Don't think there aren't issues with these town/school travel teams. In my town ...

1. There are players at younger grades currently on rosters, that have been taken only because their older siblings play JV or varsity.
2. There have been other players previously covered by item 1 above, who have subsequently been cut when their older siblings have graduated (what message does that send to a kid ?!?!).
3. There are players in private school, with no intention of going to the public middle school or public high school, which the summer program is intended to feed into. (Not the biggest issue, but this a roster spot taken up by a player who will someday play for the competition.)
4. There are players on rosters who are there only because their dad's were on varsity way back when.
5. There are non-lacrosse players on rosters because they are also football players, and there is a push to make them lacrosse players (taking a long view into high school, so they can play football in the fall and lax in the spring) -- some of these boys lack fundamental stick skills (of course, they could be great eventually, but maybe not).

And all of the foregoing results in a certain amount of good, motivated lacrosse players either not making a roster, or losing playing time, in many cases to boys who in all fairness did not legitimately earn their spot. And that makes the team weaker.

And potentially worse ... a number of elite players forgo the town travel team entirely, and play on private clubs. Perhaps to avoid the nonsense, or perhaps to play on a stronger team. So, oddly, the system can be counterproductive to the goal of keeping good players "in town". I suppose those players expect to glide onto the JV team when they reach high school, but that of course assumes the coaches don't hold it against them that they played elsewhere.

I am certain most or even all of this happens with every town that has a school-based travel team (assuming it is a team/program that most kids want to play on).

Indeed, conflicts a-plenty !!

The private clubs aren't much better. You pay more for less.

Wahh!