Pastor finds calling in 'sin bin'

Augustana’s campus pastor is a familiar face for students, faculty and staff.

From leading chapel services and advising students’ faith-focused initiatives to simply being present at campus events, many community members have come to know Rev. Ann Rosendale as a key facet of Augustana’s spiritual life.

But this year, Rosendale gained popularity for her work in a new role: the attendant of the opposing team’s penalty box at Viking hockey games

“I didn’t play hockey, but it was one of the earliest sports I was introduced to,” Rosendale said. “My dad would put skates on my sister and me and we’d go out to the neighborhood pond. Hockey has been around my whole life because my dad loved it.”

So when the opportunity arose to work as the penalty box attendant for Augustana hockey games, Rosendale jumped at the chance. 

“Well, at first I thought it would be really fun to drive the Zamboni,” Rosendale said. “Then I learned that the penalty box attendant position was also open. And as I started to think about it more, the penalty box attendant made more sense.”

Rosendale recalls Augustana had a job fair for hockey positions during the arena’s construction. She approached Luke Groth, the associate athletics director for operations, and expressed her interest in the penalty box attendant job. Rosendale said he immediately responded with an offer, saying, “The job is yours if you want it.”

And just like that, Rosendale became the penalty box attendant for the Augustana hockey team. 

For Rosendale, the role of pastor and penalty box attendant go hand in hand.

“It’s the perfect job for a pastor because it’s confession and forgiveness, which is what I do,” Rosendale said. “And then when I found out that people call it the ‘sin bin,’ I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is perfect for a pastor.’”

As she sits in the box with the player serving the penalty, Rosendale offers a listening ear and a place of peace and reflection.

“It’s also really fun,” Rosendale added with a laugh. “It’s really fun to sit right there on the ice and have a front row seat to the game. But it has surprisingly taught me about my role as a pastor and about hospitality in the midst of people’s sin and brokenness.”

It’s not just the job title that makes it a perfect fit for Rosendale. As a Lutheran Christian institution, faith plays a significant role in many aspects of life at Augustana, including hockey.

“Of course the pastor should be in the penalty box,” Rosendale said. “It makes all the sense in the world at a faith-based institution. Faith has something to do with everything we do here at Augustana, including hockey. Hockey is not separate from our identity as a Lutheran Christian institution. So maybe a pastor in a penalty box is a way of making that tangible or visible.”

Rosendale said she found the most challenging part to be adapting her viewing style while watching the game.

“I’m getting better about learning how to watch the game,” Rosendale said. “Initially your eyes are on the players, but really you can’t watch the players. You have to watch the puck. The puck moves so fast, so you can easily lose track.”

Rosendale’s job may seem simple, but to her, it holds a deeper meaning. Just like in her role as a pastor, she sees it as an opportunity to show hospitality and offer a listening ear to those who may be in a moment of distress. 

“Really, what I do is open and close the door. It’s hospitality,” Rosendale said. “And that is what a pastor does, opens the door for people. A pastor welcomes people. A pastor offers people water when they’re thirsty, which I do in the penalty box. A pastor talks to people when they’re sitting in their sin.”

Rosendale also jokes that she takes players’ confessions as they sit for their “repentance sentence.”

As Rosendale sits with the players in the penalty box, she sees a wide range of emotions. Some may come in fuming and ready to throw a punch, while others may sit quietly, still seething from their penalty. But regardless of their initial reactions, Rosendale’s calming presence has a noticeable effect on them.

“It’s interesting because some of them come in really hot. They’re mad, they’re fuming, they’re swearing, they’re throwing things, literally,” Rosendale said. “And then they sit down, and I say, ‘Welcome, can I get you anything? I have some water here. Would you like some water?’ And I don’t know if it’s my presence as a pastor. I think in some ways it’s my presence as a woman, but there is a calming that happens.”

EJ Emery, a defenseman for the U.S. National Under 18 team, had the chance to sit in the penalty box with Rosendale during a game on March 8. He remembered talking with her about a shared love of the Mighty Ducks movies, but Emery also noticed a change in his mindset while sitting with her. 

“You’re taking a penalty. You aren’t too happy,” Emery said. “But when you have a pastor in there, you’re thinking a little bit more about what you did. When a pastor tells you not to do something again, you try not to. I think it’s pretty unique and pretty cool.”

Rosendale’s presence has also helped to ease tensions and calm players during intense moments in the game.

“It definitely eased my mind a little bit,” Emery said. “I think just having a little bit of a good talk in there, the anger of taking the penalty kind of went away a little bit. I became a little more relaxed and calmed down.”

Officer Chris Solum, a member of Campus Safety’s special events team, has worked every hockey game in the penalty box with Rosendale. He has seen firsthand how her presence has affected the players. 

“The atmosphere of the penalty box can be anything from frustration, humor or just plain silence,” Solum said. “I have, a couple of times over the season, watched some very frustrated young men come into the box and, upon realizing she is a pastor, completely change their demeanor and or language.”

It’s not just the players and other game staff who have taken notice of Rosendale’s presence in the penalty box.

Fina Vander Poel, a freshman on chapel staff, has been following Rosendale’s journey in the “sin bin” on social media.

“She’s really excited about it,” Vander Poel said. “You can tell she really loves it. Every time she does it, she posts a selfie of herself on her Instagram and says something along the lines of like, ‘#inthesinbinagain’ or something.”

Rosendale may not be able to outwardly show her excitement when Augustana scores a goal, but she said she can’t help but feel pride inside.

“It’s such a rush when the players come in,” Rosendale said. “I get this adrenaline when the players come in. And it’s only two minutes, so it all happens so fast. My favorite part is when they come in and Augustana gets a power play. If Augustana scores on the power play or something, I can’t really show that I’m excited, but in my mind and my heart, I’m very excited.”

For Rosendale, the job is about more than just keeping track of penalties and making sure the players follow the rules. It’s about building relationships and providing support for the players.

“I do pray for the players,” Rosendale said. “I pray for them to be safe and I pray for them to make good choices.”