Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for an Ice Rink Attendant

🎯 Role Definition

An Ice Rink Attendant is the face and guardian of the ice rink experience. This individual is responsible for a wide array of duties, from directly engaging with customers and ensuring their safety on the ice to maintaining the cleanliness and operational readiness of the facility. Success in this role hinges on a proactive, friendly, and vigilant approach, ensuring that every skater, from a first-timer to a seasoned regular, has a positive visit. This position is crucial for upholding the facility's reputation and operational standards.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

High School or College Student
Retail Associate or Cashier
Camp Counselor or Lifeguard

Advancement To:

Lead Rink Attendant / Shift Supervisor
Zamboni Operator
Ice Rink Manager or Recreation Coordinator

Lateral Moves:

Guest Services Representative
Recreation Assistant (in other departments)
Event Staff

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Actively supervise the ice surface during public skating sessions, ensuring all skaters adhere to safety rules such as proper skating direction, appropriate speed, and no reckless behavior.
Provide exceptional front-line customer service by greeting all patrons with a friendly and welcoming demeanor, and confidently answering questions about schedules, pricing, lessons, and facility amenities.
Manage the skate rental counter, which includes professionally fitting patrons with the correct skate size, providing tying assistance, and ensuring a smooth, efficient rental and return process.
Process customer transactions for admission, skate rentals, and concessions accurately and efficiently using a Point of Sale (POS) system, including the secure handling of cash and credit card payments.
Perform routine inspection, cleaning, and sanitization of rental skates after each use, replacing worn laces and identifying skates that require sharpening or repair.
Respond immediately and professionally to any on-ice accidents or patron injuries, providing First Aid and CPR within the scope of certification and meticulously completing detailed incident reports.
Communicate rink rules and session information clearly and courteously over a public address (PA) system, making announcements for session starts, ends, ice resurfacing, and special events.
Maintain the cleanliness, safety, and organization of the entire facility, including lobbies, restrooms, locker rooms, and spectator areas, by sweeping, mopping, taking out trash, and restocking supplies.
Assist the ice resurfacer (Zamboni) operator by preparing the ice surface for cleaning, which includes moving hockey nets, clearing pucks and debris, and safely operating dasher board gates.
Proactively identify and address or immediately report any potential safety hazards within the facility, from a wet spot on the floor to a damaged dasher board or malfunctioning equipment.
Assist in the setup and teardown for special events, such as birthday parties, corporate outings, hockey games, or figure skating competitions, ensuring all necessary equipment is correctly placed and removed.
Act as a designated host for birthday parties and group events, engaging with the group leader, serving food and beverages if required, and ensuring the group has a fantastic and memorable experience.
Monitor and control access to the ice surface and other restricted areas like locker rooms and employee spaces to ensure only authorized individuals and ticketed patrons are present.
Conduct thorough opening and closing procedures for the facility, including turning on lights and music, preparing cash drawers, and securing all doors, registers, and equipment at the end of the shift.
Provide basic skating assistance and positive encouragement to novice skaters, offering tips and a helping hand to create a supportive and confidence-building first-time experience.
Manage crowd control during peak hours and large-scale events, directing foot traffic and ensuring a safe and orderly flow of people throughout the building.
Handle customer complaints and concerns with patience and empathy, seeking to find a satisfactory resolution or escalating the issue to a supervisor or manager when appropriate.
Participate actively in mandatory staff meetings and training sessions to stay current on facility policies, emergency action plans, and new customer service initiatives.
Enforce all facility policies regarding food and drink, appropriate attire, and off-ice behavior to maintain a clean, safe, and family-friendly environment for all guests.
Support programming staff by assisting with learn-to-skate classes, helping to set up cones and teaching aids, and providing on-ice support to instructors as needed.

Secondary Functions

Assist with periodic inventory counts for pro shop merchandise, concession supplies, and janitorial products to aid in reordering.
Perform light maintenance tasks as assigned by a supervisor, such as changing light bulbs, tightening loose benches, or touching up paint.
Distribute and collect customer feedback surveys or encourage digital reviews to help management gather data and improve the guest experience.
Monitor facility security systems and patrol the premises, reporting any suspicious activity to management or security personnel to ensure patron and asset safety.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Ice Skating Proficiency: Must be a confident and competent skater, able to skate forwards, backwards, and stop with ease while on duty.
First Aid & CPR/AED Certification: Current certification is often required or must be obtained shortly after hiring.
POS System & Cash Handling: Experience operating a cash register and handling financial transactions accurately.
Basic Skate Maintenance: Ability to perform minor repairs, replace laces, and knowledge of skate sharpening procedures is a plus.
Knowledge of Ice Rink Safety Protocols: Understanding of the unique hazards of an ice facility and how to mitigate them.
Public Address (PA) System Operation: Ability to speak clearly and make professional announcements to a large crowd.

Soft Skills

Exceptional Customer Service: A genuine desire to help people and create a positive, welcoming atmosphere.
Vigilance & Situational Awareness: The ability to constantly scan the environment for potential risks or patrons in need of assistance.
Clear & Positive Communication: Effectively conveying rules and information in a friendly but firm manner.
Conflict Resolution & De-escalation: The ability to calmly and professionally handle disputes or difficult customers.
Teamwork & Collaboration: Works well with other attendants, supervisors, and coaching staff to ensure smooth operations.
Reliability & Punctuality: A strong work ethic, demonstrated by being on time and ready to work for every scheduled shift.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Must be at least 16 years of age. Currently enrolled in high school or possess a High School Diploma or GED.

Preferred Education:

High School Diploma or equivalent.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Recreation Management
Hospitality & Tourism
Sports Science or Kinesiology

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

0-2 years of work or volunteer experience. This is an excellent entry-level position.

Preferred:

6+ months of experience in a direct customer-facing role (e.g., retail, guest services, food service) is highly desirable.
Prior experience working or volunteering in a recreational or sports facility (e.g., arena, pool, community center, summer camp) is a significant plus.