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start poppin the popcorn . lol (BTW - I agree Carol)
Don't be so offended and don't try so hard to justify your team's results. This is an opinion forum. Everyone has good points to be made and it gives all of us something to ponder. No insulting done on my part. Just offering food for thought. No one really commented on the question - do we really need 10U teams in the tournament? Can't they expand the primary field of 16U/18U to accommodate the players who are at the key age of recruitment?? 10 less 10U teams and 10 more 16U/18U teams??? Again, food for thought.....
In my opinion a college showcase is for 16u and 18u teams. I have been to Gapps a few times at 12u and have yet seen a college coach at any 12u games. They are there for the older girls only. That does not mean do not have 14u age groups and down not play in the tournament because it does bring some of the best teams in to play against but why not have a big tournament one weekend for 10u - 14u and have another one for 16u - 18u on another weekend. Gapps is well established and a great tournament but I think it is so well known and so many teams try to get in that it could be split into two different weekends now.
I have to laugh when I read on showcase tournament threads like this one and Stingrays that the tournaments should cut the 10U and 12U divisions because the college coaches have no intrest in seeing the younger age groups.
The reputation of these tournaments lead the better teams in 10's and 12's to come together on these weekends and test their team against the best competition they can find. This provides the opportunity for growth in the players by facing great competition for the whole weekend. It is this type of competition and growth that leads to the players developing the skills that college coaches COME to see at 16/18.
The players know even at the younger age groups that to be accepted into these tournaments is a sign of respect for all the hard work they are putting in and the success they have had. They also realize if they do not continue to work hard and face top level competition they may not make it back when the college coaches WANT to see them play.
Lets try to remember that few if any top players in 16/18 just walked onto a top team in 9th or 10th grade. They more likely have been working on their game since they were 9 or 10 and can probly still remember how excited they were when their 10u coach told them they got into a showcase tournament!