Parents of players on the Host Team are subject to the same responsibilities of those of Host Families.

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1 Parents, Many of you may not be aware that Ocala, once again, has the fortunate opportunity to host another World Series. This August, the Babe Ruth fields at the Rotary Sports Complex will host the 14 and under World Series. Obviously as a park, city, and community, we are excited once again about this opportunity. As with any special event there comes a lot of work and preparation to make it a success. We are in need of families that would be willing to Host players that will be coming from all over the country to play in this prestigious event. At this age group Babe Ruth League allows teams to choose between staying in Hotels or with Host families. Babe Ruth League has used this program for many years and it has been a huge success. Please review the information below and let us know if you have any questions or would be willing to be considered to take part in this exciting opportunity. Host Family Guidelines Babe Ruth League NOTE: Selection of Host Families, as well as the assignment of players to the Host Family homes, must be done without discrimination. Parents of players on the Host Team are subject to the same responsibilities of those of Host Families. 1. TRANSPORTATION a. Host Families shall meet and greet teams upon arrival. b. Host Families shall make certain that the players are at all of the scheduled events (Banquet, Opening Ceremonies, and all special functions).

2 2. MEALS c. Host families shall make certain that the players are in uniform at their scheduled Tournament game (1) hours prior to the designated game starting time. d. Host Families will transport players to and from practice unless the Team Manager makes arrangements and notifies Host Families of the change. Transportation problems shall be discussed with the Team Manager a. Host Families shall provide (3) substantial meals for the players each day. b. Please remember, adjustments to players eating habits may have to be made according to the Tournament games and practice schedule. c. Inform all players to advise you if their presence will not be possible for a particular meal period. Check each day s schedule to avoid confusion. d. Cookouts, picnics, swimming parties, etc., for players, managers, coaches, parents and Host Parents are permitted as long as they are approved by the Team Manager and do not conflict with the game or practice schedule. 2. SUPERVISION a. Advice the players staying with you that the Regional Tournament curfew regulations stipulate that they must be home one (1) hour after the last day s scheduled activity or Tournament game. b. If an event or game goes beyond 12:00 midnight, all team members shall return directly to their Host Family homes. There will be no one (1) hour grace period. c. In the event a player will be detained by the Manager or Host Family after the one (1) hour curfew, one group must notify the other. d. Players shall not remain out after the one (1) hour curfew without both the manager and Host Family s permission and knowledge. e. Host Families shall advise and receive permission from the Team Manager to take players on a special trip or outing. f. Obtain the location of Team Managers and Coaches hotel. Get their correct name and room numbers along with their cell phone numbers. The Host Family Chairperson or Babe Ruth Tournament Director will be able to assist you with this. g. In the event a player becomes ill or injured, contact the Team Manage and Babe Ruth Tournament Director at once. h. Team Managers together with the Host Family Chairperson will determine at his team s elimination if the player will remain in their Host Homes until the next morning or leave the Host Homes. The entire team will be required to do the same (stay one more night or go with the Team Manager). The Babe Ruth

3 Tournament Director must approve any other arrangements. All teams should be removed no later than noon, following the day of elimination from the Tournament. Teams using a bus or other outside transportation should make arrangements for the transportation to be available upon elimination from the Tournament. o ATTENTION: In the event of unauthorized absence or unusual situation, immediately call the Host Family Chairperson or the Babe Ruth Tournament Director. Host Family Frequently Asked Questions Fast Facts: Who: Baseball players aged 14 and under, coming from across the United States. What: Babe Ruth League 14U World Series Where: Rotary Sports Complex When: August 15th-22nd Why: Teams from the across the nation have completed their district, state, and regional tournaments to qualify for the opportunity to participate in the 14 yearold World Series. The winner of this tournament will be national champions for the 14 and under age division. I d like to host some players, but... I don t think my house is big enough... No one expects to have luxury accommodations while they re here, and we don t expect you to provide them. Think bunking party. If you have a spare bedroom to offer, that s great! If you don t, an air mattress on the floor of the den and comfortable bedding is all that is needed. The boys will be busy playing ball and tired out when their heads hit the pillow. I have daughters, not sons, so I don t know much about 14-year-old boys. What do they like to do? How will I keep them busy? First, the players will be busy. When they are not playing in a game, they will be practicing with their coach, or scouting the other teams. When they re not at the ballpark, they will be sleeping and eating. What time there will be for socializing will likely be spent with the other host families on your team. As a team, we encourage you take them bowling, or to the movies or some other entertaining place that will not tire them out too much. That s why swimming is out. Most coaches do not allow their players to swim before games. The Player Guidelines passed down by Babe Ruth League forbid the players from taking part in any potentially dangerous activity, such as 4-wheeler riding. What if one of them gets hurt while they re in my home? Every person involved with the tournament is covered by insurance carried by Babe Ruth League. The Host Family guidelines will have detailed information about what to do if this occurs. The first thing to do is not to panic. The second thing is to call the Host Family coordinators. Their contact information will be in the packet you receive at check in.

4 Also, it is imperative that players, along with your own children, are properly supervised at all times. They may not be left alone without adult supervision in the home at any time, even though they are 13 and big enough to care for themselves. The more time you spend with the players as a family, the more fun it will be for you and the boys; the less chance there is for accidents or behavior issues. Don t teenage boys eat a lot? Some do, some don t. These are athletes at the peak of their game, so it is likely you will see a lot of food consumed. I only have room for one. OR, I have a big house with room for 6? Babe Ruth League has been using the Host Family program since the 1960s. It started as an economic necessity, but has come to be one of the best parts of the Babe Ruth Baseball experience. For the comfort and safety of all concerned, we are required to place at least 2 and no more than 4 boys per home. We cannot house them in groups, due to lack of adequate supervision. But most importantly, those boys and our host families would then miss out one of the most enriching experiences of their lives--gaining a new friend/family member from another part of the country that they would never had a chance to meet otherwise. Will I have to do their laundry? Baseball players get dirty playing ball, so, yes, they will have a need for laundry. However, hosts of a particular team can do all the uniforms at once if necessary. We encourage the host families for a particular team to cooperate in all aspects, like car-pooling, dinner times, socializing, and yes, even laundry! How long will they be here? The players arrive on August 13th. The games begin on August 15 th and run thru Aug. 22nd. It is a Pool play bracket, which means the teams will play a minimum of 4 games before possibly being eliminated. Once they are eliminated, the teams have 24 hours to vacate the host homes. If you are assigned to host what turns out to be the winning team, you could have your players in your home possibly for 7 or 8 nights. Lucky you! You will get to really know the players, and come to love them as your own. If their parents are able to come to the tournament, you will make new friends, possibly for life. There is no way to tell which teams will advance out of pool play. We ask you to commit to the whole tournament, and do what is best for the players. How will they get to the games? You will all load up as a family and drive them there, of course! You are taking on the role of substitute parent while the players are staying in your home. We encourage you to paint up your car windows, make posters, and wear t-shirts with your team s name on it! You can cheer with them in victory and console them in defeat. We want you to come to the games and be the cheering section for your team, and show everyone how good sportsmanship is done in Ocala. Do we have to pay to get into the tournament? No. Host Families will get free tournament passes for the entire week.

5 Will I have to take off work for this? Maybe. Your players will need you to make sure they attend various events and games. The orientation and check-in will be on August 14th at a time to be assigned. There will need to be an adult from your family to greet your players at the team s appointed time at a location in Ocala and be prepared to transport them to your home to unpack and get settled in. We will make sure you have all the information you need to get the players where they need to be on time. If you find you have to take off work, please understand that we are immensely grateful to you for doing so. We think you will find that it was worth it. Why can t the players stay with their families in hotels? Babe Ruth League values the cultural exchange afforded by the Host Family Program. To avoid disruptions and confusion, and the possibility that a player may miss a practice or game, the host families will have custody of the players during the time they are staying in their homes. That doesn t mean the parents cannot see or visit with their children during the tournament. In fact, we encourage Host Families to invite their player s families to any social events that occur with their team. But, according to Babe Ruth Player Guidelines, players are not allowed to be in the hotels. What are the consequences if one of my players breaks the rules? Remember that these are serious athletes, who are at the age of looking forward to college. Some of them may have college scouts looking at them during this tournament. The standards of behavior for the players are high, and so are the consequences. The most likely consequence for bad behavior on or off the field is to be disqualified from the tournament. That is a serious deterrent for serious athletes. The guidelines outlined by Babe Ruth League are to protect the players, but also to protect the Host Families, ORS, and Babe Ruth League in case something does go wrong. As a group, we will expect the best behavior from all involved, and we have no reason to doubt that all players, coaches, parents, hosts, and officials will rise to the occasion. My team was eliminated in pool play. Am I through with the tournament? You can be if you need to be. But we d like you to consider filling in for the volunteers who still have a ways to go. If that s working the gate, the press box, the concession stand, or just updating the Facebook page, that will be a big help. You can even just come to the games and cheer for your team s rivals. And the Championship Game is the exciting conclusion to all our hard work, and you won t want to miss that.