It is all about potential college recruiting! Of course the club team wants to win, which draws more elite players and ultimately more publicity and more college commitments which is the best form of advertising for the elite club teams. The number and quality of college commitments has always been the Crabs best selling point. Easy to drink the koolaid! But, all of the elite club teams have holdbacks. It has become more pervasive at the youth level in the last two years with the grade based teams. Prior to that it only impacted the youth teams at the U15 level and above HS levels. I don't agree with it. I am a parent of a non-holdback public school kid. If your kid is a good player he will ultimately prevail, but clearly at a disadvantage. I have never bought into the arguement of the older, bigger kid injuring a younger, smaller kid. Very unfair to the good on age kids that get relagated to a reserve role due to the kid in front of him being a year older and more advanced. I have seen kids that were pretty good on age players reclassify and now they are studs and are committing. Thus, it clearly works if it is that important and affordable to you! | 
