This is true. Parents move kids from a top four team to teams 4-8 and those kids that sat on the bench for the top four teams are still sitting on the bench for teams 4-8. You are much better off sitting on the bench for a top four team. The simple reason is those top team starters will be recruited before the next four best teams starters. Once those top teams starters are recruited the bench players will step in and be seen. If you think that the bench players on any top four team could help teams 4-8 get better consider this. Igloo Avalanche's first year the team was made up of Black Ice kids that got cut and many former kids that played on the next three best teams. Avelanche was good but not great. This year they added a bunch of kids who did not make Black Ice and Blaze. One would think there would be a significantl improvement in Avalanche. However there was no noticeable improvement. As of now Avalanche is made up of half former Black Ice kids the rest of the kids coming from other top programs and they are still not a top team. There are arguments that suggest it is better to sit on the bench for a top team rather move down to another team. It is very dangerous to move at this stage. If it does not work out your kid may be on a B team the following year.
Some of the Ambush kids were on the Blaze at one point and have become part of the core of the team, so I wouldn't agree with that. Same with a few Avalanche kids who were once on Black Ice or other A teams that they sat. It seems that the second tier teams do best by picking up the better kids from the AA. My son can't crack the AA teams as a starter, so he is staying where he is, even if he made a AA team. I don't think that I would want him to be subject to the BS and take a chance of losing a good situation with a good team, just to play backup on a AA team that may want him at this point now that he is catching up physically. I really should hold him back, it seems like the thing to do, and his birthday would allow him to play in Denver next year.
