There’s a saying stating that there is a difference between interest and commitment. Sophomores Logan Will and Matthew Allen, along with freshman Thomas Jarman embody the true meaning of this statement. All three boys have moved from places such as Ames, Iowa, Oklahoma City, and Pittsburg to Omaha to pursue their love for hockey.

 Jack, Matthew, Logan, and Thomas practice on the ice four times a week and do separate workouts 3 days a week which include anything from ab work, to running around a track, to lifting weights. “There’s so many pieces to the puzzle, I don’t think people realize how hard these kids work,” said Jennifer Faulkner, the Billet mother for Logan, Matthew and Thomas.

All 3 boys live in the Faulkner’s house and because of this, they have all developed very close relationships with each other and the entire Faulkner family.

“Their parents don’t get to see them grow up or go to homecoming, I have to be the parent for them that their parents can’t be.” said Jennifer Faulkner. Each boy’s parent pays the Faulkner’s to house their children and act like their parents for the duration of their stay which can vary anywhere from 18 to 27 months.

Jennifer Faulkner is granted temporary guardianship of each boy which means she is granted every parental right as if she was the boy’s actual parent.

“It’s really important to keep that parental guidance and that love.” said Faulkner.

Because of having 3 extra bodies in their house, the Faulkner family had to make changes to accommodate them. 2 of the 3 boys share a room with sophomore Jack Faulkner, Jennifer’s son who also plays on the team. The room is cramped (as any bedroom with 3 beds in it would be). The family goes through 4 gallons of milk a week, which accumulates to close to a thousand dollars a year in milk alone. While each family does pay the Faulkner’s 295 dollars a month to feed their children, feeding 7 people in a house everyday is quite the struggle.

“If you don’t have the billet family there would be no program.” Faulkner said.

Omaha’s boys hockey program is one of the best in the nation with the U16 team ranking 4th in the Nation last year at Nationals. According to Faulkner, the team has taken kids from places such as Austria and Canada. Being on this team gives the boys a chance to be seen by more college coaches, giving them the opportunity to go to a better college, which has been their goal from the start.