State tournament seeks host families
35-40 families sought as hosts for ball players in July
Staff reporter
Host families are needed when the Marion community hosts the 2004 Kansas Cal Ripkin State Tournament of Champions July 21-24.
The 12-year-old boys will represent seven districts.
Ball players who live within a 60-mile radius of Marion will not be required to stay with a host family in the Marion area. They will be allowed to commute.
However, host families are needed for the other players. The hosts may reside in or around the Marion area.
Casey Case is the tournament chairman and is in charge of finding host families for visiting players.
"There will probably be around 105 ball players in need of a place to stay," said Case. "Thirty-five to 40 homes will probably be needed."
Ideally, two to four players stay in each host home.
Being a host family for baseball players from around the state is an experience of a lifetime, said Mitch Carlson.
Carlson and his family have been host families twice — for 13-year-olds during a state Babe Ruth tournament in 1998 and for 12-year-olds during a state Cal Ripkin tournament in 2000.
"It's great getting involved with the kids," said Carlson. "The excitement they felt in being in a state tournament was contagious."
Carlson said he and his family shared their joy in winning and sadness in losing.
"My kids still keep in touch with some of the boys," Carlson said. "One of the boys plays baseball at Butler Community College." The boy's grandmother lives in the Marion area and keeps Carlson informed, he said.
Being a host family means providing a comfortable, safe environment for the boys to relax and sleep, meals, transportation to and from the ball park, and washing uniforms before each game.
Carlson said the boys kept his house clean.
"They had the basement and they kept it orderly," Carlson said.
Being a host family helped Carlson understand what his own son, Chase, would go through when he was a visiting ball player with a host family.
"Chase has been a guest with a host family two times," Carlson said. "Being a host family showed him how it works and how he's supposed to behave."
Mike and Diane Jeffrey shared similar experiences as a host family.
They, too, were a host family twice. The first time were two 13-year-old boys from Peabody .
The Jeffreys said the boys played with their younger children.
"I encourage parents with children five and six years old to be a host family," Diane said. "It's a great experience for everyone — especially younger kids who play ball."
Their son, Calvin, also had the experience of being a guest ball player with a host family at Scott City.
"After the boys lost their game, typically the boys pack up and go home," Mike explained. "The host family in Scott City asked the boys to stay an extra night because they enjoyed having them."
Situations may arise when a host family does not work out.
"In Pittsburg, Calvin ended up staying with a home team family," Diane said. "It was a great experience for Calvin because he learned to like his competitor."
"Most kids know what they should and shouldn't do," Mike said.
Since the experience, the boys have talked on the Internet and spent time together.
All agreed they became attached to the boys quickly and will never forget their experience.
Diane said some host families make photo albums for the boys to take with them as a way to remember the experience.
There will be one team representing each of the seven districts plus the home (Marion) team at the state tournament in July. State-bound teams will not be known until a week or two before the tournament, said Case.
"I have been directly involved with host families for the past two state tournaments," Case said. He also has been a host family and has not had a bad experience.
Case sought the tournament for Marion when he inquired about the location of the state tournament for his son's age group. He was told a location had not been determined and Case asked if Marion would be considered.
The tournament will require coaches and umpires to stay at Country Inn Motel.
Anyone wanting additional information about being a host family should contact Case at 382-3456 or 382-2106.
