Of course it's a business. $1,450 for a 3-day youth tournament isn't bad though. Like how they require proof of birth though and follow U.S. Lacrosse rules.
The very top teams from LI or Maryland (or national teams) will come and dominate. But, for a non-hotbed team, it is a good experience to play a top hotbed team (better if you can lose 10-2 versus 20-2, of course). And non-hotbed teams have gotten better. A Charlotte youth team lost in a championship this Summer to a Madlax-Capital AA team only 9-8. And non-hotbed teams versus non-hotbed teams should offer some good matchups.
That said, I thought the whole idea of going to Florida for [lacrosse]'s was pretty crazy until a couple parents encouraged our coach to email around to see if anyone was interested and, low and behold, everyone wanted to go. Despite the fact the coach was pretty clear where our team would stack up against the registered teams. As the above poster noted, I guess parents want to have a fun time in warm weather and create some good memories before their boys grow up.
Now, if my alma mater could get invited to a nearby bowl game right after the tournament, that would be a bonus.
