A parent's perspective about the billet system at OHA:"At OHA most (not all) of the billets do it for the money. They don't support the players in that almost all of them NEVER come to the games or any events with the players. I know for fact there have been times when they keep up to three boys and limit the amount and kind of food the players get. It's not all the billets, but most of them. The billet fees are about 3 times what they are here in the states. We have billeted players here in the USA the last two years and it is a labor of love. We get $250 a month which wouldn't even begin to pay the guys grocery bill much less all the other expenses. Billeting should never be done for money, yet as a love of the game and player. Billets should provide the kind of environment for players that is a home, not just a place for them to sleep and occasionally eat a crappy meal. Their billet situation has been a gong show at OHA for a long time just like most all their organizational skills. For what they charge your player should be treated a hell of a lot better than what they get. The school is to blame for this in that they are ultimately accountable for it. The only reason my son had a great billet and had it good was because those guys thought they would soak me for a wad of money during the upcoming years and he would stay on. They weren't all that hard to figure out. I find it interesting there are quite a number of people who have been abused by these guys. I also think it good that people come out and make it known to others."
19 comments:
Why don't you evaluate the coaching staff at OHA one by one, the way they evaluate our kids? Start with Randy Jaycock whose resume claiming to have played in the NHL is complete, total bullshit! Isn't that fraud?
Randy Jaycock didn't play a game in the NHL, but he backed up a lot. When he was backing up they didn't record that as an NHL game played. Unfortunate that it didn't record this so we could see how many games he actually did spend in the NHL, but it was a significant number from what i recall.
well i billeted my kids at a summer camp and had to pay 800.00 a month and he had to buy his own lunch and often had macdonalds for supper. I have see the upside to good billets and you cant blame OHA for all the bad billeting becasue it happens to JUNIOR A and B players also.....that is hockey unfortunately So when you are not happy with a billet family you should report it right away instead of waiting how else do they know if you DON"T
I had a kid eat me out of house and home and wasted food 500.00 doesn't cut it hope it wasn't your kid becasue if my kids billets and someones house and wastes food like that I will kick his ass
I know for a fact that the billet fees do not even begin to cover the cost of food for the kids. Food in Canada is way more than in the US. This may explain why its costs so much at OHA
We were a billet family becasue our kids love hockey. You definately don't billet to make money becasue 500.00 doesn't feed a teenage hockey player.
I think the last post hit it on the head. You don't billet because you hope there's money leftover after the kids done eating. Most people that are good billets realize that you do it for the experience for your family and the player. I've billeted for many years for junior hockey players and recently for midget players. Trust me I spend every cent and then some on the boys and wouldn't have it any other way. I love watching these boys grow into young men and see where their lives take them. I've had very positive experiences with OHA players and will continue billeting them for years to come.
Someon told me that a few of the Penticton kids at OHA took in billets to offset the fees, so it doesn't sound like every teenager eats $500 a month.
Believe me there have been billets who made money off billeting in taking 3 boys and limited their intake to poor food. Most people know billeting is not about making money, yet OHA has had billets that actually try and make money off of it. They need to do a lot better job of getting billets who are more involved with the boys. Most of the billets don't even come watch the guys play ANY games much less most of them.
Hey look at their billet coordinator Daryl. The whole freakin team hates her for being such a b..ch with the boys and parents alike. Barb Almrud was fantastic and was there from the very beginning, but she suddenly left when they turned the whole program unside down a couple of years ago. Nothing was ever said about here just being gone one day. She always told me what a cheap skate Andy Oakes was in not paying her anything while those guys are living the life. Typical OHA screwing the help including Blake Wesley, Robert Dirk, and most of the little people.
Anybody know the real reason Barb left a couple of years ago? Something happened because she was going to stay the season. She started out and then left a few weeks into the season. After being there so long that was strange. She is a really good person. I think she probably saw what was about to happen. Right after that everything blew up at OHA and it's been down the tubes ever since.
You people are as ignorant as it comes. Barb left early because her replacement was ready to take over, and she was having some health issues. Her slated date to retire was october and she retired in september. Might need to get a few more facts straight, cheap skates? Ask Barb what Andy got her for retiring? I sure did, he bought her a trip to Germany to see her son. Again another ignorant post by people that think they know what's going on. Also on that note, Barb was never the billet coordinator, she was the academy administrator, Kevin Goodwin was the billet coordinator.
Billetting.
We trust our children to complete strangers and believe me it is not a good scene with OHA. Yes OHA has major problems getting billet families they advertise for months in the local papers, Daryl -the billet coordintaor is a lying 2 faced you know what. Many good families won't deal with the academy simply because of her. What a shame. Yes some families are begged to take 3 or even 4 boys, because of the shortage of billet homes. Food is frquently limited (especially in Daryls home when she has to take in some boys), -food is very limited and the boys end up going hungry, eating at friends houses or asking their parents to send more money. Many billet families are in it for the money as little as they may actually make on the boys as $500.00 doesn't cover much as it is. But cereal for supper 2-3 times per week, sickening. Yip you can make money that way. And yes it happens. Do you think that Daryl the billet coordinator even assesses billet homes, - no way! Often boys live in cramed quarters, share bedrooms or even live in basements with make shift bedrooms with no windows or closets -just 4 walls. The good parents -the concerned ones in the community, they stay away from and do not ask to billet boys, because they know that if there are concerns with the program they will speak out. So the great billet homes -the ones that everyone would dream of sending their sons to....are not considered. And yes this is the absolute truth!
Billetting...Oh yes...Besides Daryl - the billet coordinator not assessing homes for appropriate accommodations for your son, she also does not conduct accurate assessments of the families themselves. If your son always says that everything is 'fine', - it is not. Penticton is big for adult alcolohics and gamblers. Do you really want that influence around your son? Some billet homes are completedly dysfunctional and there is much substance abuse by some or most family members. Why won't your son tell you? Simple, parents that complain to the academy about some issue or another have their son labelled and treated very badly by the OHA staff from that point forward. Some billet families are close family friends of influencial OHA staff. Penticton is a small place. The OHA boys are protecting themselves, his family and his prospective future by dealing with a billet family of gamblers and drinkers on his own and in silence and fear.
If a parent is so worried about their little darling living away from home in a stranger's home that could not possibly make money off of the $500.00 a month billeting fee, then perhaps they should keep their untalented hockey player home to play in a house league. Reality check-all you parents really want to do is get your kid out of the house and not have to parent them, blaming someone else for your spoiled puppy! The apple does not fall far from the tree.
I'm doing research for an upcoming TV series about young athletes and the challenges they face in terms of financing, family and community support, and getting the best possible training (often away from home).
I'd love to hear from kids and families who have had personal experience with these challenges.
Please contact me at : kwilso@hotmail.com
Thanks from Kate
Randy Jaycock did NOT back up a lot. The Blues once, and the Flames, once, as a backup goalie. Never touched the ice, only warmed the benches. He should really be honest on his resume!! He is a good instructor, however, and did play lots of hockey.
My family has billeted for 5 years. Players can only be a part of the family if they want to be a part of it. There are players who still stop in and visit years after they billeted here and then there are players who don't give a crap while they are here! Never mind years later. If I had Darryl's job I would be in the nut house by now! Can you imagine the hundreds of phone calls she gets from parents who think their children poop rainbows and really just need to pull their heads out of their asses? Parents know the stories from their children, which is a one sides view that is obviously going to make the child look the best. Perhaps you should stop bitching and keep your child at home to raise them yourself?
Wow, my wif and ( a nurse) and myself (an executive) were thinking about taking in a few kids over the summer and welcoming them to our home. we live across from the street from the beach in summerland Why, to show some kids who came from all over what its like to live in the greatest place on earth and to give a little back.and no, i have zero affiliation with the OHA. zip ,zero,nada.
i love hockey.
i believe in the concept of service (giving to the community)
500 a kid who eat and are growing like weeds is not covering the cost. period.
i love my community ( the alcoholic,gambling substance abuse comment is off base and a tad naive these issues exist in every community unfortunatly)i feel that comment is highly disrespectfull and bordering on hysterical.
im rethinking my families exploring this at this point based on some of the comments on this blog.
jaded is the word that comes to mind. from both sides of the fence
are there any families who had good experiences?
let me know
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