Job Description

Maybe I should fill you in on what it is I/we do.

Here at the Berndes Center, aka the youth center, I rent this building out. We have a gym that you can play tennis, volleyball, have one basketball game going North and South or two going East and West.  This area is used for wedding receptions, banquets, car shows, rollerblading, reunions, prom, concerts, walking, practices (basketball, soccer, volleyball, football practices, district cross counrty meets for the school), practices for our leagues; basketball, volleyball, soccer, hitting, pitching, flag football.  Pheasants Forever, Trout Unlimited, the school foundation, dairy and beef banquets, Iowa Firemens Convention, a fur trappers convention, we just about cover it.

There is a smaller room used for meetings, senior dining, driver's ed, league meetings, showers, smaller dinners, reunions, graduation parties, reunions, cards.

We also have a kitchen.  We use it as a concession stand as do others.  Receptions use it for, well, their receptions as do the banquets, anything that will serve food.

There is an upstairs that we have held meetings in when the other room is busy.  Also there are two storerooms upsatirs and one behind the kitchen with a washer and dryer so I can wash the pinnies after basketball and senior dining uses it for their towels.

We print our league forms for our activities.  We use different colors of paper for different age/grade groups that way we don't have to read each one when they come back in the mail.  We offer basketball, soccer, swim team, baseball, softball, volleyball, flag football, and clinics and beg unsuspecting parents to coach their kids team.  The basketball and volleyball are split into two different age/groups while soccer, baseball and softball into four.  We don't want anyone to get hurt so we don't put K-1 with 5th-8th.  Get real.

Also, we, do some upkeep.  We meaning (as of right now) Clayton, Matthew and myself.  We'll fix or repair, paint, clean, scrub, shovel snow, change a light bulb or fix the ceiling tiles.

Not including the administrating stuff, meetings, budgets, bids, etc.

That is here.

Across town, we also have to get the pool ready in the spring.  That means powerwashing the winter crud out, clean the concession area and appliances, the office, the guard's breakroom, the showers, the bathrooms, put the umbrella skins on the skeletons (always fun), check the ropes, clean the pump and chemical rooms, mow, trim, rake the sand, pull weeds, check the fence, take out the lounge chairs and wash, order chemicals, hire the help and wax the slides.

Schedule swim lessons, parties, work schedules for guards and assistants.  Make sure we have WSI's on staff to teach swim lessons, make sure the guards have the proper papers. 

Keep daily records of the four chemical tests, the accident reports, the "brat book" and any other documentation up to date before the inspector comes for a three and a half hour visit.

Luckily Dave W. checks all the mechanical things.  I'm lucky Dave sticks around.

Of course after the pool opens you have a crisis or two.  Sometimes every day.  Sometimes all day.  Rotten  kids (actually had a minor stabbing), creepers, drunks, fecal matter in the pool, on the bathroom walls and/or the floor, blood or vomit in the water or on the deck, someone didn't show up for work, someone fell off the high dive, you know, every day stuff, seven days a week.

Sorry, I forgot about the parks.  There is a park with shelter houses (6) to rent out on the fairgrounds (around the BC), trash cans to empty, landscaping to keep clear of weeds.  Another park that I will admit is slightly out of the way and neglected.  It took me two years to find it but I wasn't in charge at the time.  There is another shelter house by the pool to rent out.

There are nine ball diamonds to edge, weed, drag. put new lime on, pulverize, drag some more.  There are two at the elementary school, one by the other elementary school, one by the bus barn, two by the gardens and three at the complex that we maintain.  Most days at least seven have to be drug, raked and marked.  It depends on if it's Little League, PeeWee, T-ball, softball or Prep.  That is six days a week, all over town.

At the complex there is also a concession stand and one at the two fields by the gardens to clean along with the bathrooms.  Have to order supplies for those also.  Also have to make sure there is someone there working the concession stand because I will be at the other working it hoping there is no problems at the pool on the other end of town.  Luckily Hailee and Jeff will be here by then.

When you think I'm disorganized, lost in thought, mean, grumpy or downright angry, I might be working on the 60th hour of the week, it's only Wednesday, and I'm filthy and hungry.

I do love my job though.  I do love the kids I work with because I know I can send Jeff here, Hailee there while I'm doing this and Matt is doing that and poor Clay will be learning all of this fun stuff this summer.  The park board is the best, the community wonderful, the children the greatest.  I love it when they yell at me when I'm driving by on the Polaris....actually, I think they just want a ride.  Hmmm.