At LOCALHOOPS we pride ourselves on being seriously competitive – we go into every game expecting to win and both players and coaches leave it all on the court to make sure that we do. But we do so within the bounds of two foundational philosophies:

First, we believe that the primary purpose of competition is to make our athletes better. Game play is the pinnacle component of player development, a place for athletes to hot-forge the skills they’ve learned from training in the heat of competition.  Shots taken under pressure are more valuable than shots in practice, defending an opposing player makes you stronger than defending your practice partner, and reading the court against an unfamiliar defense makes you smarter. Games are the ultimate classroom.

Second, we believe there is an appropriate level of competition for every level of athlete. Our elite AAU athletes learn and grow under the bright lights, big crowds, and tough teams of national tournaments, while our younger or less experienced athletes do so in settings more appropriate to their growth stage, against teams that will stretch them without discouraging them.