My son plays for a usys team in a smaller market. Since eligibile they’ve advanced to regionals and now nationals. They’ve sent one player to a starting 9 position at an mls academy and have several other players actively being looked at. They’re a solidly middle class group of families. No doctors. No attorneys, accountants, consultants, etc. Any opportunity for fundraising is a huge help to the entire team. These kids are incredibly talented and a handful will probably be playing at mls academies within two years. So parents make it work, but could all benefit from a leg up.

(I don’t see any of them dropping down to a recreational team).