With hockey season a lot closer than many want to believe, the Portage Terriers are preparing by increasing awareness of the need for billet families. Without these families, the team would not be able to operate.
Every year, players from across the country, and even from the USA, meet their teammates for the first time at Stride Place. From there, they also meet the family that will host them for the winter as they play with the Terriers.
Nancy and Kelly Funk have been billeting with the Terriers for a couple of decades, dating back to nearly the turn of the century. Nancy outlines their involvement.
"We've been billeting for about 20 years, and we had players living with us prior to getting married, so we've been at this a long time."
She shares what made them consider billeting and why they continue.
"We initially got involved because Kelly was a Terrier. So, somebody billeted him way, way back in the day," Funk continues. "And then our oldest son, Reilly, played for the Terriers for a little bit, and then he moved on to another league where he was billeted as well. So, we just recognize the importance of billet families and what they mean to a junior hockey team, and what they mean to those players."
Nancy adds some of the things they are provide to the players.
"As a billet family, you open your home to a hockey player that's moving to Portage. We just treat them as one of our family members, they get thrown into the mix with the rest of the kids. We provide a bedroom with furnishings, we have food available for them, and we just look at ourselves as another level of support for them as they're navigating their hockey career."
Nolan Nenow came north of the border from Jamestown, North Dakota, and joined the Terriers last season at the start of the year. He notes that billeting in Portage was a great experience.
"I loved every second of it. I had a perfect opportunity to get comfortable, and the family accepted me as soon as I walked in the door. They have a little kid; he was a joy, he's a die-hard hockey fan, so it was kind of the perfect set-up for me. Just to go back home, and feel like it was part of my own family back in Jamestown, so it was pretty awesome to fit right in."
Nenow adds that he feels Portage is very similar to Jamestown in terms of age demographics, which also made the adjustment to the city easy as well.
Hundreds of players have billeted with families in the area over the past 60 years the team has been around and many have made lifelong connections that continued long after their time with the team was over.
If you would like to get involved in billeting, email portageterriers@outlook.com.