Host Families, the Backbone of Babe Ruth Tournament Trail

Host Family Frequently Asked Questions

Fast Facts:  

• Who:  Baseball players aged 13, coming from 6 states in the Southwest Region, including Texas, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas and New Mexico.
• What:  Babe Ruth League Southwest Regional Tournament
• Where:  James Butts Baseball Complex
• When:  July 28 – Aug 1, 2011
• Why:  Teams from the Southwest Region have competed in district and state tournaments to qualify for the opportunity to play and win the regional tournament and move on to the 13-year-old World Series.  The winner of this tournament will travel to Clifton Park, NY, to play in the World Series on August 19-26, 2011.  

I’d like to host some players, but...

I don’t think my house is big enough...

No one expects to have luxury accommodations while they’re here, and we don’t expect you to provide them.  Think bunking party.  If you have a spare bedroom to offer, that’s great!  If you don’t, an air mattress on the floor of the den and comfortable bedding is all that is needed.  The boys will be busy playing ball and tired out when their heads hit the pillow.  

I have daughters, not sons, so I don’t know much about 13-year-old boys.  What do they like to do?  How will I keep them busy?  

First, the players will be busy.  When they are not playing in a game, they will be practicing with their coach, or scouting the other teams.  When they’re not at the ballpark, they will be sleeping and eating.  What time there will be for socializing will likely be spent with the other host families on your team.  As a team, we encourage you take them bowling, or to the movies or some other entertaining place that will not tire them out too much.  That’s why swimming is out.  Most coaches do not allow their players to swim before games.  The Player Guidelines passed down by Babe Ruth League forbid the players from taking part in any potentially dangerous activity, such as 4-wheeler riding.  

What if one of them gets hurt while they’re in my home?

Every person involved with the tournament is covered by insurance carried by Babe Ruth League and Siloam Springs Youth Baseball.  The Host Family guidelines will have detailed information about what to do if this occurs.  The first thing to do is not to panic.   The second thing is to call the Host Family coordinators.  Their contact information will be in the packet you receive at check in.  

Also, it is imperative that players, along with your own children, are properly supervised at all times.  They may not be left alone without adult supervision in the home at any time, even though they are 13 and big enough to care for themselves. The more time you spend with the players as a family, the more fun it will be for you and the boys; the less chance there is for accidents or behavior issues.      

Don’t teenage boys eat a lot?

Some do, some don’t.  These are athletes at the peak of their game, so it is likely you will see a lot of food consumed.  SSYB and the community are doing their best to lighten the load for the Host Families and have donated quite a bit of food which we will be distributing. This will help you to be able to provide healthy and affordable food to keep them going.  

I only have room for one.  OR  I have a big house with room for 6?  OR  Can’t we use JBU’s dorms or the church gym to house the players?

Babe Ruth League has been using the Host Family program since the 1960s.  It started as an economic necessity, but has come to be one of the best parts of the Babe Ruth Baseball experience.  For the comfort and safety of all concerned, we are required to place at least 2 and no more then 4 boys per home.  We cannot house them in groups, due to lack of adequate supervision.  But most importantly, those boys and our host families would then miss out one of the most enriching experiences of their lives--gaining a new friend/family member from another part of the country that they would never had a chance to meet otherwise.   

Will I have to do their laundry?

Baseball players get dirty playing ball, so, yes, they will have a need for laundry.  However, hosts of a particular team can do all the uniforms at once if necessary.  We encourage the host families for a particular team to cooperate in all aspects, like car-pooling, dinner times, socializing, and yes, even laundry!

How long will they be here?

The players arrive on July 28th.  The games begin on July 29th and run thru Aug. 2nd.  It is a double-elimination bracket, which means the teams have to lose twice before they are eliminated.  Once they are eliminated, the teams have 24 hours to vacate the host homes.  If you are assigned to host what turns out to be the winning team, you could have your players in your home possibly for 5 or 6 nights.  Lucky you!   You will get to really know the players, and come to love them as your own.  If their parents are able to come to the tournament, you will make new friends, possibly for life.  If you are assigned a team that only plays two games, then you will only have players for 2 or 3 nights.  There is no way to tell which teams these will be.  We ask you to commit to the whole tournament, and do what is best for the players.  

How will they get to the games?

You will all load up as a family and drive them there, of course!  You are taking on the role of substitute parent while the players are staying in your home.  We encourage you to paint up your car windows, make posters, and wear t-shirts with your team’s name on it!  You can cheer with them in victory and console them in defeat.  We want you to come to the games and be the cheering section for your team, and show everyone how good sportsmanship is done in Siloam Springs.

Do we have to pay to get into the tournament?

No.  Host Families will get free tournament passes for the entire week.

Will I have to take off work for this?

Maybe.  Your players will need you to make sure they attend various events and games.  The orientation and check-in will be on Thursday July 28th at a time to be assigned.  There will need to be an adult from your family to greet your players at Sager Creek Community Church at the team’s appointed time and be prepared to transport them to your home to unpack and get settled in.  We will make sure you have all the information you need to get the players where they need to be on time.  If you find you have to take off work, please understand that we are immensely grateful to you for doing so.  We think you will find that it was worth it.

In lieu of a tournament banquet, all teams will be attending a Naturals ballgame at Arvest Stadium in Springdale on the evening of Thursday, July 28th.

YES you and your family are invited!  Host Families will receive two tickets.  If you happen to have a child, who is assigned to be a bat boy, he will also receive a ticket.  You will be responsible for transporting your assigned players to Arvest Ballpark. This event starts at 5:30 p.m., with a visit from Eric Edelstein and probably one of the Texas League Champions Northwest Arkansas Naturals.  There are also tickets for sale, for $10, if you would like to bring more members of your family.

Why can’t the players stay with their families in hotels?

Babe Ruth League values the cultural exchange afforded by the Host Family Program.  To avoid disruptions and confusion, and the possibility that a player may miss a practice or game, the host families will have “custody” of the players during the time they are staying in their homes.  That doesn’t mean the parents cannot see or visit with their children during the tournament.  In fact, we encourage Host Families to invite their player’s families to any social events that occur with their team.  But, according to Babe Ruth Player Guidelines, players are not allowed to be in the hotels.  

What are the consequences if one of my players breaks the rules?

Remember that these are serious athletes, who are at the age of looking forward to college.  Some of them may have college scouts looking at them during this tournament.  The standards of behavior for the players are high, and so are the consequences.  The most likely consequence for bad behavior on or off the field is to be disqualified from the tournament.  That is a serious deterrent for serious athletes.  The guidelines outlined by Babe Ruth League are to protect the players, but also to protect the Host Families, SSYB, and Babe Ruth League in case something does go wrong.  As a group, we will expect the best behavior from all involved, and we have no reason to doubt that all players, coaches, parents, hosts, and officials will rise to the occasion.  

My team was eliminated in two games.  Am I through with the tournament?

You can be if you need to be.  But we’d like you to consider filling in for the volunteers who still have a ways to go.  If that’s working the gate, the press box, the concession stand, or just updating the Facebook page, that will be a big help.  You can even just come to the games and cheer for your team’s rivals.  And the Championship Game is the exciting conclusion to all our hard work, and you won’t want to miss that.

Also, there will be a lot of clean up work to do after the tournament, to put the facility to bed for the season.  Trash pick-up, restroom cleaning, taking down decorations, etc.  Every little bit helps.