We continue our examination of youth sports!

Estella Moschkau excelled at basketball at Edgewood HS, Stanford University, and UW-Madison. Her sports journey also included years of AAU basketball at regional and national levels. Reflecting on the lessons she learned across diverse teams and settings, Estella joined the SGG podcast to discuss:

1. Being placed on the “B” team during her first AAU basketball experience – and the lessons she learned.

2. Playing five years with Wisconsin Elite.

3. Her difficult decision to play for North Tartan, a Nike-sponsored AAU program in the Twin Cities.

4. Not initially starting on the North Tartan team. And the value of humility.

5. High level competition on the EYBL circuit. “I would highly recommend it…It helped toughen me up.”

6. The family commitment required for making travel basketball work.

7. Taking a trip to France, Paris, and Amsterdam with her AAU team.

8. The ins and outs of competing on a national team.

9. The challenges of keeping a positive team culture in elite youth sports environments where everyone has high expectations for their own experiences.

10. The new social media environment in youth sports, including the increasing presence of self-promotion (e.g., “I’m blessed to receive an offer…”). “It’s so gossipy!”

11. “I think every experience you can learn something from...I would go through it again. I learned discipline…I learned something from every experience I had on the court and it’s transferred into everyday life.”

12. Coaching for Wisconsin Elite. “I just hope that I give them a positive experience…Just to lift them up and make the experience fun…And hopefully to love the game more…I think for young girls, it’s especially important to be positive.”