EDGE ATHLETICS

EDGE ATHLETICS FALL 2020 AAU PROGRAM

Covid-19 has wreaked havoc across our nation and has impacted many facets of our everyday lives.  Youth and High School sports have been turned upside down leaving the athletes in our communities with few options to work on their basketball skills and to stay in game shape condition.

With the success of our modified spring AAU program which we delayed into the summer, we are pleased and excited to announce a fall program that will fill a void for CYO, and preseason training for the modified, freshmen, Junior varsity and varsity levels.

Here is what you will get:

• 8 weeks of training, 2-3 sessions each week, a minimum of 20 sessions of workouts with the most experienced coaches in the area.
• Each training session will be 90 minutes long
• Sessions will be conducted by Coach Jim Santoro and Coach Tom Jordan along with other guest coaches.
• Sessions will include skills training and structured varsity level practices.  Practice content will include what is typical for a regular varsity schedule but will limit the activities to stay within the guidelines provided by local and state officials.
• Weather permitting, our athletes will be able to compete and scrimmage outdoors in our newly configured outdoor court right on premises.
• In addition to the regular program, each athlete will have two “Shooting Gallery” workouts that will be scheduled on the off days.
• All athletes enrolled will get a discount for additional workouts and shooting sessions that can be scheduled individually or as a small group.

Given the current environment that exists due to Covid-19, this is a real opportunity for basketball players to get their work in before the basketball season begins.  And for those younger athletes that are missing out on CYO, this is an opportunity to keep working on your skills.  All while staying within the guidelines designed to keep us all safe!

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q. Where will the program take place?
A. All workouts and activities will be held at the Poughkeespsie Day School (PDS) located on Boardman Road in the town of Poughkeepsie.

Q. What safety precautions do you take to keep the environment safe during the pandemic?
A. We have been following and strictly adhering to all of the guidelines provided to us by the county and state. There will be an orientation for each group of athletes and parents as to the procedures and requirements before the first workout session.

Q.  When will the program begin and end?
A.  We plan on scheduling practices and workouts starting Monday, September 27 and completing the week before Thanksgiving.

Q.  What days and times will practices and workouts be?
A.  We plan on running sessions beginning at 3pm with the last session finishing no later than 10pm, Monday through Friday and sometimes Saturdays and Sundays.  After the groups are filled, we will try to accomodate everyones schedule as best we can with priority for the early slots going to the youngest athletes.

Q. Will there be tryouts?
A.  No. Although there will be no tryouts, this program is directed towards basketball players with prior basketball experience.  THIS IS NOT A PROGRAM FOR BEGINNERS. In order to maximize preparations for the upcoming season, we are seeking the most serious players in the area.

Q. How many athletes will make up each group?
A. We do not have a specific number as a minimum or maximum for each group. The objective is to create training and practice groups that consist of athletes that are best suited to train and practice together so that they get the most benefit.

Q.  If there are no tryouts, how will the available slots be filled?
A.  We will give first priority to those athletes that completed the modified spring AAU program.  Registration will be open to only those athletes until Monday, September 20.  After that, we will accept all other athletes wishing to register on a first come first serve basis but will accept the athlete  only after conversing with the parent, guardian, and athlete to ensure this is the right program for them.

Q.  How we will know if I have been accepted into the program?
A.  We will let you know after we have received your registration and have spoken directly either by phone or in person. 

Q.  You haven’t mentioned age divisions.  Will there be traditional 11u through 17u age divisions?
A.  We will start by grouping the athletes by age.  But we will modify the groups based on skill level so that we can best maximize the benefit of the practice and workout sessions. Since we are not competing in tournaments (see next question), it is not necessarily needed to group by age.

Q.  Some other AAU programs are going to tournaments.  Will this program send teams to tournaments?
A.  Unfortunately, New York State has not approved indoor tournament play.  Other programs are attending tournaments out of state.  We will not.  We made the decision that if NY is not permitted to host tournaments, then we will not send our kids out of state to play.  There are many factors that went into this decision and we did not make it lightly.  We talked to many parents, county officials, nurses, and doctors and decided that it was not worth the risk both from a safety perspective and for the reputation of our program.  If you would like more detailed information, please feel free to call me.

Q.  If you are not going to tournaments, how will the athletes get the most benefit?
A.  Our program is designed to provide a varsity level practice session each week with the intensity level that will help prepare them for the upcoming season.  Although we will not play games, we have created a mini outdoor court where the athletes can compete in a 5 on 5 setting.  We will also be focusing on enhanced skill development and strength and conditioning based on “Peak Performance” and the “Jump Manual.” Although there is no replacement for game experience, we are confident that this will best prepare our athletes for the upcoming season.

Q. What do you mean by “Shooting Gallery” workouts?
A.  The “Shooting Gallery” are  shooting workouts that we conduct with the use of 4 shooting machines.  We will schedule these sessions outside of the normal practice schedule and will limit the workouts to no more than 2 athletes at a basket with a machine.  These sessions will be an hour long and athletes can expect to get up at least 450 shots each.

Q.  Are additional workout sessions going to still be available for individuals and small groups?
A.  Yes. Schedule permitting, we will offer additional training for individual and small group training to focus on specialized skills.  These sessions will be offered at a 50% discount to any athlete registered with us for the duration of the program.

Q. What is the tuition for this program?
A.  The tuition is $475.  But there is $25 discount for those athletes that completed the modified spring program.  That brings the tuition price down to $450 which works out to be approximately $20 per session.

Q.  When is tuition due?
A.  Tuition is due prior to the first week of sessions.  We will designate a day for you to come in and make the payment.

Q. Is there a tryout fee?
A. No. There is no tryout so there is no tryout fee.

Q. Is there a uniform fee?
A.  No. Since we are not playing in tournaments, there is no need for a uniform, and, therefore, no uniform fee.

Q. Do we need to have an AAU membership?
A. Yes.  All participants must have an active AAU card and provide to us upon registration.

Q.  Some of us purchased a uniform for the spring program.  Will the $75 be refunded?
A.  Yes.  But you have two other options.  First you can use the  $75 as a credit towards the tuition.  And, second, you can use the refund towards credit for TWO shooting sessions.

Q. How do we register?
A.  Registration will be done through our website.  If you already have an account with us, its pretty easy.  Just log into your account from our homepage and register like you did for the spring program.  If you do not have an account, you can create one by going to the homepage and follow the instructions.

Q.  If I have other questions, can I contact your directly?
A.  Certainly.  Feel free to email me at info@edgeathletics.com, call or text me at 845-264-5078.