Great to see the post Guinee. I was in CA back then, but far from the well-known events in the South such as Mt. SAC. The country was running-mad back then as I'm sure you know so there was no shortage of competitve opportunity around. I mean, it could have been 1% of people ran. Maybe more. And there really were a whole bunch of teenagers at open, all-comers races.
In my case, my dad drove to quite a few just like parents drove to soccer and baseball. We (I specifically refer to the handful of guys in my training group but probably speak others that we didn't know) weren't lacking anything. By that I mean, if you want to play soccer, you can't really just do it one day and every day thereafter. You can practice by yourself, but to actually play games requires more organization and more involvement by more people.
As far as distance running goes, we didn't need a school and their coach, team, and practice schedule. I just can't see how any of that would have created a better experience. I wonder why so many, especially among later generations, have been desirous of 'being on the team.' What did they give you that you lacked?
But here's the real point: those who ran unattached in the '70s, '80s, or now, think it's fine of you run excusively for your school. It worked for you. Great. But those who have never considered NOT running in school colors are offended by someone who ignores the school and simply trains and competes. Why is that?
Plenty of kids feel they don't really have a choice. Not signing up for track = not participating in the sport. This is true if your parents don't allow unchaperoned training, which can be seen as 'just going running' as opposed to playing a 'real sport' for the school like your brother and sister do. The other kids as school and specifically the ones on a team, can enforce the 'no unattached running' very easily with a dozen pairs of fists.
In my case, the XC crowd knew who I was and that I ran. The track crowd - not the same people - didn't. So I had no pressure at all the 45 weeks a year that XC wasn't in season. But why isn't it OK, in the court of public opinion, to just train and race, and like in my case, be completely unknown to the track coach? Mine would have not recognized me nor known my name, and I was the best distance runner at the school. Why does that bother anybody?
My complete approval of the school-less option is why I will defend anyone who is going that way. I'm not particularly into NP but the second I hear that someone who COULD run for a school is NOT doing so, I applaud. They're not telling everyone else to do it their way.