SANFORD — Emily Rand was apprehensive at first when her family decided to host two Sanford Mainers for the summer. 

She and her husband, Dan, both work full time. Throw in taking care of their two sons, Zeke, 13, and Judd, 11, and their daughter, Lulu, 8, and Rand didn’t know how she would manage to serve as an adequate host to second baseman Drew DeMartino and pitcher Matthew Pushard. 

Fast forward a couple of months and Rand now wishes she could play this summer on repeat.

“I was a little nervous at first, probably because of the unknown,” Rand said. “But after two days I thought, ‘Oh, this is fine.’ (Drew and Matt) were great and I feel like I have two new sons.”

As members of the NECBL, a 13-team, nonprofit league, Mainers players depend on host families in Sanford and surrounding areas for a place to live during the two-month season. Former hosts will often encourage other community members to take in a player. A previous host who frequents Rand’s hair salon in Sanford suggested she give it a try. 

DeMartino, a native of  Pittsfield, Massachusetts, and Pushard, who lives in Brewer, moved in for the summer on June 1, and the duo quickly became part of the family. 

The players had one off-day each week, and even though DeMartino and Pushard spent time with teammates and at workouts, they made sure to involve the younger members of the Rand family in their routine as often as possible. As Pushard reflected on his summer, he noted the importance of inviting the children to tag along.  

 “The kids were awesome,” he said. “To be able to be apart of someone’s life and be a role model for a child is a humbling experience. I remember when I was in their shoes.”

Some of those activities included trips to York for wing night at Wild Willy’s Burgers Restaurant or visits to the beach. There were also nights where they would just kick it on the couch with some snacks and a few horror movies. 

Rand never asked DeMartino and Pushard to perform any chores when they were home, besides keeping their bathroom and bedroom clean, but the Mainers showed their gratitude at every opportunity. 

“They would do dishes, they would drive my kids places, they did whatever they felt was necessary to make sure things were OK,” Rand said. “I never expected them to do that.”

Since DeMartino and Pushard were often on the go, Rand prepared meals for their road trips and for when they got home in the early hours of the morning from long bus rides. The family’s hospitality is a kindness that DeMartino won’t soon forget. 

“I loved living with the Rands,” he said. “They treated me as their own and they are such an amazing family … The Rands will be lifelong friends, and Matt and I were blessed having them as our host family.”

 Despite her initial hesitancy, Rand said the decision to host DeMartino and Pushard was “amazing” and the relationship the Rands formed with the players and their parents will last a lifetime. 

Host Family Coordinator Josh Ouellette gets why families are wary of hosting players at first, but, in his experience, he’s noticed the decision for people to bring in a Mainer is often life-changing and something they never forget. 

“Most of the families who host players have wonderful experiences,” Ouellette said. “I certainly understand why some families would be hesitant, but I’ve heard from a lot who have said, ‘I don’t know why I was hesitant in the first place,’ and that’s because of the positive experiences they had … These families really build relationships with the players, and that’s what we try to stress.”

When DeMartino and Pushard left to return to Pittsfield and Brewer, earlier this month, the players shared a few tears with the Rands. If the family has their way, though, a reunion might not be too long away.  

“We’d love to have both of them come back,” Rand said. “I would certainly do it again, especially for my kids.”

 

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