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"Private Hockey Lessons"
Hockey and Power Skating Mike Perkins 940-631-4294
Please
CALL Eric Ballard for private hockey lessons at 970-481-3742
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Welcome!!!
Being a billet family is a wonderful and rewarding experience. It is a great way
to get involved in
the community, as well as develop some very special bonds with hockey players
and their families.
In addition, in many cases billeting a Midget AAA player leads to the formation
of a “buddy” for
other younger hockey players in the household. For many of the players, this
will be their first time
away from home and they will need a stable living environment for their move to
California.
Players on the AAA teams are between the ages of 15 and 18, with the majority of
them being 17
and 18 years old. Part of our commitment to our players and their parents is to
provide them with
a good home. The players often become just like one of the family. It doesn't
happen all the time –
sometimes things just don't click – but it happens the majority of the time.
These boys come into
your lives at an early, impressionable age and leave as young men. Their time
with the billet family
is a very important time of their lives. They are away from their friends and
family, so their billets
become their surrogate family. The players arrive from all over the World in mid
to late August and
will be here until the end of the hockey season in early March.
When a family volunteers to house a member of the team, they are required to
provide room and
board for the player. This includes, providing nutritious food that is available
for him to prepare or
for the billets to prepare for the player. In addition, billets must be able to
provide the player with
his own room. Billets are expected to treat the players as "one of the family"
and not just a "renter".
The same goes for the player, as far as cleaning up after themselves and keeping
their room tidy.
We have team guidelines and policies that will be provided to you, that the
players must abide to be
within our organization. We expect our billet families to uphold and enforce
these team rules. All
billet house rules will need to be communicated to the player when he arrives.
Among some of the benefits of becoming a billet family:
• Each billet family is paid a monthly stipend to house a player in their home.
• Generally, billets, players and the player's family develop very special bonds
and remain
close long after the player has left the Titans organization. We try to make it
possible to
make sure that this experience is a rewarding one for both the player and the
billets.
Thank you for your interest!
Eric Ballard – Housing Coordinator
Player & Host Parent Guidelines
Phone numbers you will need:
Eric Ballard 970-481-3742
Barry Bartholomay 818-300-5903
Scott Yorkison 818-378-2004
It is imperative that the lines of communication are open between the Titans
organization and its
housing families. Therefore, feel free to contact any housing committee member
if you have a
question, concern, or comment. A housing list of player’s addresses and phone
numbers will be
provided to each host family and updated throughout the season as needed. The
housing list,
players’ home addresses and phone numbers must be kept confidential. A monthly
letter from the
coach and calendar will be sent. Players will also receive a monthly calendar.
The monthly
calendar outlines practice, games, and other team functions. Players will be
expected to keep the
calendar updates as changes occur and notify housing parents of any calendar
changes as well.
Communication is also a key factor in the successful relationship between
players and their host
families. Remember, each player will have his own comfort level for sharing and
there are team
details that players are not allowed to discuss. However, it’s important to talk
to your host family
about day-to-day events and issues.
Titans Hockey Players are to be held
“Accountable and Responsible”
Team Function/Dates to Remember
Throughout the course of the season, there will be many functions that the team
is expected to
attend. Most of these events are planned well in advance and will be announced
ahead of time.
Players are required to attend all team functions, housing families are
encouraged but not required
to attend some of these functions.
All team events must be sanctioned by the coach. There will be no parties hosted
by any host
family where alcohol is being served. Any host family that provides alcohol to
players will be dealt
with by the Titan Staff. Players and host families will be expected to conduct
themselves in a
professional manner at all times and need to be a positive influence in the
community, wherever
possible.
Host Family Vacations/Out of Town Stays
Players are NEVER permitted to remain in their home overnight when their host
family is out of
town unless given permission by the Titans and in conjunction with host family.
In this event the
Titans must be notified by the host family and guidelines must be set so that
all are on the same
page of expectations for player. These rules must be communicated to the Titans
staff.
Transportation
Players are asked to bring their own cars to California. However, some players
do not have access
to a car during their stay. It is not the responsibility of the host family to
provide a car or
transportation for their player. Arrangements are to be made by the player to
get his rides from
other players to get himself to where he needs to be. It is also the players’
responsibility to help
reimburse the players who give you rides. Suggestion would be to give some money
for gas.
Payment to Housing Families
Player’s parents are required to pay a housing fee to their players host family
for a sum of $325.00
per month. These arrangements are to be made between Parents and Host Families
before the
player stays. Each host family has the discretion of when payments are to be
given.
During the season, once a monthly check has been issued, it is the host family’s
responsibility to
reimburse the player if he should leave before the months end. The host family
needs to make sure
that all debts that the player incurred in their home are received before they
refund money to the
player.
There are many factors that preclude when the hockey season will end. Therefore,
$325.00 monthly
housing check will be paid as usual and again it will be the host family’s
responsibility to refund the
remaining monies at a rate of $10.50 per day. If a player remains beyond the
hockey season, the
player’s family and the host family must make arrangements for additional
payments.
Players must acknowledge that these families are opening their homes and their
lives to help
support the Titans organization and these young hockey players. Therefore, all
considerations need
to be thought of and addressed. Players also need to realize that what
impression they leave here
with these families and our community will stay long after the player leaves.
Let us all make this
experience a healthy and memorable one!
Curfews
Curfews for the duration of the 2008-2009 hockey season will be as follows.
However, these times may need to be adjusted once the team practices/meeting
schedules have been
finalized.
Weeknights 9:00 p.m.*
After a home game 11:00 p.m.
After all Sunday games 10:00 p.m.
Curfew checks will be made by Titans staff. In the event of a curfew check, the
player will need to
come to the phone. Players are not to spend the night at each other’s home
unless approved by the
Titans staff. If a player’s family is in town, he may stay with them, but will
need to notify his
housing parents and is subject to follow the curfew rules. Other players,
friends and girlfriends
must be out of the house at curfew. Curfew penalties will be determined and
enforced by the
Titans staff. There will only be an occasional “extended” curfew as designated
by the Titan staff.
Housing parents will be notified. WE EXPECT HOUSING PARENTS TO TAKE THE
RESPONSIBILITY OF CALLING THE TITANS STAFF WHEN CURFEW IS NOT
ADHERED TO; SUCH AS A PLAYER BEING LATE, OR GOING OUT AFTER CURFEW
CALL.
* Weeknight curfews may change once team practice/meeting schedules have been
finalized. Billet
families will be notified of the regular practice schedule times.
Housing Assignments
All housing placements are made with the Titans staff’s approval. Players are
initially placed in
homes based on the information gathered from interviews and questionnaires. In
the event that a
player or housing family makes a specific request, every consideration will be
made to honor that
request. While every attempt is made to match up personalities and honor
personal requests, some
matches may not always be successful. In a case where this occurs, it is the
player and/or housing
family’s responsibility to contact the Housing Director so that the situation
can be rectified. This
does not always mean that the player has to be moved. Sometimes conflicts can be
resolved in
other ways. It is important to remember, however, that matches are not marriages
and that all
parties involved must feel comfortable with the placement. Any reassignments
will be made via the
office, players and/or housing families are not to make the changes. Veteran
players often
return to the home they resided in the previous year. However, circumstances
sometimes warrant a
change.
Meals
Proper nutrition is an important component of a player’s success. Discuss what
the meal schedule
time will be in you host home. Be considerate of your host family. Houses are
not to be treated like
restaurants. Players are to be prompt for scheduled meals and must notify their
family if they are
going to be late. Unless previous arrangements have been made and approved by
the Titans staff,
other players are not to be eating at other homes. Players, please notify your
host family, in
advance, if you are not going to be home for a meal due to a team function or
commitment.
Familiarize yourself with the kitchen, including the dishwasher and microwave.
Players can be
expected to prepare their own food in the event that your housing parents are
not present (breakfast
and lunch especially). Each player will have its own individual food preferences
and many have
specific pre-game requests. Discuss food likes and dislikes with your host
family as soon as
possible and remember, it is unlikely that anyone will cook just like Mom, so
you may have to
make a few adjustments at first.
Phone Privileges
All players must have their own calling/credit card or cell phones and are not
to be charging phone
calls on their host family phone. Be sure to discuss how you should answer the
host family phone
and how messages are to be taken as well as any limitations you may have on
phone use (times of
day, limits on time per call, etc.). All long distance phone calls must go
through a calling card
or cell phone. With computers being such a part of everyone’s family now, please
keep in mind
the length of time you are online, if the computer is hooked up to the incoming
phone line.
Recruiting
The ultimate goal of most AAA hockey players is to move ahead to the next level
of hockey. It is
possible that you will be receiving phone calls from recruiters. It is essential
that you get any
messages that a recruiter may leave for you, as the recruiter is often
prohibited from making a return
call. Since a scholarship could stem from a phone call, it is recommended that
there is a message
pad by all telephones and a designated place to leave messages. Also giving your
housing family
notice of where you are, they can get the phone call to you.
Medical/Dental Care
In the case of an off-ice emergency, handle it like any other emergency. All
players carry their own
medical insurance, in addition to their USA Hockey Insurance. On-ice emergencies
and injuries
will be handled by the team/rink staff.
Hockey/Rink Gear
It is suggested you get direction from your housing parents as to preferences on
where to store
hockey gear and laundering hockey clothes.
Privacy/Confidentiality
It is important to respect the privacy of your host family. Privacy and
confidentiality is a two-way
street and your host family should also be sensitive to this. Do not share with
team mates,
everything that goes on in your home.
Screening
In support and accordance with USA Hockey and CAHA Policies, all adults who
volunteer with
players in the program must be screened. Billet families are required register
with the USA Hockey
screening program. Information is keep confidential. However, all adult members
of the household
must be approved through the screening process, prior to a Titans player being
placed in their home.
Player Out-of-Town Guests or Girlfriends
If out of town friends visit, the player is still subject to the same curfew in
their housing family
home as usual. Players may NOT spend the night at hotels with out of town
friends. It is at the
discretion of the housing parents to invite out of town visiting friends to stay
in their home.
School Work
It is essential to the player’s well-being that he is productive off the ice as
well as on the ice.
Therefore, all players are required to either attend school (College-part time,
High school) or work
part time during their stay in California.
The Titans staff will provide job leads to players. It is the player’s
responsibility to secure a job and
hold it. He must provide his own transportation and arrange his work schedule
around his hockey
obligations.
Living Away From Home Adjustment Criteria
Living away from home for the first time can be a very rewarding experience. It
forces a young
adult to adjust to a new situation. However, adjusting to a new family, school
and team can be quite
difficult. The purpose of this is to give parents ideas that should be
implemented to help prepare
their son’s adjustments to living away from home.
You are ACCOUNTABLE for all your actions. For every action, there is a reaction
that affects
you and the people around you. Always let your housing parents know where you
are and when
you’ll be returning verbally or through a note. Call if there is a change in
plans. Make sure you are
always, ALWAYS, on time (at least 10 minutes early). Budget your time wisely
between hockey,
school and housing parents.
You have to be responsible. Learn to clean your room, take the garbage out, help
with the dishes,
do your laundry, rake leaves, wash the car, complete your homework, and make a
positive
contribution at your part-time job. Those things should be automatic. You should
not have to be
told or asked to do these things. If anything, you will be expected to take the
initiative - YOU
do the asking. Don’t abuse telephone privileges. Always be polite when answering
the phone and
put housing parent calls ahead of yours. If the family has children, be friendly
to the kids and do
not isolate yourself from the family. Do not sleep all day. Get to bed as early
as possible and get
up early. If you are unsure of anything, be sure to ask. Make productive use of
your free time.
While establishing a good rapport with your housing family, do not lose touch
with your family
back home. Always keep them up-to-date on everything happening in school, on the
ice and with
your new family.
Understand that you must always show RESPECT to anyone and everyone: teachers,
employers,
employees, friends, girlfriends, coaches, housing parents, team managers, team
officials, etc. As
parents, it is YOUR responsibility to make sure that your son has the necessary
social skills before
he leaves home so that his adjustment period is a positive experience.
Make sure that you can deal with SUCCESS (not letting it go to your head). Make
sure you can
deal with FAILURE (if you are in control of your work habits – you are the only
one that can make
it happen). Make sure you can listen and follow directions to the “T”. Make sure
you have the
confidence to ask good and pertinent questions when you are in doubt. Make sure
that you write
things down if you forget easily.
We want to help you shape your maturity and development. We want you to be a
better person.
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