspires to keep playing at higher levels, he/she will know what they need to improve upon to better their chances.
Your child will have fun and make some new friends! Elevation Basketball is open to players from multiple communities, thus players will have the opportunity to meet and compete with new friends and teammates!

2. Where will the practices and games take place? Typically team practices take place in Concord, Acton, Groton or Westford. Although we may be adding new communities to that list, so stay tuned! Tournaments will take place in various local locations, including Westford, Sudbury, Waltham, Fitchburg and Wellesley, amongst other eastern, and central Massachusetts facilities.

3. What are Thursday "Flex Practices"? Flex Practicies take place on Thursday evenings. These sessions offer the following:

A make-up practice for players who could not make their team practice earlier in the week
A second practice for players preferring two practices per week.
A Skills / scrimmage opportunity for anyone interested.

4. What is "Game Night"? Simply put, Game Night is an opportunity for players to just play! Think of it as organized "pick up games". We break players into teams, members of our coaching staff officiate the games and organize substitutions so all players are on the court roughly the same, and the players have an opportunity in a low key environment to have fun and just play games. We started this program four years ago and the players love it!

5. Can we only sign up for Flex Practices and "Game Night" and not join an AAU team? Absolutely! Check back in January for more details.

6. How many players will there be on an AAU team? Our goal was to have 8 players per team, per game but we found that to be problematic due to players missing games and too often times teams left with only 5 or 6 players. So team will more likely have 9 or 10 - but NEVER more than 10.

7. Who will be coaching my child? Specific team assignments within our coaching staff is not decided until shortly before the season due to gym availability and coaches' schedules. I can tell you though that hiring good coaches and placing them with the right age group, I consider, the most important job that I have. In the past, our coaches have included numerous current and former high school coaches, former college players, former players that I coached, and coaches strongly referred to me by other coaches in my network. I am always looking to add to our coaching staff but do not just hire anyone interested or available. While it has not been updated for the upcoming spring season, be sure to check out our coaching staff page for a list of previous Elevation coaches.

8. How many teams will there be? The number of teams will depend on the numbers of players interested in playing. I do expect multiple teams in most grades.

9. Do you "level" teams? This is a tough one and quite honestly, it's a question I have mixed feelings about. But moving forward, we will level teams in grade 7 and up, and possibly grade 5 or 6 depending on the numbers and level of skill. We will not level grades 3 or 4.

10. Do you make cuts? Usually we do not although if we feel a player might be overwhelmed by the AAU level of play, we might suggest they participate in the Flex Practices and Game nights first to build some confidence and increase their skill level. This has worked very well for some of our players in the past.

Bonus question: Will your announcements, postings, and emails always be this long and wordy? Yes. Brevity is not my strong point. I'm trying to do better :)