Full time players are required to start a minimum of 25% of the games in a season. There are seven substitutions allowed per game, with no reentry. I think you will find that the healthy full time players play between 40-90% of the minutes in a season.
I assume that any elite athlete and coach wants and tries to win any competitive match in which he participates. But, that isn't the focus or the point of the DA. It is a subtle but important difference. I can assure you that our coaches know exactly what the Federation expects (demands) from its DA clubs - player development. Of course there is an element of teamwork and competitiveness in player development, but winning and losing games is seen as an incident of that development, not the point of it. A club that regularly places kids on national teams and national team pools and finishes mid-table is going to be viewed more favorably by the Federation than one that wins all of the time and doesn't produce those players.
It is also important to remember that the Federation mandates training at least three (preferably four) days per week in season. The quality of the training sessions is evaluated at least as closely as is game performance.
The cost is comparable to the cost of a Premier League team that plays three or four out of state tournaments (incl Regionals). There are a reasonable number of need based scholarships available each year.
