The Weyburn Beavers are preparing for the fast-approaching baseball season, this includes finding billet families for the players on their roster.
Brittany Sparwood is the billet coordinator for the Weyburn Beavers, she says the responsibilities of a billet family include providing food, a private place to sleep, and a sense of family.
“Not only are you just four walls and a bed, you're also that little bit of a support system, that safe place to go home to, that accommodation so that while those players are away from their own families, they actually feel like they're at a home, not just a house.”
Sparwood explains there are a number of perks associated with being a billet family, including free entry to all 28 home games. There is also monetary compensation to assist with the cost of groceries and accommodations. Various perks can also be found around the ball diamond.
“Some discounts, whether it be on merchandise or even a notification ahead of time of events that are going on with access to tickets and whatnot. There's usually a discount around town if it's a restaurant that sponsors us. So there's those small things that try and help offset some of the prices when you have a baseball player there, as well as bring you out to the games to help support them for free.”
She also highlights the personal benefits of joining the “baseball fam” including a strong familial connection and positive leadership displayed to young children.
“You really just establish a relationship that makes you close and then you end up seeing them if they return multiple summers in a row. I personally have maintained relationships with some of the players for multiple years. I've been to a wedding, I have been to watch games at the university level, some of the other host families have done very, very similar things.”
“They really do become part of the family. If you have kids, they become a positive role model. They're there to hang out with the kids, do things that a big brother would do.”
Players range from ages 18 to 24 with the season running from mid-May to mid-August depending on the playoff run. Inquiries can be made through the Weyburn Beavers website or by reaching out to Sparwood at (306) 897-8621 or weyburnbeaverswmbl@gmail.com.