Facebook Twitter Instagram
Facebook Twitter Instagram

The Orange County Riptide invites you to host a Riptide player this summer!

Host families are vital to the success of not only the Riptide as a team, but for the individual player(s) host families welcome into their homes for two months in the summer. Top notch collegiate baseball players from all over the country are headed to Orange County and are looking to join your family as they chase their dream of becoming a major league baseball player.

Want to learn a little bit more about the Host Family experience? Please watch our video showcasing host family life for two Riptide players during the 2019 season.

Are you ready to become an OC Riptide Host Family?

Please fill out the OC Riptide Host Family Application for consideration to become an OC Riptide Host Family.

Why Host?

There are more benefits to hosting an OC Riptide player other than the potential to be able to say years later that the next great MLB All-Star spent a summer in your guest room.

​Hosting is a rewarding experience. Host families have the opportunity to “adopt” a player during the summer and establish lifelong friendships that last beyond the summer. In many cases, host families follow “their boys” throughout their career towards Major League Baseball.

2019 OC Riptide Outfielder Connor Aube (R) takes a break from playing for the Riptide to enjoy a meal with his host mom, CeeCee Connell.

We encourage all Host Families to treat their player as if he were another member of the family. Many of these players will be playing far away from their homes and their families… some for the first time in their lives. Having a supportive, adopted family who treats their player as if they were their own son can make the summer months away from familiar surroundings more comfortable. A supportive, adopted host family allows them to concentrate on their development on the field and better prepare for a career in professional baseball.

Players arrive in late-May or early-June, once their college season is over. Players often depart, at the latest, early August. While we prefer you host for the entire season, partial season host family options are available for late arriving players. (Depending on how well a player’s team performs in the post-season playoffs will determine how soon he can arrive in Orange County.)

Basic requirements to be an Orange County Riptide host family:

  • Provide players with their own bedroom (two players in a room is fine)
  • Linens, towels and laundry access
  • Bathroom / shower access (share with family is fine)
  • Provide meals while team not on road trips
  • Host Families must live in the Orange County area
  • Willingness to accommodate a baseball player’s schedule which includes late night games

Players are encouraged to integrate into the family as much as their schedule permits by joining the family in meals, outings and and other family activities. Many host families with children enjoy hosting a ballplayer to provide an additional positive role model in the home. Many Little League families enjoy having a baseball player in the house and some will request to host certain position players because their children play those same positions in Little League.

Taking two players is beneficial for the host family-player interaction but is not a requirement to host. We stress to the players prior to their arrival that they be kind, respectful and honest with their host families. We highly encourage reaching out to your assigned player prior to his arrival and also to speak with the player’s parents before he arrives to play for the Orange County Riptide. This spells out clearly the house rules and expectations for all parties involved and helps eliminate any misunderstandings and miscommunication.

Our players come from colleges and universities from across the country. They have worked very hard for many years to reach this point in their baseball development. They will be very appreciative of you opening your home and your heart to them as they take this very important next step in their baseball careers.

We had the pleasure of hosting Connor Aube for the 2019 summer season. From the moment he drove up in his Jeep, he fit right in!
Connor’s Riptide teammates who came over to our home were so courteous and respectful young men. We are so glad we hosted Connor and look forward to hosting another athlete next summer!

– CeeCee and AJ Connell

Think of hosting a baseball player much like hosting a foreign exchange student with the main difference is the common language is baseball!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the process to become a host family?

The first step is to fill out the OC Riptide Host Family Application. Once we have received your notification you are interested in hosting a player, we will reach out to you to answer any additional questions not answered here. We will conduct an “interview” with the potential host family to determine if hosting is a good fit, what accommodations are available to the player, how long a host family can house a player, etc.

Are players randomly assigned to families?

Yes and no. Each host family and each player fills out a questionnaire. For the host family, some questions are: How many players would you like to host? Where will the player or players be staying? Do you have pets? What are the ages of your children, if any?

Players are asked if they prefer to live with or without a teammate? Preference of staying in a home with small children? Do they have any allergies regarding pets? Food allergies or any special food accommodations, i.e. vegetarian or vegan?

Also entering into the equations are factors such if a player is bringing a car and what position he plays (Pitchers and position players are often on different schedules). We try to place a player with a car at each home or nearby others so that every player has a ride to the field without inconveniencing host families.

What are the minimums required to be able to host a Riptide player?

Each host family is responsible for providing a bed and access to laundry area. We ask our host families to have food available for the player(s) to make their own meals, normally breakfast. The player must have his own bed and we recommend that he has his own room, though it could certainly be shared with another teammate if hosting two or more players.

Do host families usually have one or more players? What do the families seem to prefer? Players?

Hosting one or more players depends on the accommodations that the family has. Some families can only take one player due to space concerns while we have a few host families host as a number of players. A few years ago, we had a host family house six players although that is a very unusual case.

As for the players, again, it is personal preference.

Do most families host a player each summer or is it more of a one and done thing?

Most of our host families will host players year after year. Our experience is that new host families will host a player for a summer and before the season is over, will already ask to host a future player next summer. We are always looking to expand our host family network in order to invite and recruit more players from out of the area.

Do not think we are “full up”. The Orange County Riptide can always use more host families. We welcome the day when we have a surplus of potential host families and have to create a “waiting list”. We are not there yet, so please do not be afraid to fill out the OC Riptide Host Family Application.

How large of a responsibility is it to host players?

Hosting summer collegiate baseball players does require a certain level of commitment. Most host families take on the role of the player’s surrogate family by attending as many games as possible to support and cheer for their players. Host parents also make sure that the player follows the rules of the home, the OC Riptide, the CCL and the NCAA or NAIA.

If there is one thing that you would like people to know about hosting a Riptide player, what would it be?

We would like potential host families to hear the reasons shared with us by previous host families as to why they have hosted. Those reasons would be extra bedrooms in the house; giving back to community; the experience of watching players grow, develop & showcase their talents to someday play professional baseball; to provide a family atmosphere – a home away from home – for the young men. The reasons are as varied as the people who host players and the players themselves.

 

Email us with additional questions or to be contacted about hosting opportunities

Please include a phone number so we may call or text you
Selected Value: 0
Please slide to indicate how many players you would like to host.

MISSION STATEMENT

The Orange County Riptide is committed to providing a positive environment for young men who aspire for a higher education and to pursue professional baseball within the framework of collegiate competition.

Our sole goal is to provide player growth and development opportunities within a highly competitive environment.

The Riptide organization is committed to maintaining a foundation based on teamwork, goodwill, relationships, hard work and ethics with the goal to develop players in education, sports and in life. 

Let's be social

Reserve your seats

Gain access to reserved seating to all 2023 OC Riptide home games!

Click the ticket below to reserve your seats today!

© Copyright 2022 – Orange County Riptide, a 501(c)(3) organization

Scroll to Top