It's just because I don't love the big organizations around here. ... I don't like to think that if she does want to that we may need to go to an organization we don't really like just to get into the good tournaments and things.
Why don't you like them? I'm not affiliated with any of them, was just curious.
Most all organizations like these are polarizing. They wield a lot of power, which means they will make enemies. And they are very competitive, so coaches in one will bad-mouth the other. You don't have to go far to find people who will trash them. Or you might play one of their teams and not like their coach's attitude.
But it's hard IMO to make generalizations because so much depends on which team, which coach, etc.
For example, my DD picked up w/ a GA Impact team for a showcase in ATL last fall. They let her play as a favor to the college coach who was recruiting my DD and wanted to watch her that weekend, as DD's own team wasn't attending. Team already had 15 players at this showcase, so you can imagine how un-welcoming these players and parents might've been toward DD. But instead, largely because of a classy coach, they could not have been more friendly and understanding. DD even got 2 emails from players on the team after we got back home, wishing her luck. I could not have been more impressed. If we lived in ATL, DD would be begging to be on that team.
Yet, I'm sure there are lots of folks out there who'll tell you they'll never play for the Impact and how they were wronged, etc. Pretty confident that the Vipers, Impact and Bullets lead the state in both ''best thing that ever happened to me'' and ''I hate them, they done me wrong, etc.''
Final thought - I'm not a big fan of these mega-serious 10U and 12U teams. Not sure they are really serving kids at that age. More about adults serving their own competitiveness and ego. So I can see where those 10U teams can be off-putting. Of course, it doesn't get any less serious at 16U, but at least then, those teams are providing a service (recruiting/competition), and kids are old enough to know if that's what they want or not.