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TWENTY YEARS. Two whole decades— that's how long United States Ice Rinks Association has been in operation. Let's soak that in for a moment. The United States Ice Rink Association (U.S. Ice Rink Assoc.) is old enough to even have a "formerly known as" moni- ker, rebranding and renaming Serving the American Rinks (STAR) in 2017 after 17 years. Beyond that big shakeup, the past 20 years have certainly been filled with a lot of great adventures. We have so many individuals to thank for the contribu- tions that have made in the industry, and so many that have put in extraordinary time and effort into establishing the United States Ice Rink Association as the premier national organization designed to foster the development, growth, and success of ice skating facilities in the United States. So, let's dial it back and start from the beginning… Beginning The idea of a national arena association was spawned by a small group of USA Hockey staff and volunteers in 1997. With the expansion of rinks in non- traditional areas of the country, and a significant increase in rink-run program- ming, this group of leaders recognized that there was a need to work more closely with arena owners and opera- tors. They also identified that there was a strong need and demand for arena- specific resources and education to assist these owners and operators with running their businesses efficiently and profitably. Kevin McLaughlin the USA Hockey Director of Adult Hockey & Arena Relations at the time, and John Beadle, USA Hockey V P/Senior Council Chairman were the two key individuals responsible for moving this idea toward reality. On August 20, 1997, a group com- prised of USA Hockey staff, directors, affiliate representatives, arena owners, and NHL representatives, were brought together in Colorado Springs, Colo., for a brainstorming meeting to explore the possibility of creating this national arena association. Not long after this initial meeting, USA Hockey made a commitment to pur- sue the creation of what would become Serving The American Rinks (STAR). JANUARY.FEBRUARY.2020 / 39 United States Ice Rink Association Celebrates Its 20th Anniversary 2018 NEISMA Spring Conference