Avs hockey: Host families provide a home away from home

April 1, 2007

By MATT TUNSETH/ Frontiersman

WASILLA - Raising teenagers isn't easy - especially when they're not even your own.

Junior hockey teams rely on community support to stay in operation, and a vital element of that support comes in the form of billet families, which feed and house players for the length of the seven-month season.

The Alaska Avalanche of Wasilla are no different. The Avs relied this season on more than 20 host families to take in players from as far away as Europe - and as different from Alaska as Dallas.

Challenges of bringing in a hockey player can range from keeping curfews to preparing the right pregame meal. But most families and players said the experience was a positive one.

&#8220There's an adjustment period, but once you get comfortable it's just like having another family,” Avalanche assistant captain Reid Rushing said of the experience.

Rushing, of Seattle, was housed with Russ and Carmen Hattenburg of Wasilla, who said they decided to become a host family both to support the team and learn more about the sport.

&#8220It really got us into the game of hockey,” Carmen Hattenburg said.

The Hattenburgs have teenagers of their own - a 18-year-old son and 16-year-old daughter - and said Rushing fit right into the family.

The biggest challenge, Carmen Hattenburg said, was making sure Rushing always got the right pregame meal.

&#8220He was pretty much a chicken and oatmeal eater,” she said.

The Hattenburgs' daughter, Shelby, said it took a couple weeks to get used to having another member of the family around. Once Rushing got settled in, she said, he became just like a brother.

&#8220The first couple weeks was really odd, but it got fun,” she said. &#8220He'd come to my soccer games, go to the movies, stuff like that.”

Shelby Hattenburg said she did take some ribbing from her friends at school for having an athletic, 19-year-old male under the same roof.

&#8220Reid has a great body, so everyone at school was like, ‘your billet brother is so cute,'” she said. &#8220I'm like, ‘no, it's just Reid.'”

Reasons for getting involved with the billet program can range from wanting some extra company to a desire to support local hockey.

Billet parents Steve and Susan Elwell have two sons who play hockey, and said their desire to help the sport grown in the Valley led them to bring in a third, California forward Jared McIntosh.

&#8220We just wanted to support hockey in Mat-Su,” Steve Elwell said. &#8220It's all about hockey.”

Sue Elwell said McIntosh was great around the house, helping out and serving as a mentor to the family's two boys.

&#8220It was very positive,” she said. &#8220Better than I dreamed.”

Avalanche general manager Keith Morris said being able to house players with families in the area is vital to keeping junior hockey in the area.

&#8220They're outstanding people,” Morris said. &#8220It's a real tremendous service they do for our organization.”

Avalanche players hail from 13 different states and three foreign countries, including Poland, Sweden and Canada. Having a good family to watch over the players - which range in age from 18 to 21 - is important, both for the team as well as the players' families back home.

Mike and LeaAnn Yost of Dallas, Texas have a son, Jarrod, on the team. On Friday, they said having their son so far away was difficult, but knowing Jarrod was in a good home gave them piece of mind.

&#8220When Jarrod left it was one of the worst days of my life,” Mike Yost said.

The Yosts said they kept in contact with Jarrod and also got to know billet family Bill and Melody Fletcher.

&#8220We're very fortunate to have someone so nice looking after him,” Mike Yost said.

LeaAnn Yost said they've hosted players in their home before, and know the sacrifices and challenges that go with accepting a stranger into the family.

&#8220You are opening up your home for someone,” she said.

Mike Yost said billet families are special because they're willing to take that step into the unknown.

&#8220It's not like fishing, you can't throw them back,” he said.

Overall, he said he's found the experience - both as a billet father and father of a billeted son - to be rewarding.

&#8220When they leave it's like losing one of your own,” he said.

Contact Matt Tunseth at 352-2265 or matt.tunseth@

frontiersman.com