u/ZarkLanderz66

Coaching my son's 12U team and 3 of our best players just left for a "travel" AAU program that costs $3k+ a season. i get it, exposure and all. But the kids who stayed with me are starting to feel like they're not good enough. We practice 2x a week in the school gym and run drills like 5-out offense, and some plays I picked up from Giannis and the Bucks.

How do you balance keeping it fun and developmental when parents and kids start to compare themselves to these big-money programs? What actually works to keep a rec/youth team engaged?