What started as a search for baseball tickets turned into a tradition that has changed the Wald family forever.

Four years ago, Kristin and Ted Wald were looking online for a seven-game ticket package when Kristin stumbled across a button that caught her attention, Become a Host Family.

“I brought it up to Ted, and we were both interested, but still undecided,” Kristin said. “I filled out the form to learn more and didn’t hear back for quite some time, so we thought we probably weren’t going to do it.”

Then came an unexpected phone call from the Larks asking if they were still interested.

“We looked at each other and basically said, ‘Oh, I guess this is going to happen,'” Kristin laughed.

That spontaneous decision has since become one of the most rewarding experiences for their family.

The Walds hosted players from California and Kansas during their first summer, and what began as simply opening their home quickly grew into lifelong relationships.

“They became part of our family,” Kristin said. “I still keep in contact with both of them at least two or three times a year. And it’s like that every summer. The only difference now is that we just have a lot more boys to keep in touch with.”

As each baseball season approaches, the excitement in the Wald household begins to build. April and May no longer just signal warmer weather—they mean it’s almost time to welcome a new group of players into their home.

“You get this anxious excitement when April and May hit, knowing it’s almost baseball season and you’re going to get new players,” Kristin said.

That excitement is shared by everyone in the family, especially the Walds’ four sons.

“Our boys love going to the games, and they love having the players in our house,” Kristin said. “The players include our boys in their everyday fun. They’re outside playing basketball or baseball, and there’s always video games.”

Every summer brings new personalities, new traditions, and new memories.

“Each player has a different personality and brings something different to the house,” Kristin said. “Some are more to themselves and like their own space, while others are sitting right next to you in the living room watching baseball all night.”

Some of the family’s favorite moments have happened away from the baseball field.

“We had a player a couple years ago who had never roasted a marshmallow over a fire,” Kristin remembered. “So that night we had a bonfire, roasted marshmallows, and made s’mores. He ended up having five of them.”

For the Wald family, hosting has become about far more than providing a place for players to stay. It’s about welcoming young men from across the country into their lives and learning from each other along the way.

“By hosting Larks players, our family has grown in every way,” Kristin said. “The players bring their culture and different traditions into your home. We gain two, three, sometimes four boys in our family every year. It’s awesome.”

Their connection to the team has changed because of those relationships. While they still enjoy baseball, the players themselves have become the reason they fill the stands each summer.

“We don’t go to the games just because we love baseball,” Kristin explained. “We go for them. We love watching them just like we love watching our own boys play.”

For Kristin, the season isn’t defined by the final score.

“We don’t care if they win or lose,” she said. “We want them to learn and have fun because that’s what this league is for. To grow.”

That opportunity for growth extends beyond the players. Every summer leaves a lasting impact on the Wald family, adding new friendships, new memories, and new members to what they consider their extended family.

“The Larks have given our family so much,” Kristin said. “Every summer, our family gets a little bigger, and that’s something we’ll always be grateful for.”

For families considering becoming a Larks Host Family, the Walds’ story is proof that opening your home can lead to something much greater than a summer of baseball—it can create friendships and memories that last a lifetime.