Rink Monitors

Revised:  May 12, 2015

What is a Rink Monitor?

A rink monitor is a designated adult volunteer assigned to an EPFSC ice session. A rink monitor should be present during each EPFSC skate session.  A rink monitor’s duties generally include checking in skaters, recording session buy-ins and exchanges, monitoring the behavior of skaters on and off the ice, playing requested music for skaters and, most importantly, being there in case of a medical emergency.

The EPFSC Board recognizes that rink monitoring can be a difficult task. A parent rink monitor’s job should not be made more difficult by skaters, professionals or other parents disrespecting each other or EPFSC policies. If difficult situations arise, the rink monitor should contact an Executive Board Member.

Who are the Rink Monitors?

Rink monitors are volunteer parents or other designated adult of an EPFSC skater (or the skater themselves if they are 14 years or older). All skaters are required to either fulfill a minimum monitoring requirement for each contract or pay a fee to buy out of the requirement.

How Often Are We Required to Monitor?

The number of times per contract that rink monitoring is required varies depending upon the number of sessions contracted for your skater.

New EPFSC members have a one contract wait until they are required to be a parent rink monitor. During this time, it is recommended that they go to a few sessions and observe someone else on the job. This should ease the transition when they do it themselves during the following contract.

You may only sign up to monitor Junior Club if you have a Junior Club contracted skater. You may only sign up for Junior Club monitoring once per contract / Junior Club skater, unless the number of contracted skaters is fewer than the number of Junior Club sessions in the contract.

Monitor requirements PER SKATER are based on number of contracted skate sessions per week. Skater monitor requirement for summer, fall, winter, or spring contract per skater are as followed.

  • Junior Club Only – 1 Junior Club session unless all spots are already taken by other volunteers
  • 1-2 sessions (including Junior Club/Spins) – 2 sessions
  • 3-4 sessions (including Junior Club/Spins) – 4 sessions
  • 5+ sessions (including Junior Club/Spins) – 6 sessions
  • There is no carryover from one contract to the next. You must monitor your required number of sessions within each contract period.

It is essential that your entire monitoring requirement be fulfilled each contract. If at the end of the contract you have not fulfilled your FULL requirement for monitoring, you will be charged the FULL buyout fee for that contract as outlined below. The buyout fee will NOT be prorated for the number of sessions you fulfilled.

In some cases in order to fulfill your requirement, you may need to monitor a session on which your child is not skating. This is great opportunity to get to know other EPFSC skaters. It is also an opportunity for your skater to assist you in monitoring, so they understand this volunteer process.

There are many new members in our club each contract. If you are in the rink and can assist a new member with their questions about monitoring, it is greatly appreciated and in the best interest of all EPFSC members to have our monitors understand the guidelines, procedures and equipment.

Monitor Buy Out

There is an option to buy out of the monitoring requirement. The fee is $40 for each contract. The fee is non-refundable and should be paid in advance with your initial contract payment if you do not plan to monitor. This will relieve you of any rink monitor duties for that contract.

How Do We Sign Up for Rink Monitor Sessions?

The EPFSC Rink Monitor Coordinator will send out a link to sign up online for the monitor times available on the day after the new contract is due. The schedule indicates each session for the contract period. The schedule is filled on a first-come, first-serve basis. Choose the sessions that are most convenient for your, keeping in mind you may need to monitor at a session that is not always most convenient for you to fulfill your requirement. It is your responsibility at the start of each contract to make the time to schedule your monitor assignments.

Rink Monitor Book

The monitor book is kept in the back of the file cabinet drawer in the Club Room. It contains the following items: Brief Summary of Monitoring Duties, a Contract Monitor Schedule, Monitor Sheets for each contracted session, a list of skater levels, and a non-member buy-in zip pouch for checks.

Monitor Sheet for Each Contracted Session:

Each monitor sheet has information for that particular contract session, including:

  • Day of Week, Date & Start Time of Sessions
  • Session Name (number) & Level
  • Total Skater Limit (maximum number of skaters that are allowed on the session)
  • Names of skaters contracted for the session in alphabetical order
  • Section for documenting those skaters (EPFSC members or non-members) buying into the session or those exchanging sessions from another date
  • Rink Monitor Signature & Skater Name

Buy-in Money Zip Pouch

A zip pouch is clipped into the Rink Monitor Book. It is used to keep Non-EPFSC member buy-in checks collected during ice skating sessions. The EPFSC Buy-in Coordinator periodically collects and deposits the checks from this pouch.

Junior Club Guest Skater Parent Permission Form

A non-USFS/EPFSC member may try our Junior Club program ONCE for the contract session rate. EPFSC members have priority usage of the ice. A Guest Skater may only skate if there is room on the session. A check payable to EPFSC is due before entering the ice. In addition, the parent or legal guardian must read and sign the permission and liability waiver form for their skater. Copies of this form are included in a section of the monitor book. A copy of this signed form should be placed behind the respective monitor sheet in the monitor book.

Non USFS Guest skaters are not allowed on any other EPFSC session.

General Rink Monitor Duties

  1. Arrive at least 10 minutes before the monitor session begins. If you are the first monitor of the day, get monitor book
  2. Verify all skaters on the ice session are registered:
    • If a skater is contracted for the session, check their name on the list. If a contracted skater is not present for the session, their name should remain unchecked
    • For all other skaters wanting to buy-in or exchange on the session, verify the following information first:
      1. The session has not reached the indicated skater limit (all buy-ins and exchanges are honored on a first-come-first-serve basis) and
      2. The skater is the appropriate test level for the session (the monitor should notify a skater if they have entered a session that is not their level. If the skater refuses to exit the ice, the monitor should make a notation on the monitor sheet about this and a $30 fine will be charged on the skater’s next bill for the first violation. For additional information on leveling, see Ice Contracting Policy.

If these conditions are met, then proceed with the following steps for the appropriate situation (EPFSC members have priority over Non-EPFSC members as long as they have registered prior to the beginning of the session):

  • If an EPFSC member is not contacted for the session and want to buy-in, record the skater’s name at the bottom of the monitor sheet and indicate “buy-in.” The skater will be billed for the buy-in amount (see Rink Monitor Policy for buy-in amount).
  • If a NON-EPFSC members wants to buy into an ice session:
    • Verify the skater is a USFS member for insurance coverage,
    • Ask how many sessions the skater has already bought into on our club ice this calendar year. Non-members can only buy into 3 sessions, before they are required to join our club as an Associate Member, unless exceptions have been set by the EPFSC Board.
    • Record the skater’s name at the bottom of the monitor sheet and indicate Non-Member buy-in (see Ice Contract Policy for amount due). The skater must write a check, payable to EPFSC. The check should be placed in the zip pouch in the Monitor Book. Mark the skater as “paid.”
      *See earlier section for special procedures for Junior Club Guest Skaters.
  • If an EPFSC member is not contracted for the session and wants to exchange this session for another not skated, record the skater’s name at the bottom of the monitor sheet and indicate “exchange”. It is the skater’s responsibility to also record the session (both date and time) with which they are exchanging. There are no exchanges for missed Junior Club sessions.
    See Ice Contracts for policies regarding buy-in and exchanges for EPFSC members and non-members.
  • Play Music (guidelines below)
  • Legibly sign the monitor sheet and indicate your skater’s name to ensure proper credit for your monitoring your assigned session
  • If you are the last monitor of the day, put monitor book in the file cabinet and place any leftover CDs or tapes in skater files. In addition, pick up any leftover jackets, skate guards, water bottles, etc. from the hockey box area and place in the Club Room Lost and Found or the garbage as considered appropriate.

Safety Issues

Perhaps the most important aspect of a parent rink monitor’s job is to have someone that is responsible for medical emergencies should they occur. For minor incidents, a first aid kit is located in the top drawer of the club room file cabinets. If ice is needed, request it at the EPCC front desk.

In case of a more serious injury, remain calm, keep the skater warm and obtain the necessary help. Emergency information for each skater is located in a binder in the club room. The skater’s coach may also be a good source for skater contact information. Telephones are available throughout the Community Center or use a cell phone. Attempt to contact the skater’s parent / emergency contact. For serious injury, dial 911.

The Community Center will need you to fill out an accident report if medical attention is required.

Playing Music During EPFSC Ice Sessions

  1. Skaters who are having their music played have the right of way on the ice.
  2. If skaters or coaches request warm up must or the radio to be placed during a session (when no skater has required their music to be played), the rink monitor should use their discretion regarding appropriate music and/or stations depending on the skater ages and the image presented by our Club. No music with suggestive or explicit lyrics is considered appropriate during EPFSC skate sessions.
  3. Skaters or coaches will request competition music to be played.  The general rule to follow is that all skaters should have their music played once before any skaters have theirs played twice and skaters in private lessons have priority over those not in lessons.  Skater music is typically played in the order requested.  Following are instances when music is played out of requested sequence:
    1. If a skater is in a lesson with a coach, that coach (not the skater) may requires their skater’s music be played in front of those skaters not in a lesion. This may happen ONCE per skater/lesson. The coach should make the request so the monitor is certain who is in a lesson.
    2. If multiple coaches are requesting music during lessons, the music is played in the order requested, alternating coaches.  In other words, a coach cannot request two of their students in a row unless there are no other skaters/coaches requesting music.  Coaches giving double lessons should alternate with other coaches also.  If any of the requested skaters has already heard their music ANY TIME during the freestyle, they would have lower priority over those hearing their music for the first time…whether in a lesson or not.
    3. Each skater should have an opportunity to hear their music during a session, so if a skater is on a second request for their music, another skater requesting for the first time would go in front of them in the order.

There is typically a high request for music during sessions with a high number of skaters and right before testing sessions or competitions. If a skater wants their music played during a coaching lesson in a later portion of a skate session, they should not request their music earlier in the freestyle during their practice time.  A rink monitor should use their common sense of fairness in this process.

To access your current records for contracts, exchanges, monitoring, buy-ins and high school lettering visit: www.edenprairiefsc.org/monitor/.