One constant struggle travel basketball teams face is finding a place to practice. Even teams with multiple facilities will have times when their practice gyms are not available, forcing the coach or team administrator to either cancel practice or look for another venue.

Where can AAU or other travel teams find basketball gyms to practice? Whether your travel team is starting from scratch or a veteran organization, below you will find 10 different places to look for gyms as well as what setbacks to expect approaching each facility.

1. Local School

Usually the easiest place for AAU travel basketball teams to find a practice gym is a local school. Almost all high schools or junior high/middle schools in your area have at least one basketball gym on their campus. These are great venues to explore as possibilities as they are usually not in use during the spring and summer months.

One concern your coach or administrator may face when looking at local schools is if any players on your roster are a part of their system. In other words, will the travel basketball squad benefit any of the school’s current or future players? If the answer is no, some school administrators may decline your team’s request to use their facilities.

2. Community Rec Center

Except for extreme rural areas, most towns have a community recreation center facility. AAU travel teams can often look at these venues to find a basketball gym for their practice needs. Typically, the recreation centers are free to the community and can be secured by contacting a designated official who oversees the facility’s use.

A drawback to making community rec centers your travel team’s primary practice gym is availability. As a free or cheap facility available to the community at large, other organizations will also request time at the venue. Reaching out well in advance to request availability for this type of facility is encouraged and will help your team’s administrator build a rapport with the person in charge of the rec center.

3. Local Church

AAU travel basketball teams can look at local churches or monasteries to inquire about their gym’s availability. Most community churches have separate buildings for their parishioners, and church basketball leagues are a big deal in some parts of the country. And with faith a core value sewn into America’s fabric, the chance of having multiple churches with on-campus gyms nearby is very high.

Exploring local churches with basketball facilities is an excellent option for most travel basketball teams. But as seen with local schools, your team administrator may face opposition to using the church if no members of the congregation are a part of your travel basketball squad. It’s worth asking your team’s extended family if they are members of the church before reaching out.

4. Fitness Facility

Fitness facilities in your local area are a great place to explore for your AAU travel team’s basketball practice gym needs. In this category, eye more local fitness facilities than their national chain counterparts as places like Planet Fitness and US Gold will focus on exercise equipment and weights with few spaces for activities like basketball.

Like other options, your travel team administrator or an associated member with your travel organization will probably need a membership in order to gain access to the gym. Other drawbacks your AAU team will encounter involve higher costs as these options often rent gym space by the hour, meaning a two-hour practice could be $100 or more per occurrence.

5. Outdoor Court

Almost every neighborhood in America has an outdoor basketball court, if not multiple courts. Having an AAU team use an outdoor basketball court – especially given the travel season is during spring and early summer – makes sense and provides a natural opportunity in lieu of a gym. This option is especially appealing as an opportunity to take advantage of beautiful weather.

Conversely, unpredictable weather conditions provide a natural drawback to using an outdoor court exclusively for AAU travel basketball team practices. Wet or rainy conditions could end practice prematurely while courts with little shade provide no respite from extreme heat. Multiple rainy days could wash away a team’s practice opportunities for an entire week.

6. Local/State Parks

AAU travel team administrators should explore what practice gyms might exists at state or local parks. This option could provide both indoor and outdoor facility opportunities. State parks with lodging amenities could have a basketball gym located inside, providing a practice arena if guests are not using the facility. Outdoor courts are also prevalent at state and local parks.

The largest deterrent to using park facilities could be the driving distance to hold practice for AAU travel basketball teams. Most state parks are scattered are scattered across the state, and teams or individual players may drive more than an hour away to reach the closest facility. Transportation to and from practice could pose problems for your basketball squad.

7. Closed Businesses Or Buildings

As brick-and-mortar stores and factories all around the country close their doors, vacant buildings and parking lots are popping up everywhere. In urban areas, this is often more pronounced and could provide an opportunity for your AAU travel team to create a makeshift basketball gym for their practice needs.

While these are becoming more prevalent in today’s landscape, finding a willing partner to allow their usage can be difficult. Often, large corporations are in control of these buildings and keep their doors shut instead of opening them to the community. Further, buildings that will allow your AAU travel team to use the facility could create a costly burden on start-up organizations looking for a cheap practice gym.

8. Personal Trainers

A budding industry within the basketball community is personal trainers. These individuals have invested their resources into building a gym to teach players or whole teams the skills necessary to become better basketball players. AAU travel teams looking for a practice gym can explore working with individual trainers to use their facility.

Two obvious issues stand out as to why this could be challenging for your travel team. First, personal trainers often use evenings and weekends for their pupils, prime practice times for most basketball squads. And second, personal trainers have invested in their own facilities and will expect compensation for their use, creating another barrier to cash-strapped teams seeking practice gyms.

9. Parking Lot

Recently, I came across an AAU travel team that asked for permission to use an owner-occupied building’s parking lot to erect a makeshift basketball court for team practice. The squad used white tape to mark off important spots on a basketball court, such as the free throw line and three-point line. The coaches used a mobile outdoor basketball hoop – like the one you’ll find in driveways across the country – for their basket.

While less than ideal, this AAU travel team made the most of it. And without being repetitive, multiple drawbacks exists when trying to secure space on commercial property. This option is one that would work for an administrator or coach who has an inside connection with the business, giving their team a dedicated space to practice for free.

10. Community at large

When all else fails, crowd-sourcing your community at large could lead to an opportunity that you do not know exists. Asking on social media for a basketball practice gym that your AAU travel team can use can help you quickly unearth spaces that you are unaware exist. From in-home gyms to converted commercial buildings, there’s a chance your extended circle of friends and family might provide a lead you can investigate further.

What to Expect

Depending on the type of practice gym or facility your AAU travel team looks to use, coaches and administrators may be required to produce or sign a variety of documentation. Local schools will often ask for proof of liability insurance from the organization, providing reassurance that players who are hurt during practice would not sue the host facility. A quick search online will uncover team liability insurance, a cost-effective investment to protect coaches and the organization from litigation.

Further, some local municipalities could require individuals to sign their own waiver of liability before permitting use of their gym. These waivers serve as written acknowledgement from players and parents that any accidents are not the responsibility of the host institution or local government. This request could be in addition to providing organizational proof of liability insurance.

Set a Budget

If you are not already, consider adding a facility rental fee into your player fees to help the AAU travel group pay for practice space. Although this is by no means a requirement, administrators should see its importance and be able to easily communicate the necessity of practice rental fees to parents.

Setting a practice gym fee budget early is strongly encouraged for organizations, even those currently using a facility free-of-charge. First, any money collected could be given to the owners as a thank you or donation (especially for a school, business or church) or to offset unexpected expenses. Second, free-of-charge facilities could have limited availability, and the practice fees can be set aside as rental payments for when those gyms are not available.

Finally, free-of-charge facilities often are under no obligation to continue permitting an AAU travel team to use their gym or space with little or no notice give to the basketball organization. Fees collected for gym rentals would therefore be used to pay future facilities your team will transition to. But finding that replacement facility is probably why you read through this entire article in the first place.