Though there have been some good points made as to the good in HS soccer, I think the answer to the specific question I posed is an unqualified "yes." If the top players spent January-May preparing for and playing highly competitive games, whether in the Development Academy, Premier League, or Challenge League, rather than playing HS, their development would be enhanced. Mind you, that is not the same thing as saying HS soccer has no value, or even that the top players should abandon it in favor of club if that was an option. It does mean, to my mind, that we should at least consider the fact that a HS interregnum is inconsistent with US Soccer's overarching plan for improving the quality of American soccer.
(My comments are in the context of boys' soccer - though I don't know that there is any reason they wouldn't apply equally to girls).
