Community Exchange: Homestay families get an international experience

There is a certain amount of apprehension and excitement when you open your home to strangers. Maybe even more so when those strangers are 15-year-old baseball players from another country.

Todd and Julie O’Connor did for the first time in 2011, and they’ve been hosting players competing in the McHenry County Youth Sports Summer International Baseball Tournament since.

“In 2011, we did not know what to expect, and the boys from Japan also did not know what to expect,” said Todd O’Connor of Crystal Lake, who with Julie and their own children at ages 14 to 20 hosted four players that year. “But our kids were over the moon and fully engaged during this, our first experience hosting players.”

One of those ballplayers in 2011 was Japanese slugger Kazuma Okamoto, who hit a key home run in a 3-2 win against the U.S. in the World Baseball Classic finale last month.

“During the WBC, everyone in the family was able to reminisce about the wonderful 12 days we had with Kazuma, Yuki Inami, Asato Hirokane and Shoki Fujino,” Todd said.

The McHenry County Youth Sports Summer International Baseball Tournament is hosting its 30th annual tournament in July and is looking for families to open their homes for a week when teenagers from Japan, Puerto Rico and Brazil come to play.

Who knows – you may be hosting the next Eloy Jiménez, Andrew Benintendi or Tucker Barnhart, all major leaguers who played in the tournament over the years.

MCYSA President John Streit said the tournament offers opportunities for cultural exchange with international guests. He said serving as a homestay family is a wonderful way to learn about other cultures and make lifelong friends.

“It’s interesting to learn about cultures and the backgrounds of the boys,” said Streit, who has hosted several players over the years. “Japanese players have a distinct approach to baseball. They bow to the umps, and if a pitcher hits a batter with a pitch, they go up and apologize to them. The players from Brazil have a lot of spirit. And the players from Puerto Rico are so happy to be here. They sing and dance and are full of enthusiasm.”

Todd O’Connor added: “Like many things, the first time a family participates in the MCYSA’s homestay program becomes the most memorable and the most magical when you look back on it. All of the memories from that experience are fond ones. It was an incredibly special shared experience for our entire family.”

MCYSA needs about 50 homestay families to provide a commitment of housing two to three players for half or the entire duration of the tournament from July 12 to 24. Most games are played at Lippold Park in Crystal Lake.

Families, who must successfully complete a required background check, receive a stipend for hosting the players. For more information about the homestay opportunity, email MCYSA1993@gmail.com or visit the MCYSAsports.org tournament information tab.

RECOGNIZED BY FORBES: Crystal Lake resident Ismat Khimani has been named to the 2023 Forbes Top Women Wealth Advisers Best-in-State list, which recognizes the top women wealth advisers across the nation.

Khimani, of Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in Crystal Lake, focuses her practice on “offering a comprehensive approach to managing wealth that begins with getting to know a client, their family, their unique situation and what matters most to them.”

She volunteers at Eco Logic Partners, Home of the Sparrow and Focus Humanitarian Assistance, among others, and has served on boards including United Way and the AKF Humanitarian Foundation.

Khimani participates in marathons across the world, scuba dives and travels the world with her family. She graduated from Benedictine University.

The Forbes ranking, according to the agency, is developed by SHOOK Research and is “based on an algorithm of qualitative data, learned through surveys and interviews conducted by telephone, in-person and virtually to evaluate best practices, such as service models, investing models and compliance records, as well as quantitative data, such as revenue trends and assets under management.”

• Dennis Anderson, vice president of news and content development for Shaw Media, lives in Crystal Lake. He’s looking to share news about you and your neighbors and special events and happenings. Share your Community Exchange news with him at danderson@shawmedia.com.