I'm not saying that there are no A players. There are plenty. Just spread out over a lot of different teams. There are very few true A 23 teams. Unless you can be competitive with 91 Bandits - seriously compete - then you are not an A team. If you can't sit at the table with serious teams from LI or MD then you are just filler for brackets. Just because a coach put a team in an A bracket doesn't mean they are an A team.
I agree, many of the NJ programs are diluted, however, I think that you will find that there are exceptions. Some of the NJ programs, at certain age groups, compete very well at A and AA national events. That being said, there are definitely many teams that get in over there heads, which is definitely a disservice to their players and parents, it's better to admit that you are a B program and be happy and competitive in a B bracket.
As for Leading Edge, it is a shame that the Elite program will lose its identity, but it may be a boost for the other Leading Edge teams, like LE South, that have not been that competitive the last few years, definitely a product of too many competing programs in the area.
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