Host Family Appreciation

One of the families in my program was treated to elaborate home-made sushi made by their player's parents. That stands out most in my mind! I've hosted players for six years, occasionally gotten a care package, but usually nothing from parents. Not a big deal, but now that you're posting this question... hey! Where's my loot! ;-)

Anything from your son's college program would probably be great... sweatshirt, etc... especially if your son's host family has a baseball-playing son.

LHPMom

quote:

Originally posted by spizzlepop:
For those with sons staying with a host family this summer, how did you show your appreciation?

For those who are hosting or have hosted players, what form of appreciation has been most memorable? Any gifts or stories that stand out?

Great question!

Love the Sushi idea...We've not been very creative....Usually a couple bottles of Good Local CA wine for the parents...Gift certificates for the Kids to Coldstone...a nice card expressing our appreciation.

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It is a good question.

Our son had 2 different host families on the Cape going back a couple of years. In both cases, we fully outfitted them and their kids with gear (t-shirts, sweatshirts, caps) from the 'evil empire.'

Will be back to see older son in the Midwest in a couple of weeks. Need to think of something before we go...so I'll be reading this thread with great interest.

My son just got back from the NECBL last night. In my book his host family were Saints.

We helped our son with a couple ways of saying thank you. His gift to them was a "commerative poster" of his season which he inscribed with a writen personal thank you message. We just completed a thank you card made up of photo's that we took of our son with his host family during our trip back east. It was printed as an oversized postcard which he signed and sent off to them.

We also made a point of taking his entire host family out to a nice dinner when my wife and I came to see him play.

IL: I'd say everyone had a right fine summer and you hit that jackpot with those photos and note.

Son did not get a host family for 2 weeks so bunked @ the owners house with 5 other guys. He and another boy were then placed with an incredibly wonderful host family. I think these families that agree to take in strangers are the greatest people in the world. Luckily host family has 2 teen-age daughters (away @ college) and a 16 yr old baseball player son. These people know how teens "roll" and were fine with the boys getting home from game @ 10pm, showering, and going out for dinner. Families with small kids would not have allowed this.

The boys were treated to many steak dinners by host family (incredible cooks). They got to go wakeboarding (hmm.....probably didn't tell coach) at the lake house of the host family. Went to the state fair several times, etc. Truly treated like their own kids.

We went to several games and each time took a basket of goodies for host family. Basket usually had a couple bottles of wine, and some other goodies.

At the end of season made another big basket with goodies. I made a baseball shaped stepping stone for their garden, more bottles of good wine, hat from our area for the host son.

Between working out @ a really nice local gym (free), going out to great meals @ local restaurants, surfing on off days, tubing & wakeboarding, oh and games, son had a great time this summer. I can't imagine future summers will be so much fun as he goes off to different leagues.

And it was suggested by the team owner to give the host family some $ every week for feeding the player. We more than got our monies worth. The family was happy to have some buddies for their son for the summer. This family had never hosted players and said they had such a good time with the boys and going to games, that they will do this again next summer for the league.