They always say that no two days are the same and that is exactly true when you’re on the street team for the Chicago Blackhawks Hockey Club. Things change during the year, hockey season comes and goes, but the street team is ongoing. Events all around Chicago want to feature the Blackhawks and the Blackhawks want to get their name out into the public for the sake of their fans. That’s where I come in, my coworkers and I are the ones at these events, the ones people see as the face of the Blackhawks and sometimes the first experience people have with the organization. The job is broken into two parts; game day staff and event staff. Let’s discuss them both.

Game day staff is the best part, the time everyone looks forward to. If you aren’t into being at hockey games and taking in that atmosphere maybe this isn’t the right position for you. Games are exciting, so much can happen and it can happen quickly. The positions are chosen at random and range from helping silent auction, manning a sign creation station, getting people excited about the kid’s club, and T-shirts. If I had to choose my favorite I would pick T-shirts every time. This season, the club implemented t-shirt Sunday where every period shirts were thrown and dropped from the parachutes.

What most people don’t know is that someone needs to actually fill the machine that drops those parachutes all the way up in the rafters. These games were filled with heading up to the rafters, filling the machines and then heading back down to help the Ice Girls throw shirts to fans and repeating. It might seem like a routine but during the games anything can change and you might find yourself delivering presents to season ticket holders for a ticket sales representative. Words of advice, take charge and think on your feet. As I said things change and sometimes you might need to handle a situation meant for someone with higher rank than you.

Now we go to event staff, these events range from those put on for sponsors and those put on outside of the United Center at festivals and events throughout the Chicagoland area. Generally, only 5 people go to these and there is no “higher up” heading out with you. You load up the cruiser, read the event description on the way, put a smile on your face and make sure these fans have the times of their lives. Questions come from all angles and sometimes you might not know the answer, ITS OKAY TO TELL THEM THAT. The last thing you want is to tell someone something wrong and disappoint them. Let them know that you will ask your supervisor and have them check back for the answer. Events can be long, and people can get annoying but that’s all part of the day and of the job. Over all it’s exciting, it’s fun, and it’s an unforgettable experience.  For someone interested in sports and finding a way in, this is the way to go. Join the street team, make your connections, and keep them for as long as you may need. Most of all, HAVE FUN!