Do you have room for another member of the family this junior B hockey season?
The Comox Valley Glacier Kings are hoping that’s the case.
Head coach and general manager, Mike Nesbitt, says they definitely need more families to step up and take in players, ranging from 15 to 20 years old.
“We start main camp this weekend, so I could have four or five kids coming in. I need, probably about, six beds if I can get them. We’ve got a place they can stay temporarily but it would be nice to get them into a family home.”
Nesbitt promises that it will be a good experience for the families.
“It’s rewarding, these guys almost become like your son, and you get to be involved and watch them play hockey, and it’s helping the community,” Nesbitt said. “We’re trying to build a good hockey team. In order to bring back the Comox Valley Glacier Kings as a championship team, we need the community’s help.”
You must be able to provide a furnished room, or rooms, bathroom, and meals and, preferably, should live in the Comox Valley area.
“We’d like the kids to have, tops, a 20-minute drive to the rink,” Nesbitt said.
Billet families receive $600 a month, per billet.
The players will be living with their billets from now until March.
Nesbitt said the players have to follow certain rules away from the rink, in order to stick with the team.
“There will be curfews (enforced) on game nights and stuff like that,” he explained. “We practise at 7:45 in the morning. So whatever the rules of the house (are), the kids have to abide by them. We also have team rules as well.”
He added that finding billets has been an ongoing challenge, only made worse by the pandemic.
“Especially when COVID hit, it took a lot of billet parents away from us. We have to be double vaccinated, every member of the team and any fan that comes to the rink, by Oct. 29th (and) everybody has to have their first shot by Sept. 13th.”
For more information, or if you’re interested or know anyone that might be interested, call Nesbitt at 403-550-7926.
