Editor’s Note: This article was written for Mosaic, an independent journalism training program for high school students who report and photograph stories under the guidance of professional journalists.

The Amateur Athletic Union, or AAU for short, originally aimed to help youth in getting recruited to colleges or receiving scholarships. However, now many AAU basketball teams charge close to $1,000 per player for a single season – with most of that money going toward indoor training facilities, as well as jerseys and uniforms.

One gym in Fremont estimates it costs $300 to $450 a month to participate in an AAU league, plus $150 to purchase a gear and uniform package.

Frustrated by these costs, 17-year-old Arbaz Singh decided to start his own AAU basketball team that only requires a commitment to playing basketball and a $20 payment that goes toward entrance fees for tournaments.

A player for AAU team Jatt Da Maqabla goes up to defend a shot during a tournament game at Mission College in Santa Clara on Saturday, June 14, 2025. (Alexis Carrillo/Mosaic) 

Singh said he started the team Jatt Da Maqabla, also known as JDM, in order to give others like himself a platform to showcase their high-level skill without paying the high prices that can bar some athletes.

Nishant Mundian, 16, a JDM player who used to play for a rival AAU team, said, “The team I used to play for would charge more because they had players that went on to play college ball. It felt like I was paying more for the name and past accomplishments of the team rather than playing the game.”

Many AAU teams spend money on recruiting and advertising, and some even shell out thousands of dollars in order to have the latest equipment. JDM saves on costs by spending only on necessities.

Singh said JDM players carpool or take public transportation to a tournament. The team also doesn’t have costly uniforms and jerseys.

¨The duct-taped numbers on the back of our shirts help us play just as well as any jersey would,” Singh said.

The team also trains creatively in order to improve basketball skills without breaking the bank.

Singh says the team checks out drills NBA players do and watch YouTube videos for tips on how to do specific moves or shots. “All we use is a few basketballs, some cones and tape,” Singh said. “With that setup you can pretty much practice and do any drill you want.”

They hold practices in parks and outdoor basketball courts, where they can scrimmage against older, more experienced players and avoid paying fees for indoor courts.

“The indoor basketball courts are the same size as the outdoor ones,” said JDM player Amrit Gill, who added that if he hadn’t found JDM, he probably would have quit playing AAU basketball.

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Gill, 17, said he might get 5 to 10 minutes of playing time per game on other winning AAU teams he has played for, but he gets more time with his current team – and that could help him and other players get seen by college recruiters.

“In JDM, everyone gets time on the court to show their skill and can choose to sub out if they are tired,” Gill said.

Singh conceded that some other AAU teams are not very welcoming to JDM.

“The other teams pick on us because of our uniforms, and before the match starts refs and coaches ask us if it’s our first game,” he said. “Just because our uniforms may not look the best, the other teams think we aren’t at their level.”

Still, Singh said he hopes that other AAU teams will follow JDM’s example, so money will no longer be the hurdle that separates athletes from the sport they love.

His players may not all have coordinated uniforms, Singh said, but they all do have coordination on the court.

¨We all know each other’s strengths and weaknesses on the court; we know when to pass the ball,” he said.

Sami Khan is a member of the class of 2026 at James Logan High School in Union City.