ALBUQUERQUE – Hello Ice Wolves fans and welcome to a special summer edition of the Ice Wolves Den.
One thing I have learned about Junior Hockey over the last 2 seasons is the importance of host families. They are a vital part of the entire program and the Ice Wolves currently need host families. Host Family Coordinator Tina Tomlin explains, “We’re short some beds right now. I like to call them “beds” not homes because some families can host multiple players. So, currently we’re looking for 7 to 10 beds.” Tomlin said, “From my personal experience, you get the fulfillment of watching a player spend his youth getting to this moment, achieving their dream of playing college hockey. The ups and downs, the dedication. Seeing the struggle, but ultimately witnessing them reach that goal and knowing you played even a small part in it, there’s no better feeling.”
Tina and her husband Greg Bronson together are Host Family Coordinators, but they are also a host family and hosted former Ice Wolves goaltender Jackson Fuller and got to see him achieve his dream of playing Division 1 college hockey when he committed to Northern Michigan University. Greg explains the feeling for them when they got the news, “Jack was a really quiet guy and he had the biggest smile on his face. He wanted to wait until Tina got home to tell her in person. He’s a very calm young man, but he had the biggest smile. His reaction made our day. That moment made it all worth it.” Greg says, “Every player is different, there’s usually a transition period of about a week or so, then they just become part of your family. From sitting down for dinner together, or talking about things outside of hockey so they can disconnect a little, it gives them a safe space to be able to do that. Or talking to them about the Jets being better than the Wild. That’s a fun story, Jack is a huge Minnesota Wild fan and I’m a Winnipeg Jets fan. One day I changed the Wi-Fi to “Jets are better than Wild” so every time Jack logged in he had to see it.”
Tina says families with children shouldn’t worry, it can be a great experience for the children. “If you have kids who are into sports, you’re creating a big brother situation. It can show them the discipline of seeing the player waking up early and getting to practice on time every day. He eats healthy, it’s a really good young role model for young children.” Tina continues, “You do get a monthly stipend of $425 to help offset the expense. It’s not a ton of money, but through sponsors we try to get them other things like milk coupons, we host dinners to give them a break and there’s the road games to give them a break for a few days. Then there’s the teammates, your children get the chance to bond with the other players because it’s like your kids having their friends over. Your player may invite their teammates over and they end up playing with your children and creating this amazing bond together.”
Nicole Bazzano’s family hosts multiple players and it gives them a sense of community and helps build the sport, “You’re Helping the local community, and in New Mexico, you’re especially helping the local growing hockey community. These players can bring a positive impact to young children by seeing dedication and hard work. We get to be apart of a young man’s life as they work towards their hockey dreams. It’s a great opportunity to have an impact on their life but also add someone new to your family and have a life long relationship with them.” Bazzano continued, “Host families are vital because these players come from all over the world and it’s important to provide them a safe and supportive place to live while they are here. Without host families they would not have a grounded place to stay where they can get comfortable and focus on hockey.”
Even if you can’t host a player for the entire season, Nicole explains that they also need temporary homes. “Temp families are definitely needed. There are always players coming for tender visits throughout the season to meet and check out our organization, to see if it’s a right fit for both the player and the organization. It’s important to provide them a good host family also because it shows that the organization is dedicated to providing stable, supportive homes and to make the transition easy for them.” Bazzano said, “Something to consider is many of these players are still so young and have never left home before. So it can be hard to come to a new state you’ve never been to and live with someone you don’t know. The importance of making sure the player and host family are a good fit together is vital to making the organization and player successful. They do their best to match players based on needs and personalities to the right family that they can connect with because it’s so much more than just a place to live.”
If you are interested in becoming a host family, visit the Ice Wolves website at www.nmicewolves.com or www.3hlnmicewolves.com and click on the Host Family tab. If you’re not in the Albuquerque area but your town has a Junior Hockey team, reach out to your local team about becoming a host family.
Logo created by Sean Marion
Ice Wolves logo used with permission of the New Mexico Ice Wolves
Photos courtesy of Scott Adamson
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