Families Sought To Host Pro Baseball Players In Their Homes

A new pro baseball team is looking for families willing to play host to ballplayers who need a local home for the season.

The Rockland Boulders, a Can-Am League team that begins playing at a new baseball stadium in Pomona in June, is seeking  community members to participate in their Host Family Program this season. The program allows families to invite players into their homes for the duration of spring training, the regular season and through the playoffs in September.

“Host families are key to the success of the team,” said Dave LaPoint, manager of the Rockland Boulders. “They make the community a part of us and us a part of the community.”

The team says host families are under no obligation to provide transportation or meals to their adoptive player, however, generous families willing to do so are highly sought after. 

“I’ve built great relationships with my past host families,” said John Muller, one of Rockland’s pitchers.  "I still keep in contact with them.  It’s a cool experience.”

The Boulders require potential host families provide information regarding their living situation including the number of people living in the household, the ages of family members, the number and types of pets owned, and the location of the household.  This information is used to place players in the best possible living situation for all parties involved. 

The team says host families will also have a unique opportunity to see a behind-the-scenes look of professional baseball and become a part of their hosted player’s dream. Although the players are professional baseball players, the team is not affiliated with any Major League Baseball team or minor league operation.

“Every experience I’ve had was great,” said Boulders’ pitcher Casey Hodges.  “Our host families come to our game and their kids look up to us as role models.”

For information about becoming a host family, call 845-364-0009 or check out to www.rocklandboulders.com.
The team kicks opens at home on June 16 at the new stadium that has been built in Pomona, just off the Palisades Interstate Parkway. Today, the team announces that Montebello-based Provident Bank is the new major sponsor of the stadium.