What Is It Really Like to Host a Springfield Drifters Player?
Local host families open their homes to collegiate baseball players each summer—and the experience can become about much more than simply providing a place to sleep.
The Springfield Drifters play their home games at Hamlin Sports Complex in Springfield.
The Springfield Drifters are a local collegiate wood-bat baseball team that plays its home games at Hamlin Sports Complex, located at Hamlin Middle School in Springfield.
The players are college athletes who come from different communities and schools to spend their summer playing baseball. Because not every player is local, many rely on Springfield-area host families for housing during the season.
I recently had the opportunity to talk with several host families while attending a Drifters game, and I was curious to hear what the experience was really like.
Every family I spoke with had positive things to say about welcoming a player into their home.
Their Biggest “Complaint”? The Players Are Hardly Ever Home
Between working out, practicing, playing games and traveling with the team, the players have very full schedules.
Host families provide players with a private bedroom and access to a bathroom, which can be shared. And, let’s be honest—we are talking about college-aged baseball players. They are generally pretty independent.
Host-family housing can include an extra bedroom or even a travel trailer located on the property.
Hosting can give families a unique connection to the team and the summer baseball experience.
“It Was Just Like Having Another Son”
Sarah has hosted five Springfield Drifters players over the past four years and has absolutely loved the experience.
She described hosting as “just like having another son.”
Sarah is still in contact with one former player who attended the University of Oregon before transferring to another school. Before he transferred, she continued inviting him over for Sunday dinners.
Sarah has three boys of her own, and hosting players has allowed her family to spend many summer days together at the ballpark. It has also given her children college athletes to look up to.
She shared that having players in their home has helped instill strong life goals in her children and encouraged them to see what can happen when someone works hard to achieve a dream.
The players even inspired her boys to make their beds.
Parents, you understand how impressive that part is!
More Than a Place to Stay
Hosting a player can be about much more than simply providing a bedroom for the summer.
It can give local families an inside look at collegiate summer baseball, introduce children to positive role models and create relationships that continue long after the baseball season ends.
Of course, every family and every player will have a different experience. But the families I spoke with genuinely enjoyed opening their homes and becoming part of the Drifters community.
Summer baseball can create special memories both on and off the field.
Could Your Family Host a Player?
Have you ever considered becoming a Springfield Drifters host family?
Maybe you have an extra bedroom—or even a travel trailer sitting unused in your backyard. That space could provide a college athlete with a local home during a future Drifters season.
Interested in hosting or still have questions?
Reach out to the Springfield Drifters to learn more about becoming a host family.
Macaroni KID Eugene was invited to learn more about the Springfield Drifters and their host-family program. Experiences and housing arrangements may vary by player and family.
