Honest question, for an average but improving player.... Is it better to be with a top organization on a B team or a smaller organization on their A team?
Basically you can go to every sports cliche from respected sports figures, but in general: 1. Coaching - has to be best possible coach, regardless of bracket. 4th/5th grade, not necessarily best team, records at this age are for record players. 2. Always play up, never down. If you are the best kid on team, wrong team. If you are best team in division, wrong division. Other than natural progression, you only get better playing against kids that are better, or as close as possible. Play on A team, if you can make A team (see next item). 3. For youths, you get better in practice, and games are just something you do for parents benefit. Don't take playing time in games over being on a better practice team. So play on A team, even if you would get more playing time in games on B team. Not popular for helicopter parents, but just is what it is.. 4. Club - 6th/7th grade, get on best possible team, team with proven track record, as by 8th grade and through HS you want to already be on a team that gets to the right events at the right levels. Then you just need to fight to get as much time as possible, like everything else in life. 5. Try to have some fun along the way, fastest growing sport in the Country, so good reason competition has gotten so intense.
