There's a poster that is nearly monopolizing this topic. Interesting.

It's simple. In travel if the child is able to play up then he should be afforded the opportunity. If he doesn't belong it will be obvious after about 5 minutes on the field.
In HS there are NYS guidelines and a maturity test given in order to allow 8th graders to play varsity to ensure kids who don't belong don't play. Why all this verbal diarrhea?
It's most certainly coming from those who THINK their kid is good enough but really isn't. Or they are lazy and won't forge a relationship with the coach or director and ask the right questions and put their kid in a beneficial situation. It's gotta be one of the two. So let's divide you people into one of the two categories, accept your position in all this nonsense and change or move on. Please for the love of God already.