Avs in dire need of host families

PALMER — Brenda Luthi remembers how it felt when her teenage son Jake left home to play hockey in the United States Hockey League.

Jake was living in Sioux City, Iowa, far away from the Luthi family home in Alaska. Brenda Luthi, a mother of three, simply hoped her son was ready for this type of leap.

But Jake’s experience in Iowa was a success, thanks in part to his host family. With her own family’s experience in mind, for the last six years, Luthi has paid it forward as a host mother for the North American Hockey League’s Alaska Avalanche.

“You pray for a nice family,” Luthi said. “You ship your kids off and hope you taught them enough.”

Luthi has served as a host mother since the Valley-based Junior A hockey franchise debuted as the Wasilla Spirit in 2005 and will once again host Avalanche players this year. Even though local families such as the Luthis continue aid the team, Avalanche general manager Andrew Good said the organization is in desperate need for host families for the 2011-12 season.

Good said the host families are vital to the success of, not only the individual players, but also the team. The hosts provide a safe environment, Good said, but also a family atmosphere for 17, 18 or 19-year-olds who might be living far away from their own home for the first time.

“I love it,” Luthi said of the experience. “They’re really, really good guys. I’ve just treated them like one of my own.”

Luthi said she immediately sets three basic rules: be respectful in the house, to the house and to anyone in the house; pick up after yourself; and if you’re going to be late, let her know.

The team also has its own set of rules, which includes very strict curfews. According to the team’s billeting information, players are required to call the assistant coach from their host family’s home every evening before curfew. Good said players are also not allowed to have girlfriends at the home of their host family, and each player is expected to adhere to any household rules.

The team does have certain requirements for its host families, such as the ability to provide separate bedrooms and three balanced meals per day for the players. A monthly stipend of $300 per player is paid to the host family by the team to help cover food expenses.

In addition to the stipend, host families also receive one complimentary season ticket per player and a discount on team merchandise.

Host families are not required to provide daily transportation for the players, and players are responsible for expenses beyond the cost of food. Host families are also not responsible for providing electronics or entertainment items in the player’s room. That is at the discretion of the host family.

Players are also prohibited from making long distance phone calls at the expense of the host family.

Good said the organization prefers host families are in the general area of Palmer, but that is not a mandate.

Good also said being a host family does not mean the athlete will be at the home 24 hours per day, seven days per week.

“The boys are pretty busy,” Good said.

In addition to regular practices, Good said players are also responsible for doing work in the community and the MTA Palmer Ice Arena, the home rink of the Avalanche. If players have already graduated from high school, Good said, they will also be doing something to further their education.

The team will also have a group of temporary host families in case the regular host families have to be out of town during the season.

Luthi has hosted as many as five players at one time, but said hosting two is about the perfect number.

“Four or five, it felt like having a Boy Scout troop,” Luthi joked.

Luthi said it’s also important that the parents of the players know they are always welcome to check in with host families. It’s something that helped her when her own son was living with a host family.

“It really put my mind at ease,” Luthi said. “This is the voice of the person taking care of my kid for a year. Parents are welcome to call, email, anything.”

In addition to providing food and shelter, Luthi said it’s just good for the players to have someone here they can talk to.

“I feel like we provide a sounding board,” Luthi said. “They don’t have their parents here to talk to.”

Good said families who suddenly find themselves with more room as their own children are headed off to college or just out of the house are excellent candidates. He also encourages families with young hockey players to consider hosting an Avalanche player. Often, Good said, the junior hockey players end up helping out with the local youth hockey teams.

Those interested in potentially hosting an Avalanche player are asked to contact Good at 355-8031 or GenMgrAkAvalanche@gmail.com.

See akavs.com for more.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.