The Real Truth About Club Basketball in 2025: Cost, Competition & Controversy | Youth Sports Breakdown

What’s the current state of club basketball in 2025? In this solo episode of The Gametime Guru, I will dive into the real pros and cons of the modern youth sports scene, particularly club basketball.

Key Questions Answered:

• Is club basketball worth the cost in 2025?
• How do club teams help (or hurt) college basketball opportunities?
• Why are parents spending $10,000+ per season?
• Are youth tournaments becoming a money grab?
• What role do referees and tournament directors play in the athlete experience?

Topics Covered:

• The evolution of club basketball from 2006 to 2025
• The explosion of club teams and watered-down competition
• How unsigned seniors earn college offers through late-season tournaments
• Frustrations with tournament fees, travel costs, and pay-to-play models
• The importance of quality refereeing and professionalism
• The urgent need for youth sports reform focused on development over dollars

Why This Matters:
Parents, coaches, and athletes are investing time and money into club sports with the hope of long-term payoffs. But are we losing sight of what matters most? Shane shares personal stories and insight after four years of coaching 16U, 17U, and unsigned seniors, providing a raw and unfiltered look at what’s really going on behind the scenes.

If you're searching for:

• “Should my kid play club basketball in 2025?”
• “Is AAU basketball still worth it?”
• “Youth sports problems in 2025”
• “How to get recruited from club basketball”
• “Club basketball vs high school basketball”

“Why are youth sports so expensive?”
...then this episode gives you the perspective you're looking for.

Recorded after the 2025 season and featuring real insights from tournaments across California, Utah, and Idaho—including battles with junior college teams and underfunded tournaments—this episode provides an honest look at what youth sports are becoming… and what they should be.

Subscribe to The Gametime Guru for weekly interviews with sports figures, deep dives into current sports issues, and behind-the-scenes stories that help you see sports through a different lens.

If you would like to see this on VIDEO, feel free to follow me over on YouTube and catch the podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h40snStgyaQ