we saw the Gators 99 back when we were at 12u, (I know 2 years ago), but they were tough then, probably as tough if not tougher than their 98 team. Both were very competitive though. To me, to be a 'young' team and get in, you probably proved something extraordinary to the selection committee. I'm sure some '2nd year' teams will get snubbed but should be a rare occurrence. I would imagine the application and how it was written (content, schedule, org name, location) all play a factor but I'm truly guessing at this point as to the what the factor(s) are and how the teams float to the acceptance level. Had to be painful to decide...