CHT, well put...I think most players (individual situation-dependent, of course) benefit from both. Putting players into highly-challenging club competition builds skill and stamina for top-level play. Stepping onto the high school field with those skills gives them opportunity to gain confidence in their progress as a player (which can greatly influence state of mind when they return to the next club season) and also gives them a measure of how their efforts allow them to stack up against players who compete and train in different settings.
High school soccer does seem to come with a much greater sense of enjoyment and passionate team spirit, which brings a whole new mental and emotional dimension into play...and yes, in the right environment, it's also just good fun, which I think is essential for a sport to get the most out of its players and for the players to get the most out of the sport. If you don't have time to really enjoy yourself...what's the point, right?
And ROH...don't sell the old guy short, I hear he brings a pretty decent skill set to the table.
Hasn't been discussed at length before? Really? I experienced a really strong sense of deja vu as I was typing this...
