Otters seek host families for 2020 season

The Evansville Otters are seeking local individuals and households interested in joining the host family program and hosting an Otters player for the 2020 season.

When players decide to continue their baseball career in independent baseball, many travel from across the country to play in the Frontier League. This means that they are hours away from friends and family members. For this reason, when they arrive in Evansville, they look for a touch of home to make them feel welcome. One way the community “adopts” the players is by serving as host families during the season. Families provide housing, as well as a support system, for the player(s) they host.

“Host families are big contributors to the success of the Evansville Otters organization,” Otters host family coordinator Sally Smith said.

“Families provide room and board for players from late April through Labor Day, which allows players to focus on their professional baseball careers in Evansville.”

Players need their own bedroom, but multiple players can share a bedroom. Some families house one player, and others house multiple players for the season.

The Evansville Otters are asking families to take players for both the season and for the two-week Spring Training period, April 29 through May 13.

“Spring Training is a great opportunity to see if the host family program is the right fit for your family and to help the team with short-term needs,” Smith said.

The regular season starts May 14 and ends around Labor Day. In the case of potential postseason play for the Evansville Otters, host families will be needed through late September.

The Evansville Otters are currently taking host family applications for the 2020 season.

Host families and players are asked to complete a questionnaire before they are matched, and this enables the organization to match a player with the appropriate family.

Once an application is reviewed, a home interview is set to verify the family is a good fit for the program.

The Otters do everything they can to ensure a suitable match is made for both the player and family.

“Many of the players and their host families have long-lasting relationships,” Smith said. “Every family has a unique experience based on the personality of the players, but also the makeup of the family. Being a host family for the Evansville Otters is a great way to volunteer with an established organization in our community, while supporting a player in his drive to play professional baseball.”

Participants in the host family program receive benefits as an expression of gratitude on behalf of the Evansville Otters for their support.