(/QUOTE) Then how is Little League so successful and has the big TV contract even though club ball has exploded at the 12U level? I'm sure many of the best players are being pulled away from LL to play on club teams but yet LL is still the number 1 game at the youth level inspite of all that is said about LL in comparison to club ball.
I see high school as the LL equivalent to LL as far as what's #1 for each level in spite of the good and bad that each deals with.[/QUOTE]
Zombywolf,
Parents have not completely lost their minds yet at the LL level. Many/some parents are not even aware of the clubs until their kids are exposed to little league. In my area club level explodes after little league. I've seen normal LL parents turn into highly competitive, traveling, $$$ spending baseball gypsies after LL. I'm guilty myself. The progression of LL,Juniors,Seniors,Babe Ruth,Am. Legion has been decimated since my youth. I can't say this is good or bad, it's just the way it is and I'm sure it's a little different everywhere. LL will have the advantage of being an "Institution of our youth" and will prosper from that for a long time. Even Orel Hershiser (I think it was him) acted suprised and dumbfounded by the cost of an aluminum bat that is used in todays youth baseball(last years LLWS broadcast). He wasn't even aware of what's happening in youth baseball until he was exposed to LL on this broadcast.