Blizzard Billet Insider: The Becher Family

The 2013-14 season for the Brookings Blizzard hockey team has come and gone and young hockey players, hailing from all over the nation and the world, recently said farewell to Brookings residents who have become surrogate families.

From August to April, folks known as “Billet Families” choose to share their homes and daily lives with these young men - some for the entire, 10-month hockey season.

The reasons Billet families choose to host players are as unique as they are, and so we’ve asked some of them to share a little about the experience. We interviewed Renae Becher; she’s a veteran hostess, and as far as she’s concerned, this season was only the beginning of her tenure as a Billet Family member. Her responses are featured below. 

Q: How many seasons have you been a Blizzard host family?
A: We have been a host family since the Blizzard came to Brookings - so, this is our second season!

Q: What interested you about becoming a Blizzard host family?
A: We had heard through our youth organization that the team was looking for families. We thought about it until the very last minute, and decided it would be a good way to give back to a sport that gave our son so many years of good memories.

Q: What's your favorite part of hosting Blizzard hockey players?
A: There are so many great things about hosting. It gives my kids good role models. We have had some pretty wonderful boys come through our house, and they’ve had some fun interactions with the kids. Another thing I really enjoy is getting to know these young men and keeping up with them when they leave. We still keep in touch with several boys; we’re so happy to watch them succeed!

Q: What's your favorite memory, or memories, from the 2013-14 Blizzard Hockey season?A: Oh boy! Well first, I would have to say when we hosted a poolside BBQ at our house at the beginning of the season. The boys just had a great time getting to know one another more and really relaxing before the tough season began. They had a belly flop contest with the rookies and let me tell you that they did really well! I believe Wyatt Schmidt won that contest with a very red stomach to prove it!

Another fun memory I have is when we hosted a progressive dinner. Our group had the boys do “Minute to Win It” games with their meals. For example - I had the boys move an orange with a banana tied to a string around their waist. The boys were so into it, they were going crazy. One of the boys (who shall remain nameless) was totally grossed out by bananas and would not touch them, so I had to help him out. It was absolutely entertaining. Then, since I was the last house on the progressive, most of the players ended up squeezing in our living room to watch the movie “Dodgeball.” A great night!

Q: Who are the members of your family and what do they love about hockey? Do you or your kids play hockey? If so, how long have you/they been playing and at what levels?
A: Well, the family includes me, Renae- Billet mom extraordinaire (Haha!), Sam, my husband who played hockey growing up and then some men’s league as well, Brianna, our daughter who is a junior in high school, and Evan who is 13 - he currently plays Bantam hockey. We all love the excitement of the game!

Q: What would you tell someone who's considering becoming a Blizzard host family for the 2014-15 season?
A: Well, I think it’s hard when you lose your first player. They become a part of your family and when they leave, it can be hard. But, the joys that we have experienced far outweigh when they leave, or even when we have a had a hard experience with a player. This season, we have been blessed with such wonderful young men; they are why we come back and do this year after year. We’ve also formed some pretty great bonds with other families through the experience. We sit at games together and cheer or scream, depending on the call! It’s a blast!

Q: Anything else you'd like to add?
A: Don't close yourself off to doing it... I think you would be missing out on a wonderful time. I am not looking forward to sending our boy home after the season. We have grown quite close to him, and we hope that he has really enjoyed his time with us as well.

Blizzard Billet Insider: The Weber Family

We’re about to close the book on the 2013-2014 season for the Brookings Blizzard men’s hockey team, and this means more than just packing away those skates and sticks. These young hockey players, hailing from all over the nation and the world, will also be saying goodbye to their Brookings area host families. 

From August to April, folks known as “Billet Families” offer their homes and daily lives to players for varying lengths of time.

The reasons Billet families choose to host players are as unique as they are, and so we asked some of them to share a little about the experience.

While some families may be new to the program, for Shawn and Jen Weber, this season is only the latest in a series of hosting experiences. Here’s what they had to say.

Q: How many seasons have you been a Blizzard host family? Who have you hosted?
A: We’ve worked with the Blizzard for two seasons now, and we’ve had many, many players stay with us. Our regulars have been Conrad Sampair, Spencer Peratalo, Derek Sand, and Cody Marooney.

Q: What interested you in becoming a Blizzard host family?
A: We had just moved into a new house, and we had an extra bedroom in the basement. The youth organization in town was advertising that they still needed housing families at the last minute before last season. The boys were moving in on Sunday, and we agreed to house a player the Friday before!

Q: What's your favorite part of hosting Blizzard hockey players?
A: This year, our player has really become a part of our family. We do lots of things together, and he’s really like an older brother to our kids. We support him like he’s our own, and it has been an amazing experience to be a part of his life decisions about college, hockey, and career.

Q: What's your favorite memory, or memories, from the 2013-14 Blizzard Hockey season?
A: Oh wow. That is a tough one – we have a lot of great memories from this year. Actually, there are many little things that serve as great memories. Playing board games, “knee hockey” tournaments, choosing pumpkins at the patch, learning the piano together, player cooking night, and getting to host our player’s family are all things we will always remember. Our player enjoyed creating art projects with our daughter too.

Q: Who are the members of your family and what do they love about hockey? Do you or your kids play hockey? If so, how long have you/they been playing and at what levels?
A: We are a married couple with two kiddos. Lilli is an 8 year old dancer, who supports hockey because the rest of us enjoy it. Zach is an 11 year old PeeWee hockey player - he started playing when he was 3 ½ years old. We think hockey is one of the more intense sports - it’s as much a head game as it is a physical one. We enjoy the different ways players showcase their talent - be it their finesse, strength, or strategy

Q: What would you tell someone who's considering becoming a Blizzard host family for the 2014-15 season?
A: I would tell anyone to give it a try! If it doesn’t work for you, it doesn’t work, but you might be missing out on amazing memories and the unique opportunity to support a young man who is trying to play college hockey. I would tell potential host families to ask lots of questions, and to know that players aren’t perfect. I’d also tell families that the Blizzard need host families for even just one week. Give it a shot!