Green Bay, Wi- Every year, roughly 70 elite college baseball players come to Green Bay, WI from all around the country, to better their baseball skills and showcase their talent in one of the top summer collegiate leagues in the nation: The Northwoods League. What most people don’t know is there’s a way to get more involved with the organization and the players than just attending the games. Green Bay Baseball has a Host Family Program where members of the Green Bay Area community are asked to step up and host players for the season.
Not only does hosting a player connect you with Green Bay Baseball but it provides you with an opportunity to connect with young aspiring athletes from around the United States. Host parent, Wayne Vaughn, who has been hosting for 11 years, stated his family hosts because “we enjoy helping them on their baseball journey, its fulfilling.” Hosting players allows the families to develop fun and strong connections with the organization and Northwoods organization.
Our host families have always been extremely satisfied with the young men that they host. “They were all very pleasant to be around and seemed genuinely thankful that we were welcoming them into our home,” said Jenny Sarosiek. The 2017 season was the Sarosiek’s first year hosting players. “Overall, we found being a host family a very positive experience. We had the opportunity to bring a player into our house that was from a different area of the country and had a very different background. This not only gave us as adults a different perspective, but allowed our six-year-old daughter to see something different as well.” she said. Having multiple young men living with them over the summer, Sarosiek added while the men were different in their interaction levels with the family, they were good role models for their daughter and “showed her hard work pays off.”
It is easy to understand one could be apprehensive to host a player, but host parent since 2008, Brian Bolssen, stated everyone should “try it, because there is not a whole lot of work. It’s not an expensive deal, to be honest I don’t think it’s any more money than my family would cost the rest of the year.” Hosting a player allows you to establish new connections with the athletes, their family, and sometimes their future for very little strain on yourself or your family. Some of our host families visit their previous players and keep in contact with their lives and baseball seasons.
Hosting a player can widen your perspective, allow you to meet people from around the country, show support to young and aspiring baseball players, and allow you to have a summer full of fun, and a ton of baseball.
For more information click here or email our coordinator at coordinator@greenbaybullfrogs.com
To sign up to be a host family, complete the form below.