Every team / organization is different. As are players and families. Some places are better a better fit than others. That being said, my biggest gripe is not the older teams...what I call true "Showcase" teams.
It seems many organizations, whether planned or not, are using there younger age group teams to generate revenue for their older groups. I've seen more than a few parents convinced to have their son join an organization at the 14 (or YOUNGER) age level, and one of the big selling points made to the parents is the success of that organization getting kids into college baseball.
Let's be honest here. Except for the SUPER RARE athlete (Bryce Harper comes to mind) no Coach or Scout can predict what a player will (or won't) become at an age level younger than 15/16 (AT THE EARLIEST).
Heck, most kids are still growing at this point. Some are more physically mature than others, and some are more mentally mature than others.
I've actually seen an email from a Nationally recognized organization, to a parent of a prospective player, that talked about how the fees for that player's age group helped fund the older Showcase teams. It then went on to say "..so that when your son is on those teams, it helps lessen the financial burden when he is trying to get to the next level.." The player in question? He was 12.
Really?
I think the line has blurred, for some, between what a "Showcase" team is (or what it was originally meant to be) and a "Tournament" or "Travel" team.
Showcase teams are about getting exposure for individual players, exposure meant to help them get interest from coaches and organizations to possibly play at the next level. That's the primary focus of that team / organization.
The other teams fall all over the map. Some are looking just to win tournaments and get exposure for their organization. Some are looking to develop players with instruction and exposure to playing better competition. Others are just looking to make money.
No matter the original intent of these organizations, baseball at this level has become a BIG BUSINESS. And like any business it's meant to make money.
As a coach, I have no problem when you pick up a couple extra kids to go to a week long tournament. Pitching is key, and bringing in kids to pitch is simply smart. But I constantly see parents paying thousands of dollars per season for their son to play on these teams, only to watch other players be brought in, and these kids coming right in and playing. Many of these kids are "recruited" and one of the selling points I've witnessed is organization giving these parents / kids discounted fee structures, if they charge them at all.
At the older levels, performance is key. That's common sense. But too many younger level teams are actually taking a passive aggressive approach. They obviously have a reason why they chose a kid initially. If that kid isn't working out, for whatever reason, or they have brought in a better player, many teams will simply BENCH the original player and not say anything. They will simply look for the parents to pull the kid from the team when he isn't getting any playing time.
I don't see them refunding money. Most want the fees for the entire season up front. And it's not refundable.
So it's not always parents or kids fault when you see kids that have been in several organizations. Sure sometime it can be. The grass is always greener. But it's another facet of this area of baseball that many people seem to want to ignore.
Sorry for the novel, but this has bothered my for awhile. Not to mention it's fresh on my mind after a recent conversation with a coach where we disagreed on what a true "Showcase" team was.
My take was that a "Showcase" team, and we're talking 16-18U here...the purpose is get EXPOSURE for INDIVIDUAL players to help them possibly play at the next level. Anything that happens after that is just extra.
Just my lowly opinion.