Not sure where to start?

Download Free Trainer Evaluation Guide

Private Trainers

Best For: Individual skill development, shooting mechanics, position-specific work, confidence building, off-season improvement.

What to Know: Kansas trainers typically charge $40–$100/hour depending on location and experience. KC metro and Wichita have the highest concentration. Smaller communities may have fewer options — some families drive to hub cities for specialized training. Look for trainers who assess your child’s needs before selling a package.

Download free trainer evaluation guide

Basketball Camps

Best For: Intensive learning periods, exposure to different coaching styles, fun competitive environment, meeting players from other areas.

What to Know: Kansas camps range from university-run programs (Bill Self Camps at KU, Jerome Tang Camps at K-State) to national organizations (Breakthrough Basketball, PGC, Nike) to local trainer-led sessions. College camps provide campus exposure but aren’t recruiting events at younger ages. Cost ranges from $150–$500 depending on format and duration.

Download camp selection guide

Select & AAU Teams

Best For: Game experience beyond school season, playing against different competition, team development, potential college exposure at older age groups.

What to Know: MAYB is the dominant tournament circuit in Kansas, running events in Wichita, Lawrence, Salina, Garden City, and smaller towns statewide. Tournament entry runs $175–$325 per event. Travel costs add up — especially for western Kansas families attending KC-area or out-of-state events. Ask about total season cost, not just registration fees.

Download AAU/select team evaluation guide

6A Boys — Top 10

6A Girls — Top 10

5A Boys — Top 10

5A Girls — Top 10

Questions for Private Trainers

• In a market with trainers at every Wichita and Overland Park rec center, what’s your coaching background beyond just playing experience?
• Do you do an initial assessment, or does every player run the same drills? (Kansas has plenty of “cone and ladder” trainers — dig deeper.)
• How do you prepare players for KSHSAA tryouts versus MAYB tournament seasons? Those require different skill sets.
• What’s the total cost for a development cycle? Some KC metro trainers charge $80-100/session — get the complete number upfront.

Questions for Camps

• Bill Self Camps and Jerome Tang Camps are great experiences — but understand they’re teaching camps, not recruiting events for 10-year-olds. What’s the actual curriculum?
• What’s the coach-to-player ratio? National chains running 50+ kids with 3 coaches offer a different experience than 15-to-1 settings.
• Is the camp age-appropriate? A “competitive” camp in Wichita may mean different things for a 4th grader versus a high schooler.
• For western Kansas families driving 2+ hours to camp: what’s the daily schedule? Is it worth the travel commitment?

Questions for AAU/Select Teams

• MAYB tournaments run year-round across Kansas — how many events does this team attend, and what’s the total cost including travel to Wichita, Lawrence, or out-of-state events?
• Does the coach prioritize development and equal playing time, or is this a “win the MAYB bracket” team that sits weaker players?
• What’s the practice-to-game ratio? Some Kansas select teams practice once a week and play 30 tournaments. Others balance development with competition.
• For older players: which specific tournaments have actual college coach attendance? Not all MAYB events draw recruiters — ask for specifics.

Kansas’s basketball epicenter. Wichita Heights and Kapaun Mt. Carmel are perennial state contenders, Bishop Carroll and Wichita Collegiate add private school depth, and Wichita State provides D1 exposure. Home to Hoop Mountain Central (year-round training), Just A Kid From Wichita camp, and Breakthrough Basketball. MAYB hosts its Winter Kickoff tournament here. The widest selection of private trainers in the state.

Wichita basketball training →

Johnson County basketball powerhouse. Blue Valley school district dominates 6A rankings — Blue Valley High, Blue Valley North, and Blue Valley Northwest routinely appear in the top 10. St. Thomas Aquinas leads 5A girls. Johnson County CC runs a nationally-ranked JUCO program (#3 in 2025-26). The KC metro’s highest concentration of private trainers and AAU programs, with access to Missouri-side competition as well.

Overland Park basketball training →

Part of the greater KC metro basketball ecosystem. KC Piper has been ranked in 5A boys and girls. Sumner Academy has historically produced college-level talent. Kansas City Kansas CC provides a JUCO option. KCK families benefit from access to both Kansas and Missouri sides of the metro for training, tournaments, and AAU competition — one of the state’s most resource-rich areas for basketball development.

Another Johnson County basketball stronghold. Olathe North (#2 in 6A boys), Olathe East, and Olathe South all produce competitive programs. MidAmerica Nazarene University provides an NAIA option right in town. With three large high schools feeding into the same community, the internal competition drives development — Olathe kids grow up playing against high-level competition from middle school onward.

The state capital fields multiple ranked programs: Topeka West (#2 in 5A boys), Topeka Seaman, Shawnee Heights, Washburn Rural, and Topeka Hayden. Highland Park has a rich basketball history. Washburn University (D2, MIAA) provides a local college option. Topeka’s central location makes it accessible for MAYB tournaments, and the city has a growing youth basketball infrastructure.

The birthplace of basketball. James Naismith coached the first team here, and Allen Fieldhouse remains one of the most iconic venues in the sport. The University of Kansas (4 NCAA titles under Bill Self) creates a basketball culture that permeates the entire city. Bill Self Basketball Camps draw players from across the region. MAYB hosts Lawrence tournaments. Haskell Indian Nations University adds an NAIA program. Lawrence kids grow up immersed in college basketball at the highest level.

Home of Kansas State University and Bramlage Coliseum, where the Sunflower Showdown rivalry with KU energizes the community. Manhattan High appears in 6A rankings. Jerome Tang Basketball Camps (Powercat Day Camp, Junior Wildcat Camp) offer direct access to K-State coaching staff. The Little Apple’s college-town culture means basketball is woven into daily life — even for youth players.

Central Kansas hub that bridges the eastern metro areas and western plains. Salina South and Sacred Heart both appear in KBCA rankings. Kansas Wesleyan University (NAIA, KCAC) provides a college option. Tony’s Pizza Events Center hosts state tournament games. MAYB runs tournaments in Salina, making it a key gathering point for families across central and western Kansas who would otherwise need to travel east.

Home to one of the most significant JUCO basketball venues in the country. Hutchinson Community College hosts the NJCAA Division I Men’s National Tournament every year at the Hutchinson Sports Arena, which also serves as a KSHSAA state tournament site for 3A/4A. If your child is exploring the JUCO pathway, Hutchinson is where the national championship happens — and the local program has produced numerous D1 transfers.

Western Kansas’s basketball anchor. Hays High is consistently ranked in 5A, and Fort Hays State University (D2, MIAA) provides a local college program for both players and aspiring coaches. For families in the western third of the state, Hays is often the closest hub for organized training, camps, and competitive youth basketball. The drive to KC-area events is 3+ hours — so local development resources matter more here.

Emporia High’s boys team is ranked in 5A, and White Auditorium serves as a KSHSAA state tournament site for 2A and 1A DII. Emporia State University (D2, MIAA) offers college basketball at a competitive mid-major level. Centrally located between Wichita, Topeka, and Kansas City, Emporia families have reasonable access to metro-area training resources while also having a genuine local basketball identity.

Wichita suburb where Derby High’s girls program is ranked #3 in 6A. As part of the greater Wichita metro, Derby families access the full range of south-central Kansas training options — from Wichita-based private trainers to Farha Sports Center programs to MAYB tournaments. Derby’s growth as a community has paralleled the growth of its basketball programs, making it increasingly competitive at the 6A level.

Clarify Your Goals

Is your child trying to make the school team, develop skills for fun, or prepare for competitive AAU/MAYB play? Different goals point toward different programs. Not every player needs a $100/hour trainer or 15 MAYB tournaments.

Research Your Local Options

Use the city guides above to understand what’s available near you. If you’re in a metro area, you’ll have choices. If you’re in a smaller community, identify the hub cities where camps and tournaments are accessible. Talk to your school coach — they often know the local training landscape best.

Ask Better Questions

Use the evaluation framework above before committing money. Ask about credentials, coaching philosophy, cost transparency, and development approach. The best Kansas programs are transparent about what they offer — and honest about what they can’t guarantee.