re: Who actually likes “travel ball”

And you may be right. In my experience, a great foundation from those early ages (swing mechanics, athletic movements, fielding techniques) carry a kid a long way once they do hit puberty.

Most of that can be taught at home, if you have the background, or by solid coaching. My kids didn't lift that early but really caught on closer to puberty and have done fine in that area but that's not to say if they hadn't started earlier it couldn't have been a benefit.

Some of the issue with getting to those higher level teams earlier, is that many of the quality coaches have moved there, leaving more 'dads' and uninformed coaches down at the lower levels. That certainly impacts development and can retard player growth.