So let's play this out with the suggestion that ice contracts are awarded after the flights have been made. Where would the games be played out? Most likely rinks that have more than one sheet right? Lakewood, El Segundo, Anaheim, Riverside, San Jose. You don't think people will start complaining that CAHA is in the pockets of the three major clubs only to support their profits and agendas? Oh wait, people are already saying that. I am not arguing that having 8 socal teams going to Vacaville to play each other is logistically stupid.
I went through this 10 years ago with my son. When he was a squirt and we chose to play A I would "complain" that the SCAHA board was useless with making teams travel to Bakersfield. Pretty much for all the same reasons I hear on this topic now. Than when he decided to make AA we heard about the dreaded "Vacaville" weekends. We choose to play AA and suffer through it... and yes even 8 years ago there were talks about broken in cars and crappy food. We complained that CAHA was in the pockets of this club or that club just like people are doing now.
Now, this year we will most likely have to make the trip again with my daughter. We can choose not to sign her up for AA, we can choose not to place her on a team that travels out of state or up north at all,we can choose not to pull her out of school to miss any days, we can choose for her not to play hockey at all. What is my point, we are the consumers and ultimately responsible for what we do with our money. Our decisions will shape our reality. Don't want to go to Vacaville or San Jose, or miss so many days of school, than don't sign up on any teams that do any of those.