My son went through this last year. After putting in a good deal of extra work to improve, he felt ready to leave the club he'd spent three years with and try out for an elite team. It was his idea. His goal is to play Division I. By comparison, his older brother decided not to continue playing after 10th grade. I think ultimately players who want to play at the highest levels need to be internally motivated. Long story short, he made 2 of the 4 teams he tried out for, including fortunately his first choice. It took nearly all year for him to really feel like he's socially part of the team, but he's so happy, and he was happier even in the awkward early days. He wanted more rigor and more playing time and he got both. His entire physique is different. There is little that can substitute for playing time.
