Local families step up to the plate

For one week, Anne Craig will play mother to about 15 teenagers who will play with the Napanee, Ont., Express in the Canadian midget boys' softball championship, which begins Sunday morning at Prime Ministers' Park in Prince Albert.

"We're the host family for the team," said Craig, referring to her husband, Sheldon, and their two children, Connor and Kimberley. "We're somebody they can come to if they have questions."

Her family will meet the Express at the Saskatoon airport and come back to Prince Albert with them in a bus commissioned to transport the team, help them settle into their hotel and be their guide while they're in town for the nationals.

The Craig family is one of several families volunteering as hosts for the teams making their way to the city this weekend. The families will not only help the teams arrive and settle in, but also serve as a a cheering section for their games, and even take them around town and the nearby regions to see what the area has to offer.

Craig said her family first volunteered for the post during the last Canadian championship tournament in Prince Albert, held in 2006. The family took the team, which was also from Ontario, to both Candle Lake and Waskesiu, as well as to various places around town. They also hosted the players at their home for a barbecue, which they plan to do again with their new team.

"The last time, the boys were coming over to use the Internet and call home," Craig said. "It's more of a home environment for them."

One of the key reasons Craig said she wanted to involve her family in hosting a team was for her children to get a chance to experience volunteering and helping others when they need it. The family also admits to being fans of the game, with son Connor serving as a batboy for the team they're hosting.

Although there's a lot of work for the family to do during the course of the week, Craig said the returns are plentiful as a result of their time helping the team.

"It's an opportunity to meet other people," she said. "We've made lifelong friends with the players."

kjarvis@paherald.sk.ca