10/12/2026
👋Sharing from another rink owner.
Something to keep in mind when you complain to the staff that it costs too much or that it should be free all the time.
Or my personal favorite, that we don't pay for our utilities and everything we sell in the concession stand is given to us for free🤦♀️.
****We are NOT closing****
"Help save the rink." Sad...
A $3 increase can feel expensive—until the rink closes and the next family outing costs twice as much.
That’s what I wish more people understood when they see a skating rink asking for help to stay open.
As a lifelong skater, these posts break my heart. As a rink owner, I now see the financial reality behind them.
Skating offers hours of entertainment for one admission price. At Sportsworld, a $14 three-hour session includes skate rental. That’s less than $5 per hour for music, exercise, friendships, and memories.
Now imagine a rink raises admission by $3. That three-hour visit goes from $14 to $17—one additional dollar per hour.
Some customers understand. Others say, “That’s too expensive. I remember when skating was $5.”
But ask yourself: How many of your bills are still what they were when skating cost $5?
The rink’s bills aren’t, either.
Electricity. Payroll. Insurance. Building payments. Music licenses. Cleaning supplies. Rental skates. Maintenance. Repairs.
Every one of those expenses comes out of the admission money before the owner makes a living or puts money toward improvements.
And the owner has a family, personal bills, and money invested in that business, too. Being passionate about skating doesn’t make those obligations disappear.
I understand that families are stretched. If you’re paying for several children, even a small increase matters. There are times when an outing simply doesn’t fit the budget, and that deserves respect.
But a family deciding it cannot afford a visit and a business charging an unfair price are two different things.
Something can be reasonably priced and still be outside someone’s budget. That doesn’t mean the business can afford to charge less.
Here is the situation rinks find themselves in:
“This place looks old.”
“They need to update the bathrooms.”
“They need better skates.”
“They need to fix this or replace that.”
Those expectations are fair. Customers deserve a place that is cared for.
But when admission increases to help pay for those things, the response becomes, “Why are they charging so much?”
Where is the money for those improvements supposed to come from?
The same customers asking for a better experience are sometimes upset about the price needed to provide it.
A rink cannot keep yesterday’s prices, pay today’s expenses, and build tomorrow’s improvements. Eventually, something gives.
Sometimes that means putting off an upgrade.
Sometimes it means the owner goes without a paycheck.
Sometimes it means the doors close.
A busy Saturday night doesn’t mean the owner is getting rich. That session also has to help cover the expenses that continue when the building is empty.
Every business needs to make a profit. A skating rink is no different. Breaking even leaves no cushion for a failed air conditioner, a major repair, or a slow month. Owners cannot keep pouring personal money into a business forever.
People might see a large building and a crowd of skaters. What they don’t see is how little may remain after everything is paid.
We also need to think honestly about how we judge value.
We’ll often accept spending $15 or more on a quick meal, several dollars on a coffee, or much more on a hair appointment or nails. People are free to spend their money however they choose.
But why is a few dollars more for three or four hours of entertainment sometimes treated as unreasonable?
Why do we accept that other businesses’ prices change, but expect a skating rink to stay frozen at the price we remember from childhood?
Then a rink closes, and the conversation changes:
“I loved that place.”
“I wish it was still open.”
“There’s nothing for kids to do here.”
“I hope someone opens something new.”
The community wanted the rink to stay. But wanting a business to stay and spending enough there to keep it open are not the same thing.
Whatever replaces it—if anything does—will have to charge enough to survive, too. It may cost more and give your family less time together.
That is the part we have to connect before the doors close.
As owners, we have responsibilities. We must control expenses, maintain the building, listen to customers, and provide an experience worth paying for. A price increase doesn’t excuse poor service or neglect.
But responsible ownership also means charging enough to keep the business healthy. Keeping prices artificially low until there’s nothing left to operate with serves no one in the end.
If you love skating, support your local rink when you can. Visit. Bring a friend. Book a party. Share its events. And when a price changes, consider the value of the entire experience.
The price that keeps a rink affordable today also has to keep it open tomorrow. Otherwise, we haven’t preserved affordable entertainment—we’ve lost it.
—Shae Gentry
Sportsworld Skate Center
For Skaters. By Skaters.
