Bigcam is right on the money. Joining a group already established is a lot easier and provides you a background. I did not do that, but would have benefited from it. However, what you decide to do depends on how competitive and how much time you can give to it. I did it a few years ago and am still doing it. The first thing you need to decide is when/where you want to play. There are many playing opportunities throughout the year, but depending on your competition level, you may not need to be as formal in your program. If you play in certain tournaments, like AAU specific, you need to be registered with AAU. However, one of the misconceptions I had was thinking that I had to do everything through AAU. If you have a team that you are building, once you enter tournaments, many coaches will help you move the ball forward. Beware though, if you have some great talent, some will also want to lure that away as well. That's one of the frustrating sides to creating it. I did not have that problem as much, but I see it a lot. I like to think my talent stayed with me because I created our group specifically to give the kids opportunities to play, and as they got older, I involved them in the decision making. Many of my kids I have coached for years. We took some lumps, but we also gave them. I am always happy to pass on any info I have to anyone that is interested in getting kids into playing basketball. Not that I know everything, or even a lot.