The V.I. Raiders have a lot of things in place for this coming season. Now they just need to make sure their players can get a few home-cooked meals and a good night’s sleep.
Nanaimo’s junior football team is seeking billet families.
“We’re struggling this year; it’s weird, but we’re bringing in a lot more kids than expected this year,” said Glenn Cook, Raiders general manager.
The team pays to cover the players’ room and board from the start of July until November.
“Basically all you’ve got to do is give them a room and some food in the fridge and they’re on their own,” Cook said.
He said most of the players will have work or school in the daytimes, practice or games five days a week and then a workout another day, so they’re out and about most of the week.
In between those practices and games, though, there are chances for connections to form between players and their billet families.
“What ends up happening is they become part of your family,” Cook said, pointing out that there are players from the Raiders’ championship seasons from a decade ago who still come back to town and visit and even stay with their billet families.
“They become like your kids’ mentors. They’re good kids,” he said.
He said most of the players have cars, so any location can work for billet homes.
“We even have a couple in Ladysmith right now,” said Cook.
For information, please call 250-616-8053.