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!
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!
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