With the Steinbach Pistons regular season underway this Friday, many families in the Steinbach area are once again hosting out of town players.

Janice Fender is the Billet Coordinator for the Steinbach Pistons. She says often times they are still looking for billet families during training camp, but this year the community stepped up early and they had all their billets lined up before players arrived.

"Some people are hesitant, especially the moms are a little bit more leery or ‘is my cooking going to be good enough, will we have to change the way we cook ourselves, or how we live?’ No, these boys are coming in, they are becoming a part of our family and at the end of the season they go wow, it was so much fun."

Lorna Sobering and her husband are a first-time billet family this year. She explains why they decided to host a player this year.

"My son played league hockey and we enjoyed going to watch every game that he played and so when he graduated we were kind of sad that it was over and we thought this is a good way to have a player on the ice. We enjoy watching the games and so we feel it is important to support our local hockey team."

Fender says being a billet family also gives fans a chance to be involved and support their team in a more direct way.

"They have an insight into the team, what is going on and also they are encouraging the players and helping them grow as a young man, becoming role models for them. We encourage them to volunteer, we encourage them to go to school, get jobs, become involved in the community."

Fender notes many billet families keep in contact with the players that lived with them long after the season is over.