Friday 4 January 2013

Team Lead Initiation

I'm trying harder to take pictures more often in daily life. I've never been very good at taking pictures (nor organizing them, nor making scrapbooks!) But I have learned how to get pictures off my phone, so that seems like a good way to get into the habit.

This is a picture from the Hitmen game tonight. I probably should have taken a picture in the concession stand. Maybe next time.



The Flames organization is involved in a lot of things besides the defunk hockey season this year. They own The Stampeders and The Roughnecks too, I think. They also provide all the concession services for Hitmen games and concerts at the Saddledome. I have been "volunteering" with them for over a year now at various events. It's been a great thing for us and has been a help in paying for swimming for our kids. It's my little beer and hot dog side job - who would have ever imagined! It's kind of fun though. It's a really festive place. Everyone is having a lot of fun. And I spend the night with a bunch of good people: parents and kids raising money for school trips or extra-curricular sports. It's usually a good time.

Recently they seem to have run out of people to work as Team Leads. I have never done the training, but I guess since I've worked at plenty of games they asked if I would be a Team Lead. I was never really ever interested in being a Lead, but they do pay a little more, so I decided I would give it a shot. Tonight was my first official night in that position. It was the craziest night ever!

Before the game the hockey players often seem to like to come up on the concourse and play with hackey sacks or soccer balls or just run around, race each other and in general, make a lot of noise to get psyched up. Last night just before it was time to open the doors I realized I had forgotten to get money for the floats for our stand. I ran back down the long long stairs.  When I came back upstairs I was in a hurry, not really paying attention, and ended up stepping on a poorly shot soccer ball that the hockey players were playing with. I ended up splat! on the floor...clip board going on direction, money back going another direction (luckily it stayed in tact!), and papers flying everywhere. One nice young man from the Moose Jaw team helped me pick up my stuff and after declaring I was OK, I snuck off to my corner. So embarrassing!!  Mishap #1

The big seller at these games is beer. We usually have one person who spends most of the night just pouring beer so that we have enough on hand to keep up with customers. Last night the beer was pouring slower and slower until the taps finally just stopped. I have never seen that happen! I figured out who to call and they got to work on it. We ended up not having any beer on tap for the rest of the night. They got us some cans and we could resume business. It was a little stressful in the meantime though! Mishap #2.

Some poor little girl, while standing with her dad at the concession to get some hot dogs, had the unfortunate experience of having her hot dog wrapped touch just the perfect spot on the popcorn machine. Big sparks flew everywhere. Snap! Snap! Snap! Scared her (and me) to death! We had to call an electrician. Mishap #3.

It was such a crazy night! I have never, in all the games I've worked, had so many crazy things happen. Marna, the lady who oversees the volunteer program, asked me how my night went. I told her it had been a little crazy. She just laughed it off and said, "Well, we have to have some sort of initiation for you!"

I guess so!

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