VBL teams need host families

STAUNTON, Va. (WVIR) - Baseball teams in the Shenandoah Valley are preparing for the upcoming season, and many are still searching for housing for players.

“We need probably 25 more beds,” Chesley Mullins with the Charlottesville Tom Sox said.

“Probably need about 20 beds,” Lance Mauck with the Staunton Braves said.

The next generation of baseball talent comes to town from college all across the country every summer. Teams like Tom Sox and Braves rely on host families to make the season a success.

“We’re a nonprofit organization and we look for that to survive, and without it it’d be hard to survive,” Mauck said.

“These are nice, young men that come from all over the country. They’re driven and passionate about playing baseball, they’re well-vetted, there’s never any behavior issues,” Mullins said. “Just getting over that hump of having someone in your house, you know, feels intimidating to people but it’s really fun.”

All these players need is a bed, access to a kitchen, and laundry. The lifelong bond is an added bonus.

“Kids we’ve had from the first summer, you know, now are they’ve graduated college, they’ve gotten married,” Mullins said. “We’ve got one baby on the way for a former player.”

“I’d be willing to say about half of them probably end up going to the person’s wedding, because there’s nothing but good experiences that come from it,” Mauck said.

The season starts in June.

If you would like to host a Charlottesville Tom Sox player contact Chesley Mullins at hostfamily@tomsox.org.

If you would like to host a Staunton Braves player contact Lance Mauck at 443-250-2657.

RELATED STORIES:

Copyright 2022 WVIR. All rights reserved.

Do you have a story idea? Send us your news tip here.