Why Your Athlete’s Role Changes Between AAU and High School
It's Just Different Podcast
1,925 views
Your daughter can score 20 points for one team and have a completely different job on another. That does not automatically mean a coach is holding her back—it may be the adjustment that exposes what she needs to develop next.
Coach Kelley Meiklejohn joins Ashley Roberts to explain what changes between AAU and high-school basketball, why trust and communication matter, and how parents can support athletes without removing every difficult moment. They discuss changing positions, training outside team practice, balancing basketball with grades and sleep, realistic college levels, and why D2, D3, and JUCO can be valuable paths.
In this episode:
• Why an athlete’s AAU and high-school roles may be different
• How coaches build trust through attendance, accountability, and communication
• When adversity is productive—and when a role may truly be the wrong fit
• Why games reveal trained skills rather than create them
• How families can evaluate D1, D2, D3, JUCO, and other opportunities
• What incoming varsity players must learn about pace, defense, IQ, and team culture
Ashley on Instagram: @_thisisashleyr
Join the Basketball Parent Community for direct guidance, resources, and conversations with other basketball families:
https://www.skool.com/itsjustdifferen...
Join Different First Access to shop new DIFFERENT merch before the public:
http://itsjustdifferentapparel.com/fi...
CHAPTERS
0:00 Why the AAU and high-school relationship matters
2:12 What has changed for basketball parents
4:10 How Coach Kelley Meiklejohn builds staff and parent buy-in
8:15 How coaches build trust with athletes
10:23 What high-school programs develop beyond basketball
15:23 The trust gap between AAU and high-school coaches
18:09 Why athletes play different positions on different teams
21:38 EYBL-or-bust thinking and choosing the right level
25:32 AAU workouts during high-school preparation
29:35 Who is responsible for an athlete’s development
31:08 The freshman-to-varsity adjustment
33:08 Season time commitment and team culture
36:02 Advice for parents and athletes
37:58 Closing challenge
6 Comments
Why Your Athlete’s Role Changes Between AAU and High School
It's Just Different Podcast
1,925 views
Your daughter can score 20 points for one team and have a completely different job on another. That does not automatically mean a coach is holding her back—it may be the adjustment that exposes what she needs to develop next.
Coach Kelley Meiklejohn joins Ashley Roberts to explain what changes between AAU and high-school basketball, why trust and communication matter, and how parents can support athletes without removing every difficult moment. They discuss changing positions, training outside team practice, balancing basketball with grades and sleep, realistic college levels, and why D2, D3, and JUCO can be valuable paths.
In this episode:
• Why an athlete’s AAU and high-school roles may be different
• How coaches build trust through attendance, accountability, and communication
• When adversity is productive—and when a role may truly be the wrong fit
• Why games reveal trained skills rather than create them
• How families can evaluate D1, D2, D3, JUCO, and other opportunities
• What incoming varsity players must learn about pace, defense, IQ, and team culture
Ashley on Instagram: @_thisisashleyr
Join the Basketball Parent Community for direct guidance, resources, and conversations with other basketball families:
https://www.skool.com/itsjustdifferen...
Join Different First Access to shop new DIFFERENT merch before the public:
http://itsjustdifferentapparel.com/fi...
CHAPTERS
0:00 Why the AAU and high-school relationship matters
2:12 What has changed for basketball parents
4:10 How Coach Kelley Meiklejohn builds staff and parent buy-in
8:15 How coaches build trust with athletes
10:23 What high-school programs develop beyond basketball
15:23 The trust gap between AAU and high-school coaches
18:09 Why athletes play different positions on different teams
21:38 EYBL-or-bust thinking and choosing the right level
25:32 AAU workouts during high-school preparation
29:35 Who is responsible for an athlete’s development
31:08 The freshman-to-varsity adjustment
33:08 Season time commitment and team culture
36:02 Advice for parents and athletes
37:58 Closing challenge