Travel softball is an incredibly expensive venture that some families aren’t able to participate in because of the money required, says Jonathan Hinson, Team Recruiter for All In Athletics.

All in Athletics was created so local teams can avoid the exorbitant expense while allowing young people an opportunity to play the game of softball while learning life lessons along the way.

The organization has been hosting tournaments since its inception in July of 2018 and its main purpose is to give teams alternative ways to go to tournaments without breaking the bank.

“We started it to give teams other options for parks to play at,” Hinson said. “We tried to find a way to cut costs and provide a tournament that is better for the parents.”

Currently softball is the main sport they cater to and they’ve seen a real interest in teams from Louisiana and Mississippi wanting to participate.

All In Athletics has already hosted multiple tournaments and plans to host more. The Heat in the Hive tournament takes place June 15 to June 17 in Hammond, La. with teams ranging from 8u to 14u.

The following weekend, All In Athletics is hosting the Southern Crushers’ Summer Showdown in Picayune.

This tournament will be a little larger than the Heat in the Hive tournament with all games being played at Friendship Park.

All In Athletics rotates its tournaments to a number of cities and the organization loves to show their appreciation for the hosting city.

“We’ve been lucky to get a lot of accolades on what we do,” Hinson said.

“We always try to find a way to give back to our community that we host in. We were able to give $1,000 back to Hammond because of the tournaments we hosted there.”

Both tournaments will focus on fun, competitive play with the game of softball taking a backseat to more important lessons the athletes can learn.

“First of all, it teaches them how to be a team player,” Hinson said.

“If you don’t play as a team you don’t win. Softball is a game of failures. It teaches them how to fail, and you learn more from losing than you do winning.”

For Hinson, as a coach, he knows his job goes far beyond the field.

“We like molding kids to be more productive citizens,” Hinson said.

“If they become a better person then we have already done our job. As a coach all you can hope for is progression from the kids from the mental side and on the softball field.”

When Picayune hosts a tournament in just a few weeks, the teams involved will benefit in a variety of ways.

“It’s not about the money, and more about giving opportunities to kids,” Hinson said.