I think it is a OC/Irvine thing. Many Irvine clubs are having tryouts right now. People in Irvine are insane.
To me, the Irvine market seems very saturated and clubs obviously want the money and the players. They try to lock them in before the people down the street do.
My own kid's team has all but one roster spot filled for next year. If you like the coach, like the team, and the situation is good, why not sign on now? It lets the coach not have to worry about the issue. Certainly, I could have played hard ball, drawn a line in the sand, and said "not until after Feb". But in all honesty, my kid was happy and wanted to return to her current coach/team so why not get it over with? I'm happy to have it sorted out. It kind of lets you play January without the angst of tryouts hanging over you.
The glass can be half empty or half full.