About Us
Coaching Philosophy/History
Valley United's focus is to teach basketball in a fun yet structured environment. All sessions are in the same format of technical instruction, phase of play, scrimmaging. Clinic or team participants will develop life skills as well! We hold each other accountable through (PMA) a positive mental attitude.
It is very evident that the game of basketball is evolving. With the advent of the space and pace philosophy and the high level of skill work that goes into player development, the game has almost become position-less. The days of playing point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward and center are over. You are now a guard, a wing, a post, or a specialist. Welcome to the era of position-less basketball! VU embraces the Read and React motion offense.
At the lower levels, all players should be taught the foundation of the game: shooting, passing/catching, ball handling, and triple threat work. So often we see a kid in fourth grade that is the tallest in his or her class and he or she gets thrown on the block and is told to rebound and post up. The only development he or she gets is the Mikan drill. Then, by eighth grade, he or she is no longer the tallest player and the love of the game is gone because he or she can no longer compete with everyone else as they have evolved their skill sets.
Valley United's focus is on all the foundational skills that a player should develop in order to reach their potential. Whether it is proper crossover technique, peeping the rim, reverse layups or cutting effectively, players will be introduced to all the fundamentals they will need to become a well-rounded player.
Valley United was started over six years ago with a summer clinic. VU has successfully run fall and spring clinics that have served over 500 youth from Avon, Simsbury, Farmington, Canton, Burlington, Harwinton, Andover, New Hartford, Winsted, Barkhamsted, and Granby, Seymour, Oakville, Bristol, Torrington, West Hartford, Watertown, Plainville, Southington, Warren, East Hartland
VU will provide year round basketball opportunities: Summer and Fall Programming will include clinics, practices, league games, and Crossfit Training in Canton. VU will continue to expand its Spring program by adding teams at each level.
Valley United will be moving into its 6th season of boys AAU teams and 5th on the girls side. The girls won one Zero Gravity tournament in their inaugural season and now have progressed to winning 49 tournament/league titles since inception. The boys have won 5 while usually only fielding one team per season.
AAU Spring Basketball
SPRING AAU Basketball
Valley is currently recruiting for Spring 2023. Valley will field teams in the following age brackets:
Girls= 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10/11th
Boys= 9/10
Please see the Spring Blog for tryout details!
ARCHIVE:
Valley United had 4 teams in Spring 2019.
Girls=
- (4/5/6th) u12
- (7th) u13
- (8th) u14
Recap
8th Grade Girls: The girls played in 12 spring tournaments in CT, RI, NY, NH, and MA. Amazingly, the group won 7 of those highly competitive tournaments! The girls demonstrated tremendous resolve and commitment to each other while coming from different towns, Avon, Simsbury, Barkhamsted, New Hartford, Winsted, Torrington. Amazing group of girls who set the tone for the entire club. Selfless style of play and teamwork reign supreme. There was no quit in this team. So proud of their development and what they accomplished.
7th Grade Girls: The girls played in 8 spring tournaments in CT, NY, NH, and MA. This group surpassed our wildest imagination while winning 3 tournaments! What a scrappy group of girls. This teams effort level and intensity were off the charts. They adapted so well to each other while hailing from Avon, Farmington, Granby, New Hartford, Winsted, Torrington, Burlington.
6th Grade Girls: The girls played in 8 tournaments while winning 1! These ladies were given an introduction to basics of the game. They took off under Coach Ben Scott! The group made the most progress from the beginning of the season to now. This group exudes a positive mental attitude. (PMA!)
BOYS Teams
(6th) u12
6th Grade Boys: The boys played in 4 local tournaments in the early spring. Coach Bryce Lauro motivated the group to compete every weekend! The group developed quickly considering the condensed nature of the season.
Programs
Summer Program Boys/Girls:
The summer program will start in late June and run til late August. Each team will participate in a summer league either in Farmington or Torrington which will consist of around 8 games. Each team will have 5 team practices, 5 clinics sessions, and will have access to Valley United's Conditioning Club. We will be forming teams for 4th-9th grade boys and girls.
GIRLS WINTER TEAM: The 7/8 girls completed an amazing winter campaign with a 41-13 record in 2018-2019! The girls did not have a league affiliation and played teams from all around the state. The girls practice three times a week and played at least 2 games per weekend. Please inquire about opportunities for all ages for the 2019-2020 season.
BOYS WINTER TEAM: Valley 6th boys completed a tremendous season of progress amassing a 14-16 record. The boys practiced three times a week . Please inquire about opportunities for all ages for the 2019-2020 season.
Please email valleyunitedbasketball@yahoo.com to inquire about roster availability.
FALL Clinics: Valley United served over 40 boys and girls in fall 2018! We will move away from the singular clinic for Fall 2019. VU will operate an inclusive Fall Program that will consist of clinics, practices, league games and Crossfit workouts.
The program is for boys and girls in the 4th to 8th grade. Participants will learned the fundamentals of basketball and improved their individual skill. Trainings included instruction on ball handling, shooting (BEEF), perimeter moves, post moves, cutting, skill drills, team concepts, defense, and scrimmaging. AAU in Avon Basketball in Avon