From the perspective of many, Martha’s Vineyard may be a picturesque spot to play summer baseball, but the Island’s New England Collegiate baseball team, the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks, are not immune to one of the most pressing challenges on-Island: finding reliable housing.
In the summer season, the Sharks have always relied on a system that allows players to stay with host families willing to take them in, and while the Sharks have had difficulty finding housing for all their players in the past, General Manager Russ Curran said they have never had this quantity of players without a plan for housing so deep into the season.
As the Sharks are approaching the half way point of their season — and competing for first place — there are still four players who are meant to be playing with the team who have yet to make their debut, and they won’t until they find somewhere to sleep. Curran said they had some relief inbound scheduled for July 1, when one room became available. But until then, four prospective players are waiting for their chance to play from off the Island.
Each family that hosts a player will receive a season pass for games, free apparel, and at the end of the season, an on-field recognition. Players typically arrive in the beginning of June and leave by mid-August.
The Sharks organization says that the bond that forms between players and families often lasts a lifetime.
“It is that type of familial bond that makes amateur collegiate baseball what it is,” says the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks website.
If you have room and are willing to house a Sharks player on Island, reach out to the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks General Manager Russ Curran at 508-813-0380.
