|
Housing Families ATTENTION ALL HOCKEY FAMILIES AND FANS Hello –The QC Jr. Flames are working hard and heading into the last 6 weeks of the 2009-2010 season full steam ahead. The team is currently riding an 8 game win streak and plan to finish the regular season in a flourish. We are at the point in our season when I start looking forward toward next year. With the sale of the QCSC to the City of Davenport, many questions remain unanswered but I am moving forward with the recruiting of housing families as usual. The billeting/housing program is somewhat of a hockey tradition and an especially important at the junior level of hockey. Host families opening their homes, hearts, and families to out-of-state or out-of-country players, and provide a nurturing environment and an opportunity for these young men to pursue the next step in their developing hockey careers. The billet/housing programs also allows some players to complete high school educations, take college preparatory classes, and pursue part-time employment in the local community. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 1. What are the ages of the players who will be participating on the Q.C. Jr. Flames Junior hockey team? Player’s ages will range between 16 to 20 years old. 2. How long does the season run? The pre-season starts in mid-late August and runs through the end of March/early April depending on if the team makes the playoffs and goes to the National Championship. 3. Are players required to adhere to all my Host family rules? Absolutely. These players will be a part of your family and are expected to adhere to all rules that your family has established as well as team rules and are held accountable for their actions. 4. Will Host family be required to provide transportation? NO. Each player will arrive in the Quad City area with their own form of transportation or make arrangements with one of the other players. 5. Is the Host family required to provide Medical / Dental Insurance? NO. Each player will provide the Q.C. Jr. Flames management with all Medical information and proof of Insurance. 6. Are the players required to work and/or go to school? YES, either or both. Full time student or 20 hrs a week at their job. Some do both. 7. Do the players have to provide a monthly housing fee? YES. A monthly Stipend fee will be paid to the host family at the beginning of each month. Personal item expenses will be covered by the player.Besides offsetting the expenses a family incurs when hosting a player, the compensation acknowledges the invaluable service families provide to the individual players and the team. 8. Do the players have a curfew? Yes, this is established by the coach and strictly enforced. 9. Is there a substance abuse/drug testing policy in place for the players. Yes, and it strictly enforced. 10. What if our family needs to go out of town during the season? Arrangements will be made for the player(s) to stay with one of the other host families on a temporary basis. Those host families temporarily housing players will be paid for the number of days the player remains in their home. 11. Am I under any obligation if things don’t work out with me, my family and the player assigned to us? No, personalities don’t always match. We do our best to make good matches. In the event things aren’t working out, the player will be relocated and it will be your decision to host a different player or to not host at all. 12. Can a family host more than one player? YES! Two (or more) players can share transportation expenses, and often times provide camaraderie for one another. Actually it seems to works out better with 2 players in the home. 13. What are the family's responsibilities? The family will provide a separate room for the player (or a shared room for 2 players). Furnished with a bed and dresser and closet or clothes rack. All meals should be provided for the players. Breakfast, lunch that can be taken with the player or made by the player SHOULD BE PROVIDED, as many families have dual working parents and are not home during the day, and a family dinner. Players meals will be provided on weekend road trips. 14. What are the player's responsibilities? Players must show respect and consideration for all host family members. They need to maintain their rooms, gear and belongings. Players are expected to become part of the family and participate in family functions if requested. If there are young children in the host family, players are expected to interact with them, spend time with them as if they were their own siblings. Much of the time this involves helping teach them hockey. How many host families/beds are needed? Twenty-seven (27) permanent, 4-5 transient available by the middle of August. Housing/billet families are the most important and valuable asset of our team. It’s much easier to find players than good host families. With that said, Coach McDermott does an outstanding job in recruiting our players not only based on their hockey skills but on their character as well. The housing program has his utmost support and 110% dedication. If you think you might be interested in hosting a player,please contact me (Sherry Wyatt) at 309-738-1236 or by email at wyatt.sherry@mchsi.com. Following are some comments from previous/current host families about their experiences: *These boys do become part of your family. We treat them as we would want our own children treated if they were away from home. * What a truly wonderful experience this has been for me. What a great group of boys. * As a Housing Family, you develop relationships with the players’ families and make lifelong friends. * These boys have brought laughter and energy back into my home. * When they leave, it's just as hard as if they were your own.But --you know in your heart that you had a part in helping them achieve at least a part of their dream and that you’ve had a hand in helping them prepare for life and in becoming fine young men. * I've heard stories about kids getting married and having double “mother dances” at their wedding, one for their biological mom and one for their billet mom.Pretty touching. * I have to say that it has made us laugh more and relax with some stuff. We have made wonderful friends and extended our family with theirs. It's not always easy as they are teenage boys and you don't know the back ground that they come from but it has worked for us. I also have to say that we treat ours the way we would want our kids treated if they were to go somewhere and stay. * It’s all about helping these kids realize their dreams. TEAM PHILOSOPHY Our expectations of each player are commitment to the hard work needed to excel on the ice and dedication to the Q.C. Jr. Flames philosophies to develop as a person. We are seeking well-rounded players who can meet these challenges as we prepare them to advance in their hockey careers. We will provide players the tools needed for the next level of hockey and help them to grow into fine young men and become upstanding citizens in their communities. We have developed relationships with major Division 1 and Division 3 colleges as well as some of the premier Junior “A” teams in the Tier 1 United States Hockey League. There are several standards and policies to which the players must adhere as we develop a high-quality program. We place a strong emphasis on education. Non-high school players must take either two full-time college level classes or work a part-time (20 hrs/week) job. Our players will also participate in the local youth hockey program as mentors and in various community activities. We believe community involvement greatly aids in the maturation process of young men. We will always focus on a top-quality hockey experience. Our coach brings extensive hockey knowledge and high-level experience to the Q.C. Jr. Flames program, and is dedicated to making every player that walks through our doors a better hockey player and an outstanding citizen in their community. The Q.C. Jr. Flames is a Tier III, Junior A hockey team in the Central States Hockey League, based out of Davenport, Iowa. The Jr. Flames call the Quad Cities Sports Center their home. The hockey club is currently in it’s 5thyear of existence. We are a not-for-profit organization with an all volunteer board. The 12-team CSHL comprises teams from Peoria, St. Louis, Chicago, Ohio and Michigan. The season consists of 48 league games, 1-2 showcase tournaments, and playoffs totaling 65-70 games. In addition to game time, players will be receiving 6 -8 hours of on-ice practice and several off-ice training sessions per week. For more information on the Central States Hockey League you can go to their web site at: WWW.CSHLHOCKEY.COM or visit the Q.C. Jr. Flames web site at www.qcjrflames.org. TEAM STAFF: Head Coach/GM: Tom McDermott, Cell 563-564-9593 Email: tmcd@hotmail.com Assistant General Manager: Chris Otto Cell: 563-650-1943 Email: Cjo@qconline.com Housing Director: Sherry Wyatt. Cell 309-738-1236 Email: wyatt.sherry@mchsi.com |
