[Al Skierkiewicz]

Keith,
Most of what you say is true, but not to confuse anybody...There is a difference between leaving a battery connected to a "smart charger" and leaving a battery connected to a float charger. The difference here is the smart charger stops providing current when the battery is fully charged and won't turn back on unless you disconnect the battery or cycle the power. A float charger on the other hand supplies current (albeit low current) for ever. Any current that is not used to charge the cells is converted to heat in the battery. The self discharge current will not damage batteries and not keeping them topped off will not significantly reduce their service life.
I am making some assumptions here based on our team experience and that is 1. A team will participate in some post season activities, demos or competition that reguire charged batteries. 2. During season, batteries are used frequently for approx. 4-5 months. 3. Batteries are stored at normal temperatures (72 or so) and are not pysically abused. (dropped, stored without terminals protected or used to power equipment that operates at less than 8 volts.
So what are the tradeoffs? Use a float charger to keep batteries topped off will raise the battery temp, risk evaporation of the electrolyte, consume power, and may under ideal conditions extend battery life. Use a smart charger which stops charging and just keeps making heat at the heatsink and transformer, no battery damage, and about the same service life. Or store in good conditions, bringing up to charge when needed for demo or competition, no battery damage, no power consumed, no heat generated, and about the same service life as the other methods. You choose what is best suited to your needs.
As a side note, this same battery is used in emergency lighting in buildings when there is a power failure. By regulation they are left on float charge and may never get used if the power never fails. Battery life here is no higher than for our batteries and most prudent building engineers will exchange all batteries at three years intervals or less.
Good Luck All