{"id":30786,"date":"2026-05-22T11:26:18","date_gmt":"2026-05-22T16:26:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/northwoodsleague.com\/bismarck-larks\/?p=30786"},"modified":"2026-05-22T11:51:02","modified_gmt":"2026-05-22T16:51:02","slug":"the-heart-of-the-larks-host-family-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/northwoodsleague.com\/bismarck-larks\/the-heart-of-the-larks-host-family-program\/","title":{"rendered":"The Heart of the Larks Host Family Program"},"content":{"rendered":"

Opening Their Doors: The Heart of the Larks Host Family Program<\/b><\/h1><\/h1><\/div>
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For the Schirado family, joining the Bismarck Larks Host Family program started with a simple, meaningful moment. After their daughter participated as a \u201cBaby Bird\u201d during a game, the idea of hosting a player came naturally. \u201cWe talked about how fun it would be to host a player and what an experience it would be,\u201d they said. \u201cWe weren\u2019t sure what it all entailed, but we had the extra space and figured we would give it a shot.\u201d That leap of faith turned into something lasting, they are now in their third year as a host family.<\/span><\/p>\n

What they expected was to provide a place to stay. What they didn\u2019t expect was how quickly players would become part of their lives. \u201cI was surprised at how even for a few months, the players become a part of your life and someone to stay in contact with,\u201d they shared. That bond formed almost instantly with their first player. \u201cHe came in and ate supper with us, then our son helped him carry all of his stuff to his room.\u201d From that moment on, he wasn\u2019t just a guest, he was family.<\/span><\/p>\n

While fans see players under the lights, the Schirados see what happens behind the scenes. \u201cThey don\u2019t see the laughter and hardships of the players,\u201d they explained. \u201cWe get to share the joys and trials in their lives.\u201d At home, players are learning to cook, laundry, fixing cars and spending time with kids who look up to them. Late nights often turn into meaningful conversations. \u201cWe\u2019ve spent many nights staying up late talking to them about the game and about life.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Feeding collegiate athletes has also been an experience. \u201cWe have learned that athletes always seem to be hungry,\u201d they exclaimed. During one stretch hosting two players, \u201cI think I made chicken alfredo five times!\u201d Those meals, along with movie nights and backyard baseball games, have become cherished traditions. One favorite memory stands out: \u201cOur son had his first year of t-ball, and our player got to come to one of his games. We all went out for supper after, that was something that was talked about for a while in our family.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The relationships built over the summer don\u2019t fade when the season ends. \u201cWe always check in to see how they are doing,\u201d they said. One player became especially close. \u201cWe had him for part of two summers and have become close with his family, we even got to see him play college ball a couple of times.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

For the Schirado family, hosting is about more than providing a place to stay. \u201cThey just need somewhere they can call home and relax,\u201d they explained. In return, the experience has given their family a deeper sense of connection. \u201cEvery game we attend, we feel like we are a part of something bigger.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Their advice to others is simple: \u201cJust try it. If you don\u2019t like it, you don\u2019t have to do it again. But give them one summer, and you will make memories of a lifetime.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":78,"featured_media":30787,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[60,429,209,430],"class_list":["post-30786","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-baseball","tag-great-memories","tag-host-family","tag-making-an-impact"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Heart of the Larks Host Family Program - Bismarck Larks<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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