All I meant to imply was that it really isn't "the system" that is to blame... it's the parents (like myself) who for whatever reason don't have the stones to encourage their kids to stay away from the club scene.

I had two kids play club for five or six years, and then also play HS soccer. Both would probably say club was a net positive experience for them. However, I continuously griped about what I viewed to be nonsense fees and nonsense tournaments and nonsense rules that were clearly money-grabs. But I did not have the stones to tell my kids "these fees are ridiculous, we're not doing this anymore." That would have crushed my kids, and it would have seemed to them like a significant "demotion" to play rec ball while their friends and peers were playing with the clubs.

My brother-in-law got fed up with this so he got his own coaching license and created his own team. They wore inexpensive kits, had no mandatory swag, and traveled sparingly. He was a good coach and kids (and parents) flocked to his team, which always finished in the top half of whatever division it was placed in. I think we really need to support these independent teams if we hope to see any change in the system.