@RJM posted:My kids teams were not subsidized by lower level teams. They were subsidized by wealthy organizations
But if parents choose to pay for their kids to play for B and C teams isn’t this their choice? No one is forcing them to pay.
Sure, my kids got exposure from these travel teams. It’s their primary objective. These teams promoted my kid’s talent to the right college,programs. My daughter stayed to play three more summers after commiting.
Most players don't have the opportunity to play for wealthy organizations.
Remember travel sports is a very lucrative business.
Between 2009 - 2013, most organizations fund their upper groups multiple ways:
Younger age groups (8u - 12u)
Multiple teams at a (13u - 17u)
At our level, the difference between the "A" and "B" at the 14u was pitching. Note, the "B" team had the better athletes, the "A" team got the better training.
Secondly, the age rule was based on the Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell,
April 30 cut off, thus our "A" team had the players that were born between May 1 and Oct, whereas the "B" Team was normally Dec - Apr (next year).
"A" Team - 75% players in 9th grade, 25% in 8th grade
"B" Team - 25% players in 9th grade, 75% in 8th grade
As they went through high school, the "B" team players had better High School careers, college careers were interesting for both groups.
Note, the organization was showcasing their "A" players, hence the major of "B" players left the organization after 15u (HS Sophomore).
Note, from a High School perspective the "A" team at the age level below were technically in competition with the our "B" team. They thought they were better, went to better tournaments, until they competed against each other in high school and figured out the most "B" players were better.
From a professional perspective, there a more "B" players in the high levels of MLB pipeline than both "A" teams combined.
Note, how many organizations are subsidized? One might find out through personal contact, but it will not be readily available to everybody.
My analogy would be "admission to a private school". Not everybody will be allowed admittance and the organization will be very selective.