Clippers' Billet Family FAQ
Q: Why should I house a Nanaimo Clippers hockey player?
A: It’s an experience you will treasure for a lifetime. For many of these players, it is their first time away from home. You can provide them with a welcoming and comfortable environment to make sure they have a great experience. Secondly, the players will impact your family’s lives. If you have children, many times the player will serve as a great role model for your kids. Billeting is also a really good fit for people without children or whose children have grown up and moved out of the house. The billet experience is typically a great experience for both the families and the players.
Q: What do we need to provide as a billet family?
A: A “home away from home” - A personal space including a bed, internet access, and a comfortable/ supportive living environment. Daily meals consisting of nutritious food is also a must as they are high-calibre athletes.
Q: What does my family get in return?
A: You will receive a monthly stipend of $600/ month in the form of both cash and grocery store gift cards, and season tickets for all direct family members living in your household, among many other discounts and perks!
Q: Will they need rides?
A: The players are responsible for driving themselves or arranging their own rides with a teammate. Nanaimo Clippers players are between the ages of 16-20. Many of the players will have their own car and the players that do not, will have the help of their teammates for rides.
Q: Can we house more than one player?
A: Yes. This is up to you, as many billet families like having more than one player in their home while many others like just having one.
Q: How are players assigned?
A: The billet families and the players will each fill out a questionnaire regarding the specifics of what they are looking for in this experience. The culmination of this information will be used to assemble profiles for both the billet families and the players. The questionnaire, combined with the billet coordinator’s knowledge of each family and player, are used to pair players with families that we believe will be a good fit.
Q: What are the rules that players need to follow?
A: The Nanaimo Clippers have an extensive rule book for the players to follow with their housing families. The players will be expected to follow any additional house/ family rules that you have. These players are moving away from home and are very serious about pursuing hockey at the higher levels. They understand that breaking team rules can significantly hinder their dreams of playing college/ professional hockey someday.
Q: What are the players’ typical schedules like?
A: The players are kept quite busy. Their week consists of daily on-ice practices, video sessions, and team workouts. The Nanaimo Clippers play nearly every weekend throughout the season with the occasional game on a weekday. When the players aren’t focussing on their on- and off-ice training they are taking part in community events and initiatives. Some of the players are also enrolled in high school or university courses.
Q: How long am I responsible for billeting a player?
A: You will be responsible to billet players for the 2023/24 season (and playoffs). 2023 players will be arriving at the beginning of September and the regular season ends March 2024. Playoffs can run through mid-to-late May.
