Billet Families Share Their Homes And Hearts With Young Players
Imagine the life of a teenaged junior hockey player; hundreds of miles away from home, school, and friends. They make a tremendous commitment to play the game at a higher level but they need support along their journey.
That is where billet families fill the role to shelter players and form bonds over the course of an entire hockey season or sometimes, a lifetime.
Wild Assistant General Manager and Director of Hockey Operations is still close with his billet families from over 20 years ago when he played in Victoria, B.
"I still talk to them all the time. When we go up to play in Victoria, I go visit them or we go out to dinner. You really are going to make a family member for life"
Billet families have often traveled to see games for their player after he has left the Wild, even attending weddings and hopefully when they make it to the NHL.
A billet host Tim Butterfield has attended many of the milestones for players that stayed with his family in Wenatchee.
"We're helping a young man follow his dream of being professional hockey player someday. It's so much fun. We become part of their families. We have so many new families now."
Butterfield and his family have attended high school and college graduations in Anchorage, Alaska and Michigan.
The Wild is looking for families that can provide a player with his own room, wi-fi so they can complete school work and as many home cooked meals at night as possible
David Page and his wife, Diana, are longtime Billet hosts.
"That's one of the things that we've always asked the kids. We request having dinner with them. If they have other things to do that's fine, but you know, as a family, as a grown up, we always had dinner at the table with mom and dad and the kids."
The Wenatchee Wild organization has about 70 players in the organization at different levels, including the WHL squad. Each one needing a home away from home during their time in Wenatchee. While most billet hosts open up their home season after season, approximately 10 to 15 new host families are needed each year.
In exchange for hosting a player, Billet families receive a $400/month stipend, two free Wild Zone tickets for home games, and free entrance to all Wolves U18 and Wilderness U16 games for everyone living in your home.
To become a billet family, you must fill out a questionnaire regarding specifics of what you are looking for in this experience. The billet coordinator determine the best match for a family and player.
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If you have questions about becoming a housing family, contact Chris Clark or Wenatchee Wild Billet coordinator Jesse James at the Wild office: 509-888-7825
Here's a link to the Wenatchee Wild website with plenty of information on how to get involved and an application to become a billet family.