The University of Illinois Ice Arena

The Ice Arena is one of the many campus recreational facilities that the University of Illinois has to offer. It is located at 406 E. Armory avenue Champaign, Il. The arena is both a place to watch University events such as a hockey game or synchronized skating and to participate in the activities yourself. This is where many students spend their leisure time.

This arena is where the 2008 fighting Illini club hockey team plays its home games. These games get very exciting and can be a good source of leisure and school spirit for any student who attends. There are also a number of intramural sports that take place here such as broomball, hockey, figure skating, and more. The arena also offers open skates, where any student can skate for free, several times a week as well as lessons for those who are beginners. They even have a concession stand in case one feels hungry or thirsty after skating.

There are three professionals over 100 student employees that the Ice Arena staffs. Potential employees must attend an informational meeting, submit an application online through the campus recreation website along with a resume and cover letter, and go through an interview before they can work at the arena or any campus recreational facility. Once employed, an employee can be promoted to more important roles such as a manager, a referee, a zamboni driver, or a skating instructor.

Since the rink must stay frozen, the temperature in the actual stadium is fairly low causing a trend of most skaters wearing sweatshirts or long-sleeved shirts while they are skating or watching a hockey game in the stands. Another trend that is taking place at the rink is the renting of skates. Since most people who use the rink are students they do not always bring their skates down to school with them so they have to rent them, and with the cheap rate of one dollar per individual instance.

The Ice Arena is a part of Campus Recreation and their slogan is “Campus Recreation: A Place for Everyone,” so the ice arena is a facility that is very much open to the public as well as students. This Ice Arena provides a place for students and the public to spend their leisure time in a positive manner, and can keep adolescents and young adults off of the street and out of trouble. With all of the intramural and educational programs it offers, it is safe to say that there are plenty of events people attend to stay busy and use their leisure time to better themselves.

The Ice arena would be a great place to work if you are a student. There are many different jobs that you can hold and from my experience speaking with some employees it seems very possible to move up the “chain of command” rather quickly. If a student started working there at the beginning of his or her freshman year they can eventually be managing many employees by the time that they are done with school, which can look great on a resume. As far as a career is concerned, I do not know how secure of a career it would be, because there are only three professionals that work there full time. This makes it seem like it would be very difficult to acquire such a position and hold that position. The Ice Arena serves as a good source for leisure and employment for those in the adolescent to young adult age groups. Personally, every time that I go to the ice arena I have a good time. It is always fun watching a winning hockey team so you should come by and check it out. I guarantee that you will enjoy your leisure time at The University of Illinois Ice Arena.

-Mike Landuyt