At the heart of the Pat Spencer argument is that kids develop by getting on the field and playing in games.
Every kid (no matter their level) had a better chance of getting on the field and contributing earlier, and therefore developing, at a program that has 80 kids rather than 130.
It just depends on your tolerance for winning in the conference.
Do you want to ride the pine for a "winner" or contribute to a team that's "building?"
I find much of this kind of funny, seeing as even the bottom half of the A league are still a top 15 teams in the state.