I played for a county team as a youth, and straight through high-school, but in Canada there is absolutely no focus on the development of soccer players. If I was born in Europe I might have been identified for a youth camp, but most coaches in Canada are volunteers without much knowledge of the game. At best I got European ex-pats as coaches when I was playing for our county. In high-school our coaches were teachers who made sure we didn't break anything.
Hockey is king here - in my city our Junior team sells out an arena of 10 000 people all season. Lots of poor parents hoping their kid makes the NHL, but it's really a lottery, even some of the best junior players never achieve long-term careers in the NHL.
Soccer here is pretty much at the same level as you describe in Canada. Only one of my kids was ‘serious’ about soccer and played for his small college team. Three played in high school. One played only on a summer youth team for a year or two. All played summer youth leagues at some level. Only two of their coaches ( except for college) had ever played the game as kids or had anything other than very cursory knowledge of the game. My husband played in a little bit as a kid. I had barely heard of the sport.
I was thrilled none of my kids wanted to play hockey. Thrilled. Equipment was expense and then the dental work! Plus ice time was very early...And hockey moms are crazy....
I'm still having an internal debate about our kids and hockey. Might be fun, but as you say it's a big commitment.
I think there's a sea change going on with my generation and their kids playing hockey. We largely have less money and no pensions so it's not seen as something our kids *have* to do. Where when I was growing up it was hard to find peers who didn't play.
And from the genetics angle I was a good athlete but never truly loved playing sports. Im guessing it might be the same for our kids so they may not miss out with less stressful stuff - swimming, karate, stuff like that.