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HOST A PLAYER

Garrett Strot

Garrett Strot

TBJr Billet Coordinator

Phone: 612-308-9350

GENERAL BILLET INFORMATION

Connor Nelson to NORTHLAND Univ

Connor Nelson - NORTHLAND UNIV

Families receive a monthly billeting stipend for each player ($500/Month) and some families have housed more than one player as they travel together and are company to each other.  

Host families can be 2 parent families, single parent families, as well as empty-nester's OR even a family of a local youth or junior player. Our past experience with billet families has been a great success. We take players with great character that are focused on academics and development and will not be a burden on the host family.  

 

 

Our program has already placed many players in upper-level hockey programs including an NHL Draft Choice (Boston Bruins), as well as NCAA Div-I (Cornell, Harvard, Yale University, Lake Superior State) and NCAA Div-II and Div-III and many ACHA Div-1-2-3 teams.

Our players are here to fulfill their quest to continue their education and hockey careers in COLLEGE.   Billet families provide the opportunity for such players to remain focused and be compelled to achieve.

Hosting a Tampa Bay junior player is a great experience, whether you have a house full of your own kids, an empty-nester or you live alone. These players bring energy and excitement under your roof and you'll get to know the "players family" and a great bunch of parents and people associated with our junior teams.

INTERESTED IN HOSTING A JR PLAYER?


Jonah Mortenson commits to HAMLINE UNIV

  • CLICK ON THE REGISTRATION LINK AT TOP OF PAGE 
  • COMPLETE THE BILLET REQUEST FORM and 'SUBMIT'
  • We will get back to you to talk about our billet program and answer any questions you may have.

    Our goal - Have a great majority of our players from the Tampa area in order to provide future opportunities for our local hockey community.

    However, our program success and training/development concepts attract interest from players all over WORLD (U.S.; Canada and Europe) and we annually have many players from out-of-our-area which need local housing.  All our players demonstrate the potential and desire to compete at COLLEGE levels and beyond.

    In order to for these players to take advantage of the opportunity to play with us, they need local families willing to share their homes, and make it a ‘home-away-from-home’ for them.  Let us explain our billeting program.

WE HOPE YOU CAN BE ONE OF OUR BILLET HOST FAMILIES

CONSIDER THE BENEFITS:

  • Each month, you will receive a $500 monthly stipend for each player hosted to help defer some of the expenses incurred. Players eat a lot so this will help to defer the cost of groceries.
  • You will also receive season tickets for you and your family (including kids) good for every Tampa Juniors home game
  • Get to know these players (and probably their parents) as they become part of the family and be part of the Tampa Bay Juniors program.
  • Many are from outside the U.S. (Foreign) and it should be wonderful that you can get to know them and their families and keep in touch with them in the future.

WHAT WE ASK OF A BILLET FAMILY:

  • Provide a room and some nutritious meals for your player or have food on hand that the player can prepare on their own.
  • Players are considered "one of the family", not just a boarder.  Create an open line of communication with the player and possibly their family abroad.
  • Have INTERNET service and allow access to laundry, kitchen and other areas as needed. 
  • Create your own ‘home rules’ and we ask you to help enforce team rules related to curfew, visitors and standards of behavior.
  • Undergo a "BACKGROUND SCREEN" which is required under the USPHL screening policy.  We have league requirements where virtually everyone, including billet families (all adults 18yo+), our coaching staff and anyone "who may have contact with players" must go through the background check process.
  • Provide safe place for players to air/dry and store equipment
  • Be a great "listener" as the player is away-from-home and will/may be stressed at times (personal, home, hockey)
  • Take an interest in the players life (personal and hockey) and attend games when your schedule permits.

PLAYER EXPECTATIONS

Players are required to provide bed and bath linens, personal care items, cell phones and computers and may have their own transportation and we will provide details of each player’s billet requirements.  

Players MUST obey all house and team rules and show respect and consideration towards all family members.

They need to take care of their own belongings, laundry, ironing, dishes and clean up after themselves.

YOUR GENEROSITY WILL NOT BE TAKEN FOR GRANTED.  

This is a great opportunity to make lasting memories and lifelong friends and we would love to have you explore being a HOST BILLET FAMILY.

PLAYERS SHOULD:

  • Know what is expected and acceptable in billet family’s house.
  • Be respectful of your new surroundings. After all, you are a guest in someone else’s house.
  • Don’t take things for granted. Just because something may be acceptable in your own house doesn’t mean it is acceptable with your billet family.
  • Be willing to participate in family activities where appropriate.
  • Serve as a positive role model for younger children in billet family.
  • Be willing to communicate with billet family.
  • Don’t take out your problems on the billet family.

BILLET CALENDAR

Players arrive in the Tampa area in mid-late August and must stay through to the end of our junior season. 

The "Regular-Season" ends in early March and hopefully we make it through our Florida playoffs (mid-March) all the way to the USPHL Championships in late March.    

Many of the players choose to head home on during holiday breaks in our schedule and we have two breaks during our schedule.  

  • One-week off at Thanksgiving and
  • Two-weeks off for Christmas/New-Years.  

We do travel on many weekends (Games/Showcase Events) where the team takes care of all player transportation, lodging & meals.