Written By: Merrick Parnell

The Bellingham Bells are gearing up for another baseball season in the West Coast League.  Around 35 players move to Bellingham and Whatcom County each season from their respective towns, colleges, and universities to play ball. Some people may or may not realize that many players and some team personnel live with host families in the area.

Every summer, these host families open their homes and hearts to young and eager ball players chasing their diamond dreams as members of the Bells. The role of host families is pivotal for the Bells as an organization.

“Without host families, housing 35 players would be cost prohibitive and make it hard for us to operate in our current model, where we try to keep games affordable for our community,” said Bells General Manager Stephanie Morrell.

She continued, “For these 18 to 21-year-old athletes, having a support system and a local connection is important, and the host families often make the summer special for the players by adding a special touch. Many players and their host families keep in touch for many years after the player leaves Bellingham,” she continued.

Lynn Cornwell has been hosting players for the past four seasons. She missed having her daughters at home, so when her nephew and his high school teammate came to play for the Bells, she gave it a shot.

“For me, the role of a host family is to provide support and encouragement and a comfortable family environment to a kid who may be far from home. 90% of these boys don’t have anyone caring about them in the stands. For my guys, I want to be that person in the stands,” Cornwell said.

“Another cool thing about hosting is the relationships I’ve built with people in the Bells program and other host families. It’s a program I’m proud to be involved with,” explained Cornwell.

In addition to giving back and creating lifelong relationships between the host families and the players and with the players’ families and other host families in the program, there are some other benefits for host families. Benefits include complimentary season tickets, invitations to special events and a discount on team merchandise.

For those interested in hosting Bells’ players this year, there is a process to get that started. Host families can apply with the front office and then take part in a casual interview and home visit process. The process takes a week or so to complete. They try to keep the process as simple as possible while keeping players safe and encourage anyone interested to start the conversation by filling out an application on the Bells’ website.

Requirements for hosting a player, as well as more details on the host family program, can be found on the Bells’ website.