no question the clubs are getting fat selling dreams.
The Clubs would not exist if there wasn't a demand.
Over saturation too many crap clubs out there that make false promises and as a result put a crap product on the field. How many really elite players on LI are there per grade. We have like 20 clubs with so called AA,A,and B teams per age group. How many new clubs have sprung up claiming to field elite teams. It's a disaster especially at the 8th 9th and 10th grade levels. So many flop and fold. How many put a good and I mean good product out. Each club has its strong years but for the most part it's always the same teams putting out the best product. A lot of these clubs see the wide eyed bushy tailed parents with visions of D1 commit in their eyes.
Sounds like you are describing the Town /HS Teams on Long Island.
There are over 100 High Schools playing lacrosse on the island. Most of the teams are not very good at all. Should they all just stop putting a team on the field simply because they are not competitive? Should kids not have an opportunity to play just because they do not have Devision 1 potential? Not every kid can be a star player in HS. These club teams are obviously providing an opportunity for kids to play lacrosse. I doubt very much that the parents of a 12 year old on the 3rd team at 91 thinks their kid is going to get a scholarship to Johns Hopkins.
The Clubs also provide an opportunity for the best kids from each town / HS to play with other kids of similar ability . There is a reason top college coaches fill the sideline when the top club teams play each other. When two top clubs teams play, there is a greater collection of talent by graduation year than you will find at any HS game.
Should a kid stop playing lacrosse when he/she is cut from the Town Team in the 3rd, 4th , 5th , 5th or even 10th or 11th grade? Should only the studs be allowed to play? Why do you people care how much money other people spend so that their kid can play lacrosse? Do you also complain about the cost to play Ice Hockey? How many kids from Long Island are going to make it to the NHL?
I can tell you that parents spend significantly more money for little johnny to play hockey than most people spend for their kid to play lacrosse. Very few of the kids playing youth or HS hockey on the island will get a scholarship.
Stop the BS. There is a definite conflict of interest.
