Locker Room Policy

AHAI LOCKER ROOM POLICY

Under USA Hockey’s current Locker Room Policy “all USA Hockey Member Programs are required to have at least one responsible [NCSI screened and SafeSport trained] adult (which may include coaches, managers or other volunteers) present at all times and monitoring the locker room during all team events to assure that only Participants (coaches and players), approved team personnel and family members are permitted in the locker room and to supervise the conduct in the locker room.” While USA Hockey expressly prefers that locker room monitors remain inside the locker room while Participants are present, if the monitor is “in the immediate vicinity outside the locker room (near the door within arm’s length and so that the monitor can sufficiently hear inside the locker room) who also regularly and frequently enters the locker room to monitor activity inside,” the Member Program is in compliance.

Despite this policy, however, more than half of all SafeSport incidents reported each year occur in locker rooms. In all but a few cases, there was no locker room monitor present.

AHAI believes that presence of adults inside the locker rooms is critical to maintaining a safe and positive environment for our players.  For this reason, Illinois is joining the many states that have imposed stricter locker room monitoring requirements than those required by USA Hockey. 

Effective immediately, the following conditions are REQUIRED of all AHAI Affiliates for locker room use at all team events including conditioning clinics, tryouts, practices, games and any event that a locker room is being utilized:

• No players shall be allowed access to the locker room unless a NCSI background screened/Safe Sport trained locker room monitor is present in the locker room.  
• If a single player is present, the locker room should be monitored by at least two adults until additional players arrive.
• If there is only one adult present, whether a coach or volunteer parent, they should wait for multiple players to arrive before allowing access to the locker room.
• The same strategies should be applied after practice with a monitor staying until the last player leaves, and at no time should one adult be alone in the locker room with one player, unless the player is their own child.

This policy applies to all minor USA Hockey Participants up through the youth 18U level and through girls 19U level. It should be noted that an Affiliate may at its discretion adopt stricter policies than those defined by USA Hockey or AHAI, but in no case may said policy be less strict. Affiliates found in violation of this policy will be sanctioned automatically, under Zero Tolerance, in the following manner starting December 1, 2023:

• 1st team offense: $500 fine to the Affiliate and one game suspension to the head coach
• 2nd team Offense: $1000 fine to the Affiliate and 3 game suspension to the head coach.
• Any additional offenses will require the Affiliate president and coaches of the noncompliant team to appear before AHAI’s Rules and Ethics Committee to determine appropriate discipline, which may include exclusion from participation in the Illinois State Tournament.

As a reminder, all Affiliates are required to publish locker room policies to the parents of all minor participants that are specific to the facilities they regularly use. The Affiliate’s policies shall include the program’s (a) practices for supervising and monitoring locker rooms and changing areas; (b) permission or lack of permission for parents to be in the locker rooms; (c) prohibited conduct, including at least all forms of abuse and misconduct prohibited by USA Hockey; and (d) specific policies regarding the use of mobile electronic devices and phones and prohibiting the use of a device’s recording capabilities.  

In addition to publishing these changes to AHAI’s locker room policy, AHAI strongly encourages all Affiliates to go over its locker room policy with parents and players at a team meeting. At that time, the Affiliate should:

• Clearly explain the rules and expectations for players with respect to locker room activity.
• Clearly explain the rules and expectations of the locker room monitor.…including the corrective action that will be taken if necessary (player could be benched or suspended, for example.).
• Ensure players and parents understand the locker room monitor is there to help ensure there is a safe environment for all members of the team. 

AHAI is confident that this policy change will reduce incidents of hazing, bullying, harassment, or other inappropriate behaviors caused by an unsupervised locker room. The safety and well-being of every player is and will continue to be AHAI’s top priority.

Additional Chicago Hawks Hockey Club Locker Room Monitor Procedures

Order of locker room monitors when applicable (girls teams without female coaches excluded): 

1. Head Coach

Head Coach is responsible for ensuring locker room monitors are present if he/she cannot serve as monitor.

1. Assistant Coaches

Locker Room monitor responsibilities next apply to Assistant Coaches. 

1. Screened & SafeSport Approved Parent Monitors

If no other coaches are available, Screened & SafeSport Approved Parent Monitors will supervise the locker room.

• The Head Coach is responsible for ensuring locker room monitors are present.
• Managers will not serve as locker room monitors.
• Managers are not responsible for making sure locker room monitors are present, with exceptions to emergencies.
• Locker room time restrictions:  Arrival & Departure - 25 minutes before and after all games or practices. 
• Players will need to find an alternate space to dress if arriving late, or if the player cannot dress within 25 minutes.
• Darien SportsPlex will have access to list of approved locker room monitors
• Chicago Hawks Hockey Club is not responsible for paying screening fees. However, slush funds can be used if all parents are in agreement. SafeSport is free but there is a small fee for a NCSI background check.
• All locker room monitors, including coaches, will sign a CHHC pledge acknowledging they understand the AHAI policy, are screened and SafeSport approved and understand the responsibility of a mandatory reporter.
• The Chicago Hawks Hockey Club will allow 2 parent volunteers (per team) to receive 8 hours of DIBS credit for serving as locker room monitors.
• The purpose of locker room monitors is to eliminate unacceptable behaviors in locker rooms such as; hazing, bullying, harassment, or other inappropriate behaviors. If an incident in the locker room should occur, the monitor needs to contact a second monitor to either contact authorities.(Please clarify-see highlighted AHAI bullet points ) 
• All locker room monitors will be listed on the AHAI roster.
• Per the AHAI policy, if a violation is submitted to AHAI, the head coach of that team will need to appear before the Rules and Ethics Committee. After December 1st, 2023 the first violation will result in a $500 fine to the club and a suspension of the head coach. A second violation will result in a $1000 fine to the club and a 3 game suspension to the head coach. Additional violations may put the team at risk of losing its spot in the State tournament.  The CHHC Rules & Ethics committee may have additional forms of corrective action after the violation is evaluated. 

How to become a Locker Room Monitor

*USA HOCKEY: 

Every Locker Room Volunteer will need to register at USA Hockey for your USA Hockey number.  It does not cost anything, and you will receive a hockey number just like your player did.  When you receive this number, please email Luke Gosewisch at lukegosewisch@gmail.com

*SAFESPORT – MUST COMPLETE ASAP! 

https://www.usahockey.com/safesporttraining

No manager can be added to a roster until SafeSport has been completed.  Please take the time to do this ASAP.  The SafeSport Training and Refresher Training are each valid for one (1) season beginning.

NATIONAL LEVEL BACKGROUND SCREENING - REQUIRED

In compliance with new requirements from the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC), USA Hockey has launched a new national level background screening program.  All adult coaches, officials, board members, employees, volunteers, and anyone else who will have regular contact with, or authority over, athletes under the age of 18 are required to submit to a background screen before any such contact with those athletes.

Please visit https://www.usahockey.com/backgroundscreen for more information and to begin the process.

The eight-digit self-registration ID number for USAH to initiate your screen is 35615801.

The cost to you is $30 and will now have to be completed every year. Your team's slush fund can pay for this if your team agrees.