Cougar Cafe

🏒 2026-2027 Club Volunteer Playbook

Standard Requirement: 12 Hours Per Family | Season Deadline: March 1st, 2027

The snack bar is one of our club’s largest fundraisers. These funds cover essential requirements—ice time, referee fees, and facility costs—that registration fees alone do not meet.

🚨 Accountability & Financial Terms

To ensure the snack bar is staffed, we strictly enforce the following:

• The January 1st Milestone: Every Path A family must have 4 hours completed by January 1st. Any family under this mark will be automatically billed $40.00 per missing hour via Crossbar. Coaches are exempt from this milestone requirement.
• Final Season Billing: If the 12-hour goal is not met by March 1, 2027, families will be billed for all remaining unworked hours at $40.00 per hour.
• Redlining: Any family with an unpaid balance will be redlined with USA Hockey. Players will be ineligible for all team activities (practices/games) until the balance is paid.

📍 Earning Your Hours

• Qualifying Events: Home games, HS games, Tournaments, or special sessions including but not limited to: soccer tournament, skating show(s), Fourth of July snack bar, golf tournament (all volunteer sign-ups will be posted on Crossbar).
• The Binder: You must sign in/out of the physical binder( located on the shelf under the register)
•  If covering a swap, the person working must sign their name but note the "Credit To" family.
• Coaches: Required to complete 6 hours before the end of the hockey season.
• Child Policy: Children may assist with small tasks under adult supervision but do not count toward the family hour requirement.
• During high-volume times, children may be asked to exit the snackbar and return once the “rush” has been completed.

Since our snack bar is focused on prepackaged items and does not require heavy cooking equipment like fryers or ovens, the roles are much more about hospitality, efficiency, and organization. Because you are a high-volume fundraiser, keeping the line moving is the goal.

Here is a breakdown of the three core roles for an NCYH snack bar shift:

1. The Clerk (The "Face" of the Counter)

The Clerk is the primary point of contact for customers. Since there is no complex ordering, this role is all about speed and accuracy.

• Primary Tasks: Greeting customers, taking orders, and processing payments (cash or card via the register/Square).
• Requirements: Basic comfort with technology (the register, I-Pad for card transactions), a friendly "hockey-parent" attitude, and the ability to multitask during a busy period between periods.
• The Goal: Keep the line short so parents don't miss their skater's next shift.

2. The Cook (The "Prep Specialist")

Even without a fryer or oven, the "Cook" is responsible for the items that require assembly or heat.

• Primary Tasks: Operating the cappuccino machine, brewing coffee, and using the microwave or hot dog rollers/warmers. They also handle the "assembly" of prepackaged items (e.g., putting a hot dog in a bun,popping and bagging the popcorn or heating up a breakfast sandwich).
• Requirements: Ability to follow basic food safety steps (wearing gloves, ) and keeping the "prep" area wiped down and sanitary.
• The Goal: Ensure that "hot" items are ready the moment the Clerk rings them up.

3. The Attendant (The "Engine Room")

The Attendant is the "behind-the-scenes" hero who makes sure the Clerk and Cook never run out of supplies.

• Primary Tasks: Restocking the Coke fridge, refilling the candy/chip displays, grabbing backups from the locked storage area, and managing the "Flash Tasks" (emptying trash, breaking down boxes).
• Requirements: A bit of "hustle." This person needs to keep an eye on inventory levels so the snack bar doesn't run out of a popular item mid-tournament. Wash dishes, sweep and mop as needed, organize,restock cups, refill slushie machine, help to wrap hot dogs and put in warmer, call Gino’s for Pizza..Step in where needed.
• The Goal: Eliminate downtime by ensuring every item is within arm's reach of the Clerk and Cook. Help with keeping the area tidy and gauging how much food to prepare depending on how busy the schedule is looking that day.

Important Reminder for All Roles

The Binder: Regardless of which role you take, every volunteer must sign in and out of the physical binder located on the shelf under the register to ensure your 12 hours are tracked correctly!

📍 Home Tournaments for Opt-Outs

While your obligations have been fulfilled (and we very much appreciate that), offering a hand if you see something that needs to be done is always welcomed. Stepping up for a “Flash Task” has a high impact on helping tournaments run smoothly.

• Flash Tasks include but are not limited to: checking in with snack bar workers, lending a hand if you are available too especially with carrying items (groceries, soda…).

What Falls Under "Team Duties" (Non-Credit)

The following roles are considered "essential game-day operations" and are expected to be covered by parents of NCYH without counting toward your mandatory snack bar hours:

• Clock/Scoreboard Operator: Keeping time for your own child’s game.
• Music/PA: Providing the "vibe" and announcing goals.
• Mite Board Setup: Moving the dividers for cross-ice or half-ice games.
• Raffle/Fundraising for Home Tournaments: While it feels like work, if it’s specifically for your team’s tournament slot, it’s excluded.
• Locker Room Monitor: Generally required for safety (SafeSport) but often unpaid in "credits."

The reason behind this is: The board's logic is typically that these above tasks are necessary for the basic operation of your own child's game, rather than a service that reduces its overhead costs.