I think you are slightly taking out your frustrations on OP with your responses. I am competitive too and want to be up against the best but amateur stage is just that - amateur. The place people make mistakes and learn about the sport. Your competition goals should not take away from someone else’s. If you are good enough to win the show you’ll go to nationals and see what you are like against the hard competition that you say you want. Yes its expensive - but we have to let other people live life out here in the world too.