Having a job during school is tough to pull off. Talk to sophomore Charlie Becker and he will tell you the best job to have. “I am a rink attendant at Arden Park, and it is the bomb.” Charlie said. He can handle his many duties at the park, while keeping up on his studies and having a great time.
The job responsibilities sometimes demand patience and decision making which isn’t always easy. For example, what should a teenager do when a hockey mom will not move her car off the sidewalk after being asked to? Charlie would tell you that you need to ask the woman again, and then threaten her with calling the police. If the hockey mom still won’t budge, and a huge scene is made, you should call the police, as parking on a sidewalk is illegal.
Another scenario where the rink attendant must assume responsibility is when players start a fight on the rink. Fights sometimes break out when the ‘good’ hockey players take on the older basketball players trying to learn a more exciting hobby. The hockey players pull a few too many dangles, and spit out enough trash talk to get the older basketball players mad. They begin to try to chase the little studs around, but can’t keep up. Commotion breaks out, and the park is no longer a safe place. The rink attendant is responsible. What should he do? Again, Charlie has the right answer. “You need to go calm the boys down, give them a strong talk, and if they are still disrespectful I’ll just kick them off the rink. I don’t like doing it, but it helps the park stay safe, and that is my job.”
Rink attendants are responsible for the welfare of skaters and the property at the park. They must ensure a safe environment on the rink at all times. They also are responsible for cleaning up the warming house as its appearance reflects the city of Edina. When it gets dark, they are in charge of turning on the lights for the skaters.
Although rink attendants have many jobs to handle, they do have some free time. Charlie said, “I am supposed to be on site all the time. I can be outside to make sure everything is going well, but I will also sit around in the warming house too.” Charlie says how he loves relaxing in the warming house. He gets time on his own to watch a movie, or do some homework.
A fifth grader, Nick Boss said, “Rink attendants have a pretty chill job, and they always sell good snacks!” Normally rink attendants would like to make some extra cash while on the job. They bring cans of soda, candy bars, and chips to sell to skaters. Some attendants even order pizza and sell it by the slice. “It’s never a bad idea to try to make more cash when you have the opportunity.” Charlie said.
The job of a rink attendant appears to be a good job for a high school student. The job includes challenging situations which teach decision making, requires the attendant to assume various responsibilities, and allows flexibility for the attendant to rest or study.
