Here are some photos I took (still trying to learn about layout...never seem to have enough time). Scroll through the 4 photos and you'll see today's posting...
(Top photo: competition rink in between games)
(Second photo: a player on the practice rink)
(Second photo: a player on the practice rink)
(Third photo: outside UBC Thunderbird stadium)
(Fourth photo: Signage is ALL OVER the city)
My first "official" game day shift at UBC Thunderbird Stadium...very exciting! My shift starts at 10:30am, meaning I drop off the kids (in my volunteer uniform) at school at 8:30am and drive to Kirk's work to park my car. From there I hop on the UBC 99 bus that will take me very close to the arena (about a 5 minute walk)...I end up arriving about 30 minutes early for my shift, which I like. You need time to check-in, they put a sticker on your date card...every few shifts (I think it is on Day 3...5...9...14...21...etc) you get a gift. So, today's my Day 3 and I get a very cool Olympic pin. It's a nice touch.
So, I get handed my folder, am given my radio and am told I'll be "Bravo 30" today...this is a back of house area over 3 floors. At 11am we have a "team leader" meeting and then afterwards I get a chance to look at my floor maps...it will be A LOT of walking for me during the day (since I am constantly redeploying staff and making sure they have breaks and deal with any issues that come up)...I have half an hour to figure it out before my 11 hosts arrive and I need to be able to explain each of their posts to them prior to 12:30pm (when doors open to the public...it's when everyone has to be on post). My supervisor is great and she walks me through my posts quickly prior to the group coming.
12:15pm...the hosts come to me about 30 minutes later than I thought they would. So, now I'm dropping them off at posts and quickly describing their jobs. Many of them (probably 8 of 11) have not worked back here before...and it is a very disappointing area to work since you will not see a single part of the hockey games. I can tell some of them are not that happy, but I'm hoping they will all make the best of it.
Our areas of coverage include (floor one): the athlete's changerooms, the athlete's workout lounge/facility, the referree's locker room; (floor two): the anti-doping area, the practice ice rink, the caterer area; (floor 3): the workforce area (lunchroom) and stairwell to the main concourse.
The day goes by pretty quickly and I learn that the post that is in the practice ice area needs to have a new host every 30 minutes (it's just too cold for them to stay there much longer). So, that keeps me very busy...there are a few good areas for the hosts...they are able to watch teams practicing, which is cool...the area near the referree locker room is neat (and there's a TV to watch the game too)...the area outside the athlete's changerooms are cool because they run around, warm up, play pickup games of soccer, etc. Some of these athletes seem so incredibly young. I think some of the Swedish team looks to be about 15 years old?! I have no idea how old they are, but they do look very young! At one point in the afternoon (prior to the game), the Swedish team belts out a song at the top of their lungs while they are in a group huddle (with music blaring in the background). It is a really neat moment that I assume they do prior to each game...it's obviously a real bonding moment for these athletes and it's neat that we are actually able to watch it!
I talk to 3-time Canadian Olympic medalist, Hayley Wickenheiser very briefly as she asks me some questions about where she can warm up. Pretty neat...Sports Illustrated named her number 20 of the top 25 toughest athletes in the world. From her warm-up regiment, it's not surprising!
On the whole, I have a fairly good day. I even had hugs from Quatchi and Miga (two of the mascots...then one of the mascots apparently came looking for me later and left me a sticker...told someone to tell me it was from my "boyfriend"). Ha ha! I think my youngest daughter would be very impressed if I could get myself in a picture with one of the mascots, so I do...but with someone else's camera. They promise me they'll email it to me once they are back home (she is from Ontario).
My day isn't all rosy...It is challenging dealing with the various personalities and with volunteers who have given up a good chunk of their life to be here ... so they have some very high expectations about the type of role they would like to do. Unfortunately in this area of the arena, it's not always exciting. But the good thing is that they will never get put in the same section two days in a row...you find there are certain hosts you really hope to work with again on a different day...they are just so full of energy and happiness and excitement. It makes my job a lot easier if they are pumped!
My first "official" game day shift at UBC Thunderbird Stadium...very exciting! My shift starts at 10:30am, meaning I drop off the kids (in my volunteer uniform) at school at 8:30am and drive to Kirk's work to park my car. From there I hop on the UBC 99 bus that will take me very close to the arena (about a 5 minute walk)...I end up arriving about 30 minutes early for my shift, which I like. You need time to check-in, they put a sticker on your date card...every few shifts (I think it is on Day 3...5...9...14...21...etc) you get a gift. So, today's my Day 3 and I get a very cool Olympic pin. It's a nice touch.
So, I get handed my folder, am given my radio and am told I'll be "Bravo 30" today...this is a back of house area over 3 floors. At 11am we have a "team leader" meeting and then afterwards I get a chance to look at my floor maps...it will be A LOT of walking for me during the day (since I am constantly redeploying staff and making sure they have breaks and deal with any issues that come up)...I have half an hour to figure it out before my 11 hosts arrive and I need to be able to explain each of their posts to them prior to 12:30pm (when doors open to the public...it's when everyone has to be on post). My supervisor is great and she walks me through my posts quickly prior to the group coming.
12:15pm...the hosts come to me about 30 minutes later than I thought they would. So, now I'm dropping them off at posts and quickly describing their jobs. Many of them (probably 8 of 11) have not worked back here before...and it is a very disappointing area to work since you will not see a single part of the hockey games. I can tell some of them are not that happy, but I'm hoping they will all make the best of it.
Our areas of coverage include (floor one): the athlete's changerooms, the athlete's workout lounge/facility, the referree's locker room; (floor two): the anti-doping area, the practice ice rink, the caterer area; (floor 3): the workforce area (lunchroom) and stairwell to the main concourse.
The day goes by pretty quickly and I learn that the post that is in the practice ice area needs to have a new host every 30 minutes (it's just too cold for them to stay there much longer). So, that keeps me very busy...there are a few good areas for the hosts...they are able to watch teams practicing, which is cool...the area near the referree locker room is neat (and there's a TV to watch the game too)...the area outside the athlete's changerooms are cool because they run around, warm up, play pickup games of soccer, etc. Some of these athletes seem so incredibly young. I think some of the Swedish team looks to be about 15 years old?! I have no idea how old they are, but they do look very young! At one point in the afternoon (prior to the game), the Swedish team belts out a song at the top of their lungs while they are in a group huddle (with music blaring in the background). It is a really neat moment that I assume they do prior to each game...it's obviously a real bonding moment for these athletes and it's neat that we are actually able to watch it!
I talk to 3-time Canadian Olympic medalist, Hayley Wickenheiser very briefly as she asks me some questions about where she can warm up. Pretty neat...Sports Illustrated named her number 20 of the top 25 toughest athletes in the world. From her warm-up regiment, it's not surprising!
On the whole, I have a fairly good day. I even had hugs from Quatchi and Miga (two of the mascots...then one of the mascots apparently came looking for me later and left me a sticker...told someone to tell me it was from my "boyfriend"). Ha ha! I think my youngest daughter would be very impressed if I could get myself in a picture with one of the mascots, so I do...but with someone else's camera. They promise me they'll email it to me once they are back home (she is from Ontario).
My day isn't all rosy...It is challenging dealing with the various personalities and with volunteers who have given up a good chunk of their life to be here ... so they have some very high expectations about the type of role they would like to do. Unfortunately in this area of the arena, it's not always exciting. But the good thing is that they will never get put in the same section two days in a row...you find there are certain hosts you really hope to work with again on a different day...they are just so full of energy and happiness and excitement. It makes my job a lot easier if they are pumped!
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