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Billet Family

  • Thread starter Thread starter Gurtholfin
  • Start date Start date
G

Gurtholfin

Guest
We're considering becoming a billet family for a player with the USHL Madison Capitols.

Probably wouldn't be until next season as they've already started, but we're exploring it now and going through the team's process.


Anyone have any experience with being one or having a son stay with one or do you have friends who did this?

Any input would be interesting.


We've got plenty of room, are a hockey family, have a son playing high school hockey...
 
Re: Billet Family

Is anyone in your house capable of playing the role of Cynthia Gibb? If not I would vote against hosting.
 
Re: Billet Family

Is anyone in your house capable of playing the role of Cynthia Gibb? If not I would vote against hosting.


Well, iirc, it was the house mom who banged Youngblood first, so thanks for painting that picture... :p
 
Re: Billet Family

I feel like whether you have a daughter and what her age is should be a bigger factor than whether you have a son and if he plays HS hockey.
 
Re: Billet Family

I feel like whether you have a daughter and what her age is should be a bigger factor than whether you have a son and if he plays HS hockey.


I don't have a daughter, but my wife is pretty hot...


And yes, if I had a teenaged daughter, I wouldn't even consider this.
 
Re: Billet Family

Ummm, I remember things correctly, Cynthia Gibb was the coach's daughter and the Zamboni driver. So if there's anything to be learned (other than some Mighty Ducks-like implausible situations and rules) from Youngblood, it's that if you coach a hockey team, lock up up your daughter, especially if she's a rink rat and looks like Cynthia Gibb.
 
Re: Billet Family

Yeah, it was a very clever reply. I think all aficionados of classic hockey movies got it; thanks for the memories. Rob Lowe isn’t my taste, but I loved the rooming house mom Gurt pointed out, (the late) Ed Lauter, Cynthia Gibb, Racki, and the other offbeat characters.
 
Re: Billet Family

I have some friends who hosted players on the Wi Dells team, which I realize is a different league and possibly a different age group.

How does your son feel about the idea? From having hosted foreign exchange students, I can say that is the most important factor. Is he ready for the household dynamics to change a little, and is he ready to follow through if he finds out he's not crazy about your guest. I'm sure you and your (hot-and I agree!) wife have talked these things over, but I throw them out there anyway, Gurth. I'd imagine the caps and the league also have pretty good support resources.
 
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Re: Billet Family

I feel like whether you have a daughter and what her age is should be a bigger factor than whether you have a son and if he plays HS hockey.

What if the billeted player likes boys? Gurt has a son after all....

Seriously, I think if the family is on board you should give it a shot. Different situation but my son was in a language immersion school and we hosted a couple of the student teachers and it was great. Some years better than others but all great learning experiences.
 
Re: Billet Family

Seriously, I think if the family is on board you should give it a shot. Different situation but my son was in a language immersion school and we hosted a couple of the student teachers and it was great. Some years better than others but all great learning experiences.

Second that.
 
Re: Billet Family

Also seriously, I assume that the team can provide you with the names of families that are currently billeting so that you could talk to them. And if you know someone personally who’s currently doing it or has done it before, that’s even better, since the team isn’t likely to give you names of families for which it isn’t working (or didn’t work) out well. I’d have a list of questions rather than just a “how did it work out,” because there may be some issues that are no problem to them, but insurmountable to you.

And of the subject of a teenage girl in the house that’s been brought up primarily in jest, my sister and her husband (who had a teenage daughter at the time) hosted a male exchange student with no problems at all. In fact the organization that ran the exchange program said that they’d never had a problem with host families with an opposite sex child, but they’d had many problems (not the vulgar type of problems, just an inability to get along) with female exchange students when there was already a girl in the house. I don’t know about boy exchange students with a boy in the house, because that didn’t apply to them; this could very well be unique to teenage girls.
 
Re: Billet Family

I have a friend who's son is with a billet, on the other side of the country from where the kid's parents live. We talk about it alot. It is a big commitment for everyone involved. Of course you have to be a hockey family. Hopefully your son in HS gets along well with him in all aspects. You have to think about all scenarios - what if your son's HS team tanks, falls to last place and maybe he loses interest in the sport or gets benched - while the billet kid's team is in first place and he's the top goal scorer? You might see some emotional extremes like that. Most kids at the Billet level adjust pretty well though. Constant communication with his parents is also a must. As far as disciplining the billet kid, it sounds like the coaches help alot in that regard. He needs his own room, own wifi, and car if applicable.
 
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