About a year ago, when we first moved to Tampa, my son and I didn't know many people outside of baseball. One weekend when his travel team wasn't playing, my son was a guest-player on another local team. We were super excited, we had no plans, so playing baseball was more than welcome! Little did I know this game was going to be a life changing experience - for me. The scene at the field was nothing new. Our players, my son included, strolled in wheeling large, top of the lin

From travel to training, youth sports can get pricey and can cost thousands, especially for swing sports, such as baseball and fastpitch. Research has shown that youth sports can take up as much as 10.5 percent of a family's gross income. A weekend at a baseball tournament can cost between $500 to $700 on average. Particularly in Tampa Bay, the rising costs of swing sports are making it more challenging to participate, much less provide the requisite training and coaching out

TAMPA -- It's no secret that youth athletics, especially travel teams, are extremely expensive. To overcome the high costs of participation, the nonprofit Swing4All.org is working to level the playing field, providing scholarships and gently used gear to student athletes in swing sports. "The rising cost of competing for student athletes in baseball, softball and other swing sports is making it nearly impossible for many families to participate. Our goal with Swing4All.org is