My kid made blue chip and didn't bother with brine as we saw all the trouble last year.
That being said, we have all been to lots of tournaments and have seen the best players over and over. I think (my opinion only) that there are 4 or 5 really strong players on each of the AA teams (91, Terps, Crabs Team LI...) then the rest of the pack are almost interchangeable.
Do kids get a longer look if they show up with a 91 or Terp helmet? Of course they do, that is the way the real world operates. If Sal or Mike C tell someone about your kid does it help? Of course it does...
So if your kid is not one of the 5 or 6 top kids (for those kids it doesn't matter what helmet they are wearing) they will get an advantage over an equal kid with a bayshore helmet...
