The sport hasn't grown because of prefirst or holdbacks. Its grown because football and baseball numbers are down and soccer lets just say sucks. And its a fun game that kids like to play. The u15 u 13 model etc isn't needed because numbers are up. The cleanest way to play is BIRTHDAYS...simple.
Thank you logical person.
OP - "I like holdbacks, sport is growing, ergo holdbacks are driving the growth of the sport." Talk about a strange narrative...
I don't think anyone said it is growing because of holdbacks. I think it was stated that the market seemed to be in agreement with the system based on growth. The argument on the other side is that the grade-based bracket system is a travesty, and while certainly an understandable opinion, the market does not seem to agree. Rec was always 2 year spreads, so to some degree, this system is actually more in the direction of your argument.