Well I won’t make you read 6 paragraphs in to get the info… Rink Management is out as the Management company at Warrior Ice Arena.
So what does that mean? A new company called First Fitness Management (Who already oversees NB Fitness Centers and other like facilities in the area) has taken over as of Dec. 18th.
Now more importantly what does it mean for the building and it’s staff? Essentially nothing. The new company is absorbing us all from top to bottom. The only immediate changes take place with our managers with changes in benefits, hourly to salary, and other compensation. The most notable change is for me. I am now the Operations Manager for the facility. Although with the title change, not much has changed for me as far as with what I do. I basically expanded my role over the last year plus and have already essentially been doing that job for awhile. Now I’m recognized more appropriately. Also as I slowly bit by bit took on responsibility and I also moved in to our “prep room” for events and made it in to my office.
I tried to remain cool as I went away for a little over a week to Milwaukee and had no vacation time to use towards any of it… but the frustration clearly showed as some came out in my last post mostly centered around money. I have had 2 jobs, granted I’m only at Endicott once a week but still… I worked at least 50 hours on an average week and what did I have to show for it? And while I mention EC I’m done being scheduled regularly there at the end of December. Time to put 100% of the focus on Warrior… I will miss the weekly trips to Beverly for several reasons, but it’s the right move for me to make right now.
No lie here. I’m stoked things are heading in the right direction. I’m glad to be back at a level I’ve wanted to be back at since I was removed from the Chelmsford Forum. More importantly the structure here is such that I feel a part of a team instead of a man alone on an island. I basically do all the same things I did at the Forum and yet others are around to help me do things I need done, and others with a vested interest can help do everything and in turn I make sure we have everything we need to be successful and stay organized. Quite honestly I really enjoy working there and it’s a feeling that was wearing thin for a few months when we were short-handed. It was tough to wonder what I was doing all that stuff for, because helping the Bruins satisfies me in almost no way spiritually…
I mentioned before the last post I wrote. I thank all those who reached out. I wrote that mostly for me. To hold myself accountable. Things needed to change. Some I had to change and some other things also had to change. Those things have been happening. I’ve been saving and being more careful to squirrel stuff away. Changing rooms really opened things up and I’m so much happier in the bigger room at my apartment... I feel less crammed in… which for a dude my size is important. And now the change finally at work. I’ve known about it for awhile but wasn’t allowed to really talk about it. Part of the reason I got quiet on my own website and most social media. (My selfie per day ratio has been way down since coming back from Milwaukee.) The regroup has been good. I’ve thought about writing often and wanted to update the site but I didn’t want to come back after such a deep post without some proof and good news to share. With that in mind I thought I’d describe exactly what I do at work, because I’m often asked.
A typical week, ever since we finally other people and have some regularity to our schedules go as such:
Monday: I’m in 10-6ish This is an office day. I usually bang out the schedule for all the staff for the following week and write my infamous email to the staff with any news and notes they need to know even if they hate the length of the document which is usually dripping with knowledge. Also I’ll contact and interview potential employees so I try to set that stuff up.
Tuesday: 10-6ish I try to make Tuesday an all-maintenance day. I will work a whole shift doing projects we used to never have time for. Anything from organizing an area, Home Depot runs, changing filters, installing doorstops, etc. Lately the big project has been painting the team rooms which has added a nice color and will last longer. It’s very reminiscent of the days at UVM painting the green and gold… except now it’s black and gold ( a terrible color combo but it’s their team colors so… when in Rome).
Wednesdays: 10 or 12 to 6 or 9 This day is used to finish anything undone from the first two days and also, now that we’re in season, host High School games. We have 3 HS that regularly play games out of here and 2 with girls teams so there are usually 2 games an evening.
Thursdays I have been off and I work at EC. I usually do any personal errands that day but that will all change. I might have Thursdays off but I can also use the day to help with events or anything else we need done now. Being available to mix in on Thursdays will be valuable. Some weeks I might take off Tuesday and make Thursday the maintenance day... its nice to have options...
Fridays 3-11 Uggg Fridays… My most hated day of the week. I work the closing shift and it will be the day I actually make the ice the most (the other days there is always another manager on duty to make the ice and I mix in if needed). But I dislike Friday nights because it’s Rock N Skate Night. I start the day starting on schedule work (I work under the ABS mentality Always Be Scheduling) Our schedule is complicated and thus any “free time I have I prep things to make life easier for Monday. Anyway eventually whatever I wanted to do or was doing is left for the madness of Rock N Skate. Its like hosting a middle school dance on ice. There is a lot to do and manage and it’s very hectic. However the minute it’s over is my favorite part of the week because I’m furthest away from another Rock N Skate.
Saturdays afternoon to close… Again because it’s HS season I’m in to help cover the games and manage the staff. This is also the most common might for Boston Pride games (NWHL team plays games at our rink… google ‘em.. it’s women's hockey) Before the HS season kicked off I actually enjoyed a few Saturdays off! Maybe that will happen again after the season but time will tell.
Sundays OFF... I’ve been off most Sundays for awhile now which is great. I need one day a week to veg and chill out and for awhile when paired with Saturday I actually had Sat and Sunday off?!?! It’s sort of unheard of for me in the past no matter what rink I’ve been at.
Of course I can always change my schedule to fill in with other people or help cover events. Being salary gives me more chance to move my hours to when I’m needed or can get stuff done and so far I love it. Just having some evenings off and one set weekend day should help with dating if I decide to pick that back up anytime soon.
Side note: I’ve realized that much like I was in High School where I didn’t apply myself and was much smarter than my grades showed… that mentality is definetly in my dating game. I’m solid at conversations and adept at getting a lady interested but I simply don’t try that much. The other day I thought about how I would describe my not work life to my friends as such “You know those weekends where you wife takes the kids and you’re home alone? Well that’s my everyday.” I mean it’s pretty sweet and I’ve gotten so used to being a lone wolf that if I’m going to break up this sweet freedom for someone they have to be totally worth it… anyway I digress...
That was too long a side note, but that was esentially a basic week but it barely scratches the surface of all the different things I'll do during any given week. I like the variety.
Before I close I have to give a huge thanks to the Warrior Ice Arena staff. From top to bottom from the new peeps to the originals from before we opened. I've enjoyed evolving from what I was hired to do - in to what I do now, and with people I like all focused on the same goals.
Also I want to say thanks to Rink Management Services Co. I wouldn't be here without them recruiting me and placing me at this facility. Everyone there was always very nice to me. I was treated with respect and I enjoyed working for them.
The point of the last address was that it was time for a change, and things have ever since then. I’m excited for the future and believe that I’m trending upwards (Props to you if you bought stock in mid-2016 when it was low)
I do spend a fair amount of time in front of my computer for work, but I hope to return to checking in and getting back to making JasonPiche.com great again.
I just had to make Jason Piche great again first.