Every morning during the summer, Mattapoisett residents Ken and Cindy Dawicki wake up early and prepare breakfast for the entire family while their children are fast asleep in their beds. Only there’s a catch. The kids asleep aren’t really kids; they are some of the best collegiate baseball players in the country. They are of no relation to the Dawicki family and they come and go every summer. Still, that doesn’t stop Ken and Cindy for treating them like they are their own children.
“If you treat them like family, they will be family,” said Cindy.
For the past six years, Cindy and Ken have opened their home to house baseball players from the Wareham Gatemen. The Gatemen are one of ten teams that comprise the prestigious Cape Cod Baseball League, and the Dawicki’s are one of hundreds of families in the Tri-Town and on Cape Cod that volunteer their time, energy and food to take care of players.
“It’s a great way to give back to the community. We love it,” said Cindy. “It’s been great diversification and meeting up with these kids from different places and watching them grow and develop into their career.”
Cindy and Ken are no strangers to opening their home to strangers, either. Prior to becoming involved with the Cape League, they would welcome AFS exchange students to come and stay with them. Knowing what it’s like to send your children out into the unknown, the decision to host players and students was an easy one for the couple.
“My oldest son was in the Coast Guard and when he was away during holidays, people would take him in,” said Ken. “We almost took in another AFS student, but then we saw an ad in a local newspaper for Cape League host families.”
This year, Cindy and Ken are housing two players out of Indiana University- Dustin DeMuth and Kyle Schwarber.
“It’s a great accommodation for us,” said Schwarber. “If you put us on our own, we wouldn’t get the hospitality we get with our host families. At first it’s hard to get used to living with new people, but as it progresses you start to get used to them like they’re your own family.”
Schwarber says that Cindy has breakfast ready for him and Dustin every morning and the family will invite them places on off days to have a little fun. But it’s the other family-like characteristics the Dawicki’s have that really make them feel comfortable.
“It’s good because you have people you can go and talk to,” said Schwarber. “You’re not alone and you’re not by yourself. It’s kind of like having another mom and dad to go and talk to about your problems. It’s awesome.”
The Cape League puts a lot of wear and tear on its players. Playing nearly 70 games over the course of two and a half months, it’s not unusual for players to become overworked and overstressed. When that happens, Cindy and Ken are willing to lend an ear to them and to give them the same advice they would give to children of their own.
“We always tell them, ‘pick yourself up, it’s okay tomorrow is another game,’” said Cindy.
“If they’re doing good, we’re proud of them. If they mess up, we call them a noodle-head,” joked Ken.
The contributions of Cape League host families do not go unnoticed by the players no matter how long it has been since their stint on Cape. Last week, Cindy and Ken caught up with Josh Phegley, a former Cape Leaguer who currently plays in the Chicago White Sox’s farm system for the Charlotte Knights. Phegley was the first player Cindy and Ken hosted.
“After six years, he remembered the dog’s name and our granddaughter’s name,” said Ken. “He told us how much he loved it here.”
“It just warms the heart,” said Cindy. “I knew him when he started here. He’s done well for himself. It’s a great feeling.”
For more information on becoming a host family for the Cape Cod Baseball league visit www.gatemen.org or www.capecodbaseball.org.
By Katy Fitzpatrick
