HOST FAMILY PROGRAM

Help a young athlete follow their dreams!

 Become a Billet Family!

• WHAT IS A BILLET OR HOST FAMILY?  - When an exceptional 16 to 20 year old young hockey athlete who lives outside the area wants to come play for the NJ Renegades Junior Team, billet families or host families open up their homes and hearts by providing the young hockey player a place to stay in a family environment.  This home-away-from-home provides the player a place in which to thrive during the hockey season and a chance of achieving their athletic goals.  Billeting is a long-standing tradition and a crucial part of the team’s success.
• WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF BECOMING A HOST FAMILY? – While a player pays the billet family for their Room and Board, part of the real benefits of becoming a host family is the experience of it.  Lifelong bonds are often formed and the player becomes part of the family.  The athlete can help around the house, help your kids with their hockey training, and even homework.  For many of these players, this may be their first time away from their family.  The real benefit to our host families is the reward that comes from impacting someone's life in a positive way and the lasting relationships formed between these young athletes and their billet families.  As an added plus, any family that billets will get discounts on hockey lessons, clinics, etc.
• WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF HOSTING MORE THAN ONE PLAYER? – While hosting two players or more can sound daunting, there are some benefits.  Two boys are not double the cost.  Two boys can share a room.  Being away from their own families, they can be a support system for each other and this can alleviate apprehension they have with staying with a new host family.  They often make good study buddies with each other and can reduce their gas costs by carpooling with each other.  For the host family they experience players having an easier transition in.
• GENERAL INFO:  - Players arrive to the Randolph, NJ area around the middle of August.  Their first 2 weeks will be very busy as they attend the NJ Renegades Training Camp during the week and get acclimated to the area and their new home-away-from-home.  The season ends typically around mid to late March or as late as early April.  Host families receive a monthly stipend to offset typical expenses incurred while hosting.  Note that August will be a half month stipend and December will be a half month stipend, except in the less common situation in which a billeted player and the host family agree that the player will stay with the host family during the approximately 2 week long holiday break at the end of December.
• WHAT WE ASK OF THE HOST FAMILY: 
  • There is no typical billet family.  They can be a 2-parent family, a single parent, or even “empty nesters”.  The common denominator is that they are willing to provide a home, not just a place for a “renter” to stay.  They are requested to provide some structure and understanding of what they expect from the player they are hosting.  Help enforcing team rules related to curfew, visitors, and standards of behavior is requested.  Included below is a list of suggested home rules/guidelines for players to have in their host family home.  This provides a helpful starting place for the “rules” discussions that are sure to take place.
  • The billet family agrees to provide 3 nutritious meals for the player or have food available that the player can prepare himself.
  • The billet family provides a furnished room for the player or a furnished room to share with another billet player.  For player’s that are studying online for high school or college classes, a desk or a place to study is most helpful.
  • The billet family allows the player to use amenities in the home such as a washer and dryer, TV, internet, hot water for showers, and heat for their rooms.
  • Players have 11pm curfew per NJ Renegades, but if the billet family wants an earlier one that is okay too.
  • Players are often enrolled in online high school academic programs or college programs, of which their own parents/guardians are responsible for checking in on their ongoing progress.  Billet families are not responsible for ensuring academic adherence.
• WHAT WE ASK OF OUR PLAYERS:
  • Follow all host family and team rules and be considerate and respectful of all family members.  If any house rules are broken the player may be benched (lose game time) or be released from the NJ Renegades.
  • Players should keep their room tidy and do their own laundry.
  • Players must provide their own clothes, cell phones, computers, and personal care items (ex. deodorant, shampoo, vitamins, etc).
  • Players provide for their own transportation, unless arrangements are made with the family.  For the few players who do not drive or have their own car, team members are available to assist with providing transportation to practices and games.
  • Notify the host family of their whereabouts and stay in the billet home each night unless traveling with the NJ Renegades team.  Any exceptions to this, must be communicated and agreed upon by both the players parents/guardians and the billet family.
  • When traveling to away games the player is responsible for their meals.
  • In their free time, players should seek part-time employment and/or enroll in high school or college level courses.
  • Make monthly stipend payments to the host family by the 1st of the month for that month, as negotiated by the NJ Renegades and the host family.
• SUGGESTED RULES FOR PLAYERS TO HAVE IN THEIR HOST FAMILY HOME:

Many billet families are not always sure what rules should start off a happy, healthy, and functional billet family arrangement.  The rules should be a discussion between host family and billeted player to agree upon an understood set of rules and expectations.  To help out with this, we provide below a set of “suggested” rules that can be adapted and modified as is appropriate for each hosting family.  Many of these rules are common sense and not needed with most players who are familiar with their own home family rules.  However, it is better to be clear, as young people are learning and can be unsure.  Also, it is common to partner with parents/guardians of the billeted player as to what they may suggest be appropriate for their player.

• • Good Communication – Players should communicate often with things like their whereabouts, if eating out, request permission for sleepovers and agree this with the billet family and player’s parents/guardians in advance of sleepover, etc.
  • Be Tidy - Players will keep their bedroom tidy and do their own laundry.  Any areas of the home used by the player should be tidied up immediately after its use.
  • Respect Belongings - Player’s will respect people’s belongings and space.  There should be no going through another person’s belongings at all, including those of other billeted players in their assigned home.
  • Follow Instructions - Follow billet family’s instructions on how to use anything they supply instructions for in the home, including security systems, guidelines on sharing security codes, cooktops, laundry machines, etc.
  • Offer Assistance - Players should offer assistance to help clean up after a meal shared with a billet family.  Players should clean up after any meals self-prepared.
  • Do Not Modify Home - A player should not redecorate their bedroom, put nails in the wall, paint or modify their assigned bedroom or any part of the host family’s home in any way without requesting permission of the host family.  Remember, this is a temporary accommodation and not the player’s bedroom for life, so utmost respect for keeping bedrooms in the condition the player received it in.  
  • Borrowing Items - Sometimes a host family will share certain items like a bicycle, a snow sled, or snow pants, for example.  These items should be requested and used only with permission.
  • Curfew - Team curfew is 11pm.  All players should be in their host family homes by 11pm, unless away traveling with the team.
  • Visitors - A player should only have visitors come to their host family’s home with requested permission granted from their host family.  Players are responsible for their guests, ensuring their respectful behavior in the home, and also responsible for any accidental damages of their guests.  Unless offered by the host family, players are responsible to provide any meals/snacks offered to their guests. 
  • No Alcoholic Beverages - Players are not to help themselves to any alcoholic beverages stored in the host family home.  Players are not to bring any alcoholic beverages into the host family home.  This is a team rule.
  • No Smoking - Players should consider smoking to be prohibited on the grounds of their host family.  In general, smoking anything is to be considered not conducive of athletic endeavors, but to be clear, smoking, whether cigarettes, vaping, or any similar products should be considered prohibited on the grounds of the host family, nor should supplies be kept anywhere in the home.  If any questions on this, players should see their coach.

The monthly stipend is $450 a month (unless negotiated to a different amount).  August is approx. half month as is December and would therefore be $225.  March and any portion of April will be prorated depending on when playoff season is ended and is to be advised.

If you are interested in learning more about being one of our Billet Families, please reach out to Stacey Dimick or Cliff Graziano.

The billet coordinator is Stacey Dimick.  She is available to answer any general questions on the billeting experience.  She can be reached at stacey_b89@yahoo.com or 973-214-9494

***NO CHANGING OF BILLET HOMES, PLAYERS, ETC... WITHOUT SPEAKING TO COACH GRAZ AND OUR BILLET COORDINATOR***

Thank you for your consideration in helping to further our players’ futures and to build these life-long relationships!

“Our son Pete was coaching with the team at the time, and our youngest son was starting his Jr hockey career.  Pete asked if we would help out with billeting a player, turned out to be 2 or 3 per year for 3 seasons.  It was awesome!  They were out doing there hockey thing most of the time, but seeing them interact with my family as well as helping out around the house with shoveling snow, cleaning the dishes after dinner and traveling together to hockey related events, it was such an amazing experience for everyone involved.”  -Mrs. Rossi

"Hosting a Renegades billet wasn't just about supporting his hockey aspirations, it was a gain for our whole family. He quickly became a positive influence on my kids. They looked up to his dedication on the ice, his work ethic around the house (helping with driving kids to activities, fixing broken doors and helping me when my car broke down) and his genuine kindness such as taking the kids and their friends on countless Starbucks and Playa Bowls runs. It was heartwarming to see them bond over their shared love for hockey, and even more special to witness Jake become a role model for them, both on and off the ice.  I will admit I was initially hesitant to invite a billet to join our family, but we treasure the relationship we forged with him and consider him a lifelong part of the family.” -Kristen Dvorscak

"This was our first time billeting and we didn’t really know what to expect. It’s been such a wonderful and rewarding experience! Our three boys play hockey and rolling the 4th “older brother” in was seamless. He’s been a great addition to our family - he is adored by our kids and is not only a good knee hockey opponent but also a good role model. We also love giving back to the sport that we love so much and supporting a player like Tommy as he pursues his dreams."   -Annie Peters