Tired, happy, sad and exhausted.
Those are just a few of the emotions that a “host family” will encounter for the 2026 Senior League World Series in Easley.
“Host families are the heart of the Senior League World Series,” said Tournament Director Kimber Nelson, in her 16th season of helping out with this big event. “I call them our Ambassadors for the tournament and for Easley and Pickens County. They share their knowledge of the area to the families that travel here and create lifelong memories with players from around the world. Their generosity, kindness, and willingness to welcome these athletes as part of their family make an immeasurable impact on the tournament.”
There will be a total of 12 local families this year that will be hosting a team.
But one family in particular – Tim and Hester Elrod – have gone way beyond the call of duty as a host family. They have been a host family for 12 years!
Tim Elrod is coach in the Seneca area and has been coaching for 23 years. And like so many other coaches, he could have just planned a summer vacation a couple hours away at the beach.
Instead, Tim and his wife (Hester) – and their family – have carved a niche with hosting the Latin America teams. Tim also plays a key role as the Transportation Director for all the host teams, while Hester oversees the lodging with the local hotels.
“I just love baseball – the family and the fellowship that this brings in,” said Tim, a 1997 graduate of Liberty High School. “To see these young men come out and play a game that they love is very rewarding. I coach at Seneca High School and I’m a former Post 52 baseball coach, so I’ve been around baseball a long time. It’s a game that brings so many people together. I just love to share that with other people. It’s great.”
The Elrod family (that also includes their daughter Tricia) does the “little things” that really make a difference. They even have a Facebook Page that they post pictures on for the ones (from Latin America) who cannot make it to the games at the J.B. Red Owens Complex in Easley.
Hester also fixes some South Carolina-style food for the teams that they host, which includes peaches, boiled peanuts, pecan pie and S’mores. She said some really like it and some hate it, but they at least get to try it all.
“For us, we took International because of the exposure to different countries and different cultures,” said Hester. “Getting to meet different people from different parts of the world broadens your horizon and makes you a better person – more well-rounded and receptive to other ideas. You quickly realize how small we are in the world. It’s really difficult to understand other people if you’ve never been there. We really enjoy getting to know the players and learning something from their region. We have 15 to 20 (formern host) players (who have signed) in the majors.”
The toughest part of being a host family, as Hester says, is seeing them go. However, she quickly refers to the famous quote of Dr. Seuss: “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.”
A couple of the other host families for the tournament include: Casey and Christa Paris (Southeast Host); Jason, Jessica and Emily Swaynghame (Asia Pacific); Brandon and Michelle Linder (East Region); Randy and Michelle Morgan (South Carolina District 1); Chris, Angela and Colby Walden (Europe Africa); Antonia and Kris Pierce (and Stephen Apisa, Sr. – dad of Antonia) – Southwest; and Vanessa Shirley (and Brooklyn, Sebastian and Emelia) – Central Host.
(You can reach Jeff Holt at jholt@championcarolinas.com)
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