I think the reason why fl$ had people sign the commitment letter was not to disuade people from playing from their town or PAL team, but, beacuse they were forming a team with a limited number of boys and couldn't have a situation where some boys show up to one tournament and don't show up at the next. If all the boys are committed to playing for the team during the summer tournament season, then the coaches don't have to worry about their team complexion. If a boy can't commit, that leaves a roster spot to one who can.

Also, our experience is that fl$ has committed itself to ensure roughly equal playing time. While that may, in certain circumstances, result in not having the best players out on the field all the time, it helps with every player's development.

Last, beacause they have been able to draw from a relatively deep pool, I have not seen fl$ being left in the dust as you are suggesting. They certainly have not won as many tournaments as the Turtles, but they have a different model and have made their share of finals and have even won a number of tournaments. It's middle school, so I can't imagine winning a tournament at this age should be considered so critical. Rather, player development should be the focus.