Shawn brings out the point: << But my point
is this: there are a lot of good teams out there
that don't get out enough, so to speak.
>>
Well, that's a chicken-egg argument. How do we know
there are good teams there if they aren't willing to
challenge themselves? Is there a team out there that's
capable of beating (let's say) Dorman or Thomas Jefferson
that only competes in one competition each
year?
It's possible that certain teams get a lot of practice
but don't realize their potential by not playing a
tough schedule... or at least a challenging schedule
that doesn't burn out or discourage a team. It's also
possible that the best four players don't get to compete
as a team consistently enough to gel as a team to
realize its potential.
I think a lot of teams can
learn how to get better and maintain a high quality of
play by competing on a consistent basis at tournaments
that offer a challenge. That's the rationale behind
the formation of the HS comps that I've been involved
in and that I strive to run.
--- etc.