Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1413077
I 've always looked forward to the Fall when I was managing rinks. Summer was what I always considered the end of the year for my facility as camps and clinics wrapped up and we prepared for the new season and all that I expected it to be. Fall was a chance to start over, and really continue to work on building a successful organization. My staff and I would look back at our finances and program numbers from the year before and spend considerable time fine tuning those programs that had success and look for opportunities to help other programs and activities that hadn't hit our expectations. I think it's important for rink managers to be able to try and take in the big picture, while also paying attention to the little details and constantly striving to surpass their customers' expectations. We've had some great feedback on our return to in-person courses that started up in August and we'll be building on that for our courses being offered this Fall. You can check out current offerings on page 27. This issue of RINK also includes a feature on the Tucker Road Ice Rink that was destroyed by a fire in 2017. A new $28 million, state-of-the-art facility just opened its doors to replace it. You can read more about this facility on page 20. Not too long from now, there will be a lot of interest in ice sports generated by the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, so we have included an article on page 34 that includes some ideas on how to use the Olympics to attract new customers to your rink. We've heard from many of our members about the challenges they had faced keeping their adult hockey leagues going during the pandemic. Starting on page 46 you'll read how a rink in Alaska has successfully kept their league going strong. We wrapped up this issue of RINK with a spotlight on one of our newest Certified Rink Administrators whose family-owned rink in northern Kentucky has three generations that have been at the helm for over 30 years. As always, I hope you enjoy this issue! — Jeff Theiler, Chief Operating Officer, United States Ice Rink Association Opening ADDRESS Welcome from Jeff Theiler THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE UNITED STATES ICE RINK ASSOCIATION SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 // VOL. 24, NO. 5 USICERINKS.COM // INFO@USICERINKS.COM C E O Steve Farbman P R E S I D E N T James McEwen S E N I O R V I C E P R E S I D E N T David Jensen C O N T R O L L E R Mike Schwarz C R E AT I V E D I R E C T O R Rob Johnson A RT D I R E C T O R Mike DeArmond S E N I O R D E S I G N E R Brandon Favre D E S I G N E R Kelsey Cherwinka A D S A L E S Bryan Nelson M A R K E T I N G & AC C O U N T M A NAG E R Jessica Disch E D I T O R S : Aaron Paitich, Jessi Pierce C O N T E N T M A NAG E R Elizabeth Boger A D C O O R D I NAT O R Samantha Cady RINK Magazine is the definitive business publication for professionals in the ice rink industry and is the leading source for information on facility management, operations and programming. PUBLISHING PARTNER 505 North Highway 169, Suite 100, Minneapolis, MN 55441 P H : (763) 595-0808 FA X : (763) 595-0016 E - M A I L : info@touchpointmedia.com W E B S I T E : touchpointmedia.com Mission: "To advance the ice rink industry through membership, world-class education, training, resources and events." C H I E F O P E R AT I N G O F F I C E R Jeff Theiler D I R E C T O R , E D U CAT I O N John Monteleone O F F I C E A S S I S T A N T Tom Wacker P H : ( 719) 538-1149 FA X : (719) 538-7838 E - M A I L : info@usicerinks.com W E B S I T E : usicerinks.com A P R O G R A M O F E D I T O R Aaron Paitich M A NAG I N G E D I T O R Jessi Pierce C O N T R I B U T I N G W R I T E R S Greg Bates, Tom Ferguson, John Monteleone, Jessi Pierce, Zack Tarantino, Jeff Theiler E D I T O R I A L B OA R D T.C. Lewis, John Monteleone, Craig Petersen, Jeff Theiler D E S I G N E R S Mike DeArmond, Brandon Favre, Kelsey Cherwinka 14 / SEPTEMBER.OCTOBER.2021 USICERINKS.COM Fall Forward PHOTOS: RINK ARCHIVES , Take full advantage of Olympic fever this season.