Three overlapping terms for youth competitive teams outside the high school season. The terms vary by sport and region — here's what each typically means.
"AAU," "club team," and "travel team" are overlapping terms for youth competitive teams operating outside the high school season. The distinctions matter by sport and region.
The Amateur Athletic Union is a national governing organization with member teams across many sports. In basketball especially, "AAU team" has become synonymous with elite club basketball — Nike EYBL, Adidas Gauntlet, and Under Armour Association all run AAU-affiliated circuits. In other sports (volleyball, swimming, wrestling), AAU is one of several governing bodies and competes with sport-specific associations.
A youth team operating outside the high school season, typically with its own coaches, dues, and tournament schedule. Soccer, volleyball, lacrosse, and field hockey are dominated by "club" terminology. ECNL, MLS Next, and Girls Academy League are club soccer ecosystems.
A youth team that travels for tournaments — typically out-of-region weekend events. In baseball and softball, "travel team" is the dominant term; in soccer, it\'s "club"; in basketball, it\'s "AAU." The terms describe the same underlying thing: organized competitive youth athletics outside the school season.
Most college recruiting in major sports is heavily driven by these non-school teams. Coaches attend the major tournaments. The school season matters for some recruiting signals (state-tournament results) but the bulk of recruiting evaluation happens through the club/AAU/travel ecosystem.