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Date: 8/3/2021
HOLYOKE – A junior hockey team new to the area is seeking help from the community to ensure their players have a home throughout the season.
Coach of the Bay State Bobcats Anthony Langevin said the team was previously based in upstate New York, but moved to Holyoke last year. “We were in Elmira for a year and then the previous six years we were in Binghamton,” he said. “In Elmira we were the Junior Soaring Eagles and played out of the [Elmira] College. [When] we played in Chenango we were the Binghamton Junior Senators.”
Langevin explained the reason the team moved was due to the long commute they were making to play opposing teams. “The majority of teams in our league and division were in New England. It used to be six hours of travel, but now is one and a half hours,” he said.
The team, he explained, plays a 47-game schedule that begins in September with their training camp and goes until the middle of March. Langevin said while they saw an increase in New England-based players with the move, the team is host to many players who live on the West Coast, “hence looking for host families.”
He said the team, which consists of players from the ages of 16 to 20, is comprised of players who aspire to play collegiate-level hockey one day. “For the most part it’s older players on their gap year between high school and college,” he said. However, there were some younger players on the team, who partook in online schooling throughout the season.
Last season, Langevin explained, a significant number of players lived in apartments, however this year families of players were requesting players stay with local families. “Lots of kids stayed in apartments, but families, especially with 16 and 17-year-old kids, want to have them in a family-type atmosphere,” he said.
At the time he spoke with Reminder Publishing, Langevin said they were still in need of four to five host families. While the team plays at the Fitzpatrick Ice Skating Rink at 575 Maple St., he said host families could be based out of any surrounding community in Western Massachusetts.
“They could live anywhere, one host family lives in Sturbridge, so they could really live anywhere around the area,” he said.
Langevin said host families could take in anywhere from one to four players, depending on their circumstances, and were asked to supply very little for players throughout the season.
He explained that players were responsible for their own transportation, so host families were only asked to provide meals and a bedroom for the player to sleep in. He said families who host players are awarded a $500 stipend to assist with any extra costs they may incur, and were given season tickets to the team’s home games as well.
“We’re looking for between four to five [host families.] I live in South Hadley and I take in four players myself. Host families could take in anywhere from one to four kids depending on the situation,” he said.
Players report to their host families' homes beginning on Sept. 6 and the players’ season begins with training camp on Sept. 8. Langevin said once the season is over in March, the players return home and the host family's obligation ends.
Those interested in hosting players can contact Langevin at nvwhockey@aol.com or visit the Bay State Bobcats website at https://www.rollcats.com/billet-families for more information.