Have you also considered the fact that those same
grad students with all those years of playing time
were at one point undergrads who got their fair share
of ass-whoopings by the dinosaurs of the time? What
you are describing has happened to all players, even
Andrew Yaphe.
There is no royal road to becoming
a better player. It takes time, hard work, and some
serious beatdowns that bring out the spite and drive in
you. Avoid the Div II fallacy so that you get
experience playing with teams of all skill levels. Just
don't get frustrated when you lose; instead, use the
experience to figure out how you can become a better
player.
Dave