11g: should i use SQL connect by?

Question

DB: 11.2.0.2.0
Apex: 4.2.1.00.08
Hi there,
I'm using Apex but this is a fairly basic SQL question, hence posting here.
I have two tables, one containing staff details (one row per staff member) and the other containing team structure (team_id, team_name, parent_id).
STAFF:
1--Fred Bloggs--TeamID21 
2--John Doe--TeamID35
TEAMS:
21--TeamOne--17
35--TeamTwo--17
17--TeamThree--4
4--TeamFour--NULL
It is possible for there to be an unlimited number of sub-teams with this structure, although in practice there is almost always just a business unit > division > department > team.
I'm trying to pull out teams and parents to display as columns against staff names, e.g.:
1--Fred Bloggs--21--TeamOne--17--TeamThree--4--TeamFour
2--John Doe--35--TeamTwo--17--TeamThree--4--TeamFour
The purpose in Apex terminology is to populate a "superLOV" so that users can select between 3,000 staff more easily by seeing which departments they are in.
I also want to filter the list for one division at present, just showing departments and teams below that (I assume I use START WITH although have not succeeded yet).
Is it possible to do what I want, given that for some teams there might be two sub-teams below division, and for others there might be four? And should I just use four JOINS rather than CONNECT?
My SQL so far is variations on this theme:
SELECT
s.staff_id as "ID",
t.TEAM_NAME as "Team name",
s.staff_lastname|| ', ' || s.staff_firstname as "Name"
FROM AA_WL_STAFF2 s
JOIN AA_WL_TEAMS3 t
ON t.TEAM_ID=s.STAFF_TEAM
CONNECT BY t.PARENT_ID=t.TEAM_ID
ORDER BY s.STAFF_LASTNAME || s.STAFF_FIRSTNAME ASC
One problem with this is that I can't then pull out PARENT TEAM_NAME without re-joining. Also START WITH t.PARENT_ID=4147 (the division's TEAM_ID) just returns staff working directly for the division's director, rather than all staff in all teams under him.
Grateful for any pointers
Emma

Answer 1

Hi,
You should separately create the team tree, and then join with the staff.
Also use PRIOR operator (CONNECT BY PRIOR team_id = parent_id).