Personally, I think it is an indulgence in an era of readily available money and parents who think their kids should be given everything. And while showcasing, etc., may help a kid, I don't think HS spring break trips do anything but spend lots of money.
Our team spent over $30,000 on its spring break trip last year (to the Anderson Bat Classic in Anaheim, clear across the country), and while it was enjoyable, it boggles my mind to think of that amount. In years past, that was enough to run the whole program for three years! There just doesn't seem to be any proportionality to it. And I know that while a few, wealthy parents stepped up to close the funding gap, others blanched at the thought of what they were being asked to do, and there didn't seem to be a lot of sensitivity to that. This despite the fact that a coach's take-home (after taxes) pay probably doesn't come to that amount in a year's time.
Maybe the economic downturn will force folks to pull in the reins on this some. To me it's just out of hand.