Chico,
I think what we are talking about here is the very tip of the top of the iceberg. If a Bridge team makes RIIIPL and puts up a -40 GD their first year, and they want to be successful the next.......yes, the answer is to merge that team with the CESA team in the same age group.
But we don't need to "merge" these kids from all over the state at the U-12 classic/challenge age group, do we?