At the end of the 15-U travel season we decidely took a different approach. Instead of staying local and playing here, he has made numerous trips out of state. There is a lot of value in NOT remaining exclusively in the Midwest. In many situations he travels alone. Both last year (10 days) and this year (5 days) he has been at Stanford on his own. He will also travel to Italy alone, but with an international phone, so that he will hopefully stay in touch!
Following that approach leads to greater exposure and invitations to do more and more. There is no right or wrong way to gain playing experience. The more coaches and learning opportunities the better.
Parents need to figure out what is best for their player.