While I understand the logic of having a team together for a period of time leading up to Regionals, our experience has been, by the time a player is U17 or U18 age, if they can't receive a ball or pass accurately, it makes little difference how long a team is together prior to Regionals. The same players will make the same mistakes.
Younger & less-experienced teams - say U14/U15 - ok, I'll agree with the board's consensus. But the older kids - it makes no difference. If a kid has had strong fundamental training at a young age, those skills will still be prevalent regardless of how much time a team spends together. An older player should be able to walk into any playing situation and play with minimal exposure to the team environment.
