TEAM MANAGER HANDBOOK

Transcription

1 TEAM MANAGER HANDBOOK

2 Table of Contents USA Hockey & AAHA Registration... 3 WAHA Background Check... 3 USA Hockey Safe Sport Training... 3 Volunteer Credits and Dibs... 3 Team Manager s Duties... 4 Communication... 4 Team Funds and Team Fundraising... 4 Invitational Tournaments... 5 Game Day Logistics... 6 Game Confirmation... 7 Game and Practice Scheduling... 7 Team Building Activities... 9 Team Paperwork Team Webpage Roster Cards Roster Labels Award Patches MY HOCKEY RANKINGS (optional) Team & Individual Pictures Raffle Baskets Team Mailbox Important Dates Reimbursement Request Form LOCKER ROOM POLICY TRAVEL POLICY ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS POLICY

3 USA Hockey & AAHA Registration Team Managers must register with USA Hockey and AAHA every year. There is no fee to register. Register online with USA Hockey at: Make note of your confirmation number and then register online with AAHA at: WAHA Background Check Team Managers must complete a background screening through WAHA and Protect Youth Sports. The background check is required every two years. There is a fee for the background check that must be paid online. You may request to be reimbursed for the expense. Begin the background screening process online at: under Resources/Background Screening. If you are not sure if you need to complete the WAHA Background Check for this season, please the Vice President (vp@aahahockey.com). USA Hockey Safe Sport Training Team Managers must successfully complete USA Hockey s Safe Sport Training Program. Safe Sport Training is required every two years. There is no fee for the training program. The program must be completed online. Go to usa-hockey-safesport-program to complete the Safe Sport Training Program. The Safe Sport Training Program educates program volunteers on USA Hockey s policies on: sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, bullying, threats, harassment and hazing. The policies address areas where misconduct can occur and are intended to reduce the risk of potential abuse including a locker room policy, electronic communications policy and travel policy. Volunteer Credits and Dibs Team Managers earn 15 volunteer credits for the season. Team Managers must claim their volunteer credits online at: If you choose to have co-managers for the team, volunteer credits can be split between the comanagers. The split must be approved before the season so there are no misunderstandings and conveyer to the DIBS Coordinator. 3

4 Team Manager s Duties The Team Manager has many duties throughout the season. The coach, players and parents rely upon the manager s organizational and communication skills for a successful season. Duties include: Communication Team Funds & Team Fundraising Tournament Registration, Payment & Hotels Game Day Logistics Game Confirmations Additional games & practices Team Building Activities Team Raffle Baskets Team Paperwork Team Webpage Roster Card Roster Labels Award Patches My Hockey Rankings Coaches appreciation cards/gifts IMPORTANT NOTE: In addition to a Team Manager, every team must also have a Team Jersey Manager and 1-2 Team Locker Room Supervisor(s). The Team Jersey Manager position may be split between 2 individuals one for home jerseys and one for away jerseys. The Team Jersey Manager(s) may also be the Team Locker Room Supervisor(s) but the Team Manager may not be the Team Locker Room Supervisor. Communication The Team Manager is the link between the Association and the team, as well as the link between the coaches and the team parents. It is a good idea to send a weekly to the team parents with the following information: Practice days, times and locations for the week Game times and locations for the upcoming weekend Reminder to subscribe to the AAHA ical feed or to regularly check the calendar Assignments for off-ice officials for home games Association reminders Coaches messages Team Funds and Team Fundraising Skater fees cover only a portion of a team s costs each season. The Team Manager is responsible for collecting and managing the additional team funds. Be transparent with all fees. Add up the cost of the tournaments, add in anything that the team has decided to do and divide it by the number of players on the team. That is your team fee. Some team managers 4

5 open a free checking account because they have the team fee money and the referee money. It is up to each Team Manager but the important part is to make sure that the Manager provides parents with a clear accounting for the team funds. Additional team costs to consider: Tournament registration fees Additional practice ice Additional game ice and referees Hotel costs and gas for volunteer coaches (optional) Team building day and team party Two - three team raffle baskets Coaches appreciation gifts Shipping labels for roster labels Laundry detergent for jersey managers Post-game snacks Team apparel Teams may choose to have a team fundraiser to help cover additional costs. Please note that if a team earns more from fundraising than their costs for practices, games and tournaments, the excess must be given to AAHA. It is a violation of AAHA s non-profit status to use fundraising money for anything that is considered a private benefit to the team members. The Team Manager needs to request approval from the Vice President for any team fundraising and account for funds earned and how they are used. Invitational Tournaments As a general rule of thumb, most teams participate in one local tournament and two travel tournaments, not including the State Tournament, each season. A local tournament is one that is close enough so that it does not require an overnight stay in a hotel. Some teams will vote to participate in more tournaments, some will agree to fewer. Tournaments are a fun bonding experience for the team but do add expenses in terms of registration, transportation, meals and lodging. Try to select tournaments on weekends when the team has no games scheduled. It can be very difficult to reschedule games, especially double headers! A listing of sanctioned, invitational tournaments is posted on the WAHA website under Tournaments/Invitational Tournaments. Once the Head Coach has selected the team s tournaments, register right away. Many tournaments fill up early. 5

6 The Team Manager is responsible for registering the team online, paying the team registration fee, and then collecting the registration money from the team parents. Notify the Scheduler as soon as you have registered for a tournament so that it can be added to the AAHA calendar. The Team Manager should also find out if the tournament host has a list of preferred hotels for the event. Most associations receive a kickback from their preferred hotels, so try to use the suggested hotels. Contact the hotel immediately and block a set of rooms for the team and notify the team parents of the deadline to book their rooms at the event rate. As an alternative to a tournament, you can also consider a travel weekend. For example, if you are able to book a double header with an opponent located more than an hour away from Appleton, consider an overnight hotel stay and then book a game or another double header with a different opponent on the other day of the weekend. Many teams drive to our area and play Appleton one day, spend the night, and play Fox Valley or Green Bay the next day. Game Day Logistics Away Games: For away games, take the team s paperwork with you even though you will likely not need it. The team s paperwork includes a copy of the team s USA Hockey roster, consent for medical treatment form and the annotation of birth facts form for each player. You will need to have 4 roster labels for the host team s scorekeeper. Pick up a copy of the score sheet after the game and keep it in your records after the coaches have had a chance to review it. Home Games: For home games, have the team s paperwork with you. Prior to the game, you will need to assign team parents to perform the off-ice official duties (clock, score, home penalty box, visitor s penalty box, music/emcee). Remind team parents that office officials should be neutral parties during a game. Bring a blank score sheet, put your 4 roster labels on the score sheet and get 4 roster labels from the other team manager. Pay the referees, in cash, before the game. Pick up the score sheet after the game and give the appropriate copy to the other team s manager. Monitoring of Score Sheets: The Team Manager needs to monitor all score sheets. If a player or coach is ejected from a game, a copy of the score sheet must be turned in to the Conduct Committee. If a parent is ejected from the stands, this should also be reported to the Conduct Committee. Any game misconducts or injuries should be reported to AAHA Operations Manager. 6

7 Game Confirmation One week prior to every game, the Team Manager should confirm all home and away games with the opposing team manager. You can find contact information on the WAHA website under About WAHA/Associations and then click on the name for the appropriate association. If there is anything that is incorrect, please notify the Scheduler immediately. Contact information is also found on each opposing team s website. Game and Practice Scheduling It is important that the Team Manager help educate parents on the guidelines from USA Hockey on the long-term development of hockey players. The American Development Model (ADM) has set guidelines for on-ice and off-ice practice and game sessions for Mite U6 Bantam/U14. Mite U6 (Mite Blue) USA Hockey ADM Requirements 3 days off at Thanksgiving; 7 days off at Christmas Utilize USA Hockey station-based practice plans and guidelines per ADM agespecific stage documents Equal strength teams for practices and games 2 on-ice sessions per week (including games), minutes in duration, maximum 50 on-ice sessions per season Cross ice games, 3x3 or 4x4 No goalies in practices or games Use blue pucks in all practices and game Equal playing time for all players No missing school for hockey Mite U8 (Mite Red/Mite White) 3 days off at Thanksgiving; 7 days off at Christmas Utilize USA Hockey station-based practice plans and guidelines per ADM agespecific stage documents Like ability teams for practices and games (beginner blue, intermediate white, advanced red) 2-3 on-ice sessions per week (including games), minutes in duration, minimum of 35+ practices, sessions per season; 1 off-ice session per week Cross ice or half ice games, 4x4, intermediate nets Rotating goalie position; Goalies must skate out 50% of the ice sessions 7

8 Team structure of 8-10 skaters No U8 players should move up to play Squirt/U10 full-ice hockey Equal playing times for all players No missing school for hockey Squirt/U10 3 days off at Thanksgiving; 7 days off at Christmas Teams consisting of skaters and 1-2 goalies If 2 goalies, must split each game or have one skate out each game 3-4 on-ice sessions per week (including games), minutes in duration, minimum 75 on ice practice hours, minimum 3:1 ratio for practices to game days, game days, 35 games max; 2 off-ice training sessions per week (30-40 minutes) Practices must follow USA Hockey station-based guidelines No games, tournaments where body checking is allowed No single team practice sessions with a minimum of 2 teams per on-ice session (3 recommended; players) Equal playing time for all players Rotating positions so that all players experience both forward and defense positions No missing school for hockey PeeWee/U12 3 days off at Thanksgiving; 7 days off at Christmas 3 hours of practice per week, plus games Practices must follow USA Hockey station-based guidelines Minimum of 80 on-ice practice hours per season Maximum of 35 game days and a maximum of 40 games skaters and 2 goalies per team (recommended 12 skaters and 1-2 goalies) No single team practice sessions, 2-3 teams per practice session 2 off-ice sessions per week No PeeWee players should move up to play Bantam full-checking hockey Equal playing time for all players Rotating positions so that all players experience both forward and defense positions 1 Chalk Talk/Video Session per week 8

9 Bantam/U14 9-month season 4-5 on-ice sessions per week (including games), 160 sessions per season including 120 practices, games 16 skaters per team and 1-2 goalies The Association Scheduler will take care of scheduling team practices and setting up the initial game schedule for the season. Teams will be provided with ice time and referee money for a designated number of home games. This number varies by age group and may change from season to season based upon registration and fees. The Team Manager is responsible for booking ice and scheduling any additional home games. For additional games, the team is responsible for paying the ice fees directly to the facility and for paying the referee fees. If you do book extra games, be sure to notify the Scheduler so that he/she can request referees for the game. The Team Manager is responsible for booking ice and scheduling any additional team practices. The team is responsible for paying the ice fees for additional practices directly to the facility. Most local rinks charge $200-$225/hour for prime ice. If you need to reschedule a game due to a conflict with a tournament, please notify the Scheduler immediately. The Scheduler will make every attempt to find a date and time to reschedule the game. Team Building Activities The Team Manager should consider planning a team building day early in the season, usually the first weekend after team placements. Team building activities may include laser tag, pizza party, pool party, extra ice session, bowling, etc. This is an opportunity for the kids and parents to get to know each other. At invitational tournaments, consider planning a potluck dinner at the team hotel or a team dinner at a nearby restaurant. Finally, after the last game of the season, consider planning an end-of-season party for the team. This is a time to recognize the coaches, parents and players for their time and commitment. End-of-season parties could be anything from a parent-child scrimmage to a dinner party with a slideshow and player awards. 9

10 Team Paperwork The Team Manager should have the team s official paperwork available at all regular games, tournament games, play down games and state tournament games. The official paperwork includes: USA Hockey roster The roster should be signed by the WAHA Registrar and should include every player on the team and every coach. No coach or player may be on the ice at a practice or on the ice or bench during a game unless he or she is appropriately registered. USA Hockey Consent for Medical treatment form On Occasion a player may not have a parent present at a game and an emergency may arise. If the consent for medical treatment form is not on file with the team manager we cannot seek medical assistance. WAHA Annotation of Birth Facts Form You should have a completed and signed Annotation of Birth Facts Form for every player on the team. This form only needs to be completed once during the duration of a player s tenure at AAHA. These forms should be returned to the Manager Coordinator at the conclusion of each season. Score sheets You will receive 12 blank score sheets at the beginning of the season. You should keep a copy of every score sheet for the season. You may be required to show that a player has played a certain number of games during a specific time period leading up to playdowns. You may also need the score sheets for Award Patch requests. Team Webpage The Team Manager will have the ability to make modifications to the team page on the AAHA website. Please post your name and contact information immediately so that other team managers can contact you directly. Go to the AAHA website under Teams and click on your team name. You can post pictures, news and events, roster information, game scores, and player statistics. Be sure to check with the Head Coach before posting game scores and player statistics. More detailed instructions for editing a team s webpage are available on the Team Manager page of the AAHA website. Please do not set up an external team website through services such as Shutterfly or Team Snap. Sport NGIN has a platform called Team Manager that provides all of the same services as these other sites including text messaging, availability, etc. and you will not ever have to worry about the calendars matching the official AAHA calendar. 10

11 Roster Cards The Team Manager should prepare a set of roster cards for the team parents. A roster card is a laminated, pocket-sized card with the players names, jersey numbers, parents names, and phone numbers. This provides a way for parents to identify players on the ice during games and to contact other team parents in case of emergency. Roster Labels The Team Manager should prepare 4 roster labels for the score sheet for every game. Rosters labels are white shipping labels (10 labels per sheet) printed with the information required for a game score sheet. There is a template available on the AAHA webpage under Team Managers. Award Patches At the end of the season, the Team Manager will submit a request for award patches. Award patches are individual player awards earned during regular games. Award patches earned during tournament games are given out by the tournament host. There are three different awards. Players may earn no more than one of each award for the season (excluding tournament awards). Hat Trick Award For a player scoring three goals in a game. Playmaker Award For a player registering three assists in a game. Zero Club Award For a goalkeeper playing a complete game without allowing a goal. For award patches, you will need to submit the scoresheet for the game when the award was earned as well as a completed request form. The form is available on the AAHA webpage under Team Managers/Award Forms. MY HOCKEY RANKINGS (optional) You can use this tool to adjust your schedule to play teams at similar levels, look at opposition records and like competition to get an idea of how to schedule. This has provided a more rewarding season for the teams. Your scores are posted via two main routes. 1) By individual teams, from the My Hockey Rankings home page, along the top. Use the "guest reporting" method to report your scores. 11

12 2) By volunteers, entering the scores either ed to the organizer or from looking at individual team sites that have their scores listed. Click on Leagues along the top. On the next page scroll down to and open the link to Wisconsin Amateur Hockey Association. On the following page, go to the bottom and click on WAHA (your team, ie: PeeWee 1A, Squirt 1C, etc). Team & Individual Pictures Picture Night will be scheduled for early November. As a team, decide which jerseys and socks to wear. Make sure that the Jersey Manager brings the appropriate jerseys. The Manager Coordinator or Member Services will send a notice in mid-october with the dates and times for team and individual pictures. Raffle Baskets Every team is required to donate raffle baskets in support of AAHA s fundraising efforts. This will vary by season depending on tournament allocation. For the season it will be 3 baskets for Youth teams and 2 for Mite Teams: 1. Home Tournaments o All Youth Teams Girls, Bantam, PeeWee and Squirt - should donate a basket for the Girls Tournament during the 1 st weekend of December. o All Mite teams should donate a basket for the Monsters on Ice Festival in March. 2. Hoist the Cup: All teams Mite and Youth - should donate a basket for the Hoist the Cup fundraiser in February. 3. State Tournament: All Youth Teams Girls, Bantam, PeeWee and Squirt - should donate a basket for a State Tournament hosted by AAHA in March. AAHA hosts its annual fundraiser, Hoist the Cup, in February every year. The purpose of the fundraiser is to help maintain our relatively low skater fees while covering costs for the scholarship fund, association equipment such as bumpers and nets, team equipment such as pucks, water bottles and puck bags, goalie equipment, rental equipment, etc. The Association encourages every parent and coach to attend this fun event. Admission to Hoist the Cup is free. Every family is required to sell a minimum of $ worth of raffle tickets for this event. Tickets will be distributed at the Parent Meeting in September. The Team Manager will need to distribute the tickets to any family not in attendance at the Parent Meeting. 12

13 Team Mailbox Every team will have a mailbox for the season. Depending upon the number of teams, some teams may have to share mailboxes. The Team Manager will be issued a mailbox key at the beginning of the season. It should be returned to the Manager Coordinator at the end of the season. 13

14 Important Dates 14

15 Reimbursement Request Form Payable to: Address: Date Submitted: Event: Reason for Expense: Total Expenses: When submitting this form, you must attach receipt(s) with specific items circled or highlighted. Reimbursement requests must be submitted within 30 days of the expense and no later than the end of the fiscal year. Submit this form with receipt to the AAHA Treasurer, c/o Craig King. It may be submitted as follows: 1. placed in Treasurer mailbox at AFIC 2. form to 15

16 LOCKER ROOM POLICY Effective Date: July 1, 2014 Purpose In accordance with USA Hockey s SafeSport guidelines, AAHA will provide a safe and monitored locker room environment for all participants in youth hockey. This policy is enacted to minimize player vulnerability to bullying, harassment, sexual abuse and hazing in AAHA locker room environments. Responsibility It is the responsibility of each AAHA team s coaching staff and team manager to implement and enforce this Policy, including the selection of a Locker Room Monitor for each team. Failure by a coach or Team Manager to take appropriate steps to ensure adherence to the Locker Room Policy, or violation thereof by any participant or parent of a participant is subject to appropriate disciplinary action. General Information 1. Each AAHA team will appoint a minimum of one adult to act as Monitor for the entirety of the season. 2. The candidate(s) must undergo and pass a background check and successfully complete SafeSport training. 3. The Monitor(s) must be of the same gender as the players in the cases of boys-only and girls-only teams. See below for additional Co-Ed team rules. 4. This position may NOT be a member of the current coaching staff or the Team Manager, as responsibilities of these positions require absence from the locker rooms at various times pre- and post-practice and game times. 5. The Monitor will receive 15 credits toward their AAHA Volunteer requirements. If a team has two Monitors (recommended), these credits will be split between the two individuals. 6. Coaches, Manager and Supervisors will decide each individual team policy in regard to locker room access for parents, family and other approved personnel. (For younger players, it is common for more parental access to aid in gearing up before practices and games; for older players, it is not recommended to have a free, open parental access policy) 7. The Monitor must be physically inside the locker room at all times that players are within the facilities. 8. In addition, at no time should a single Monitor be in the locker room with only one player, unless that player is his/her child. And at no time should a coach be alone with only one player, unless that player is his/her child. When necessary, the Monitor should have the second-to-last player wait for the final player to finish preparation, and they should leave the room together. 9. When the players are on the ice, the Monitor is also responsible for properly securing the locker room to limit access to non-players and coaches. 16

17 10. The use of cell phones, tablets, cameras, video recorders and other electronic media with recording capabilities are strictly forbidden at all times, with the only notable exceptions being pre-arranged victory celebrations, team party, et al, wherein all players are fully dressed and prior notice has been given. Co-Ed Team Specific In the cases of team rosters with both male and female players, the following additional stipulations must be followed: 1. Whenever possible, separate locker rooms will be made available for changing clothes and hockey gear for each gender. 2. After all team members are completely dressed, the two groups may convene in one locker room for team meetings, etc. 3. Following the game or practice, the entire group may convene for a post-activity meeting, and then the two must go to their separate locker rooms. 4. In the event that separate facilities are not available (in the instance of away games, for example), each gender must take separate turns in the locker room for dressing both pre- and post-game. This is not negotiable under any circumstance. 5. During times such as meetings, locker room celebrations etc., it is required that NO LESS THAN two USA Hockey screened adults be in the locker room at all times. In this case, the Coaches and Team Managers would qualify. 17

18 TRAVEL POLICY Effective Date: July 1, 2014 Purpose In accordance with USA Hockey s SafeSport guidelines, AAHA has established this policy to establish a rule set pertaining to all team travel in regard to both local and overnight travels. This policy is designed to aid in directing the supervision of all minors involved in the program, and minimize the opportunities for misconduct. Responsibility It is the responsibility of each parent/guardian of AAHA players to arrange all local travel arrangements, these duties should not be arranged by AAHA, the individual team Coaches or Managers. Team Managers should arrange Accommodation and travel plans for overnight trips in correlation with Coaches and team parents/guardians. General Information 1. In either circumstances of local or overnight travel, no Coach, Manager, or other team volunteers should ever drive alone with an unrelated minor, and should only drive with at least two other players and or another adult at all times, unless otherwise agreed to in writing by the minor s parent. 2. In circumstances where the above personnel are involved with an unrelated minor player s travel, all efforts should be made to pick up and drop off players in groups, to prevent unsupervised time travel time between an adult and unrelated minor to minimize risk and opportunity for misconduct. 3. When one of the minors traveling are the child of the driver, the driver should ensure that their child is the first one picked up and the last one dropped off. 4. Regardless of gender, NO coach or unrelated team volunteer should share a hotel room or other sleeping arrangement with a player, unless the coach or volunteer is the parent, legal guardian or sibling of the player. 5. The only exception to the previous rule would be if the sleeping arrangements also include a player who is the child of the coach or team volunteer in the same room, and with written agreement from the minor s parent. 6. For longer/overnight trips, because of greater distances, coaches, volunteers and chaperones will often travel together, which is permissible. However all proper safety requirements must be in place and on record, including valid drivers licenses, automobile liability insurance as applicable by state law, a vehicle in safe and working order, and in compliance with all state laws. 7. Any chaperones will need to have passed the USA Hockey Screening policies. 8. Appropriate chaperone-to-minor levels should be considered to be (1) adult for every (6) players (Coaches may be considered chaperones in this equation) 9. When sharing rooms, players will only share rooms with players of the same gender, with the 18

19 appropriate number of players assigned per room depending on accommodations. 10. Regular monitoring and curfew checks should be made of each room by a minimum of two properly screened adults, and all chaperones traveling with a team must be SafeSport certified to ensure compliance with the SafeSport program. 11. When making hotel arrangements, the Team Manager or assigned personnel should request that all adult pay-per-view access be blocked from assigned team rooms. 12. Under NO CIRCUMSTANCE are individual meetings allowed between a player and a coach in a hotel sleeping room. Any individual meetings must take place in a common area. 13. All players will be permitted to make regular check-ins with parents via phone, and all phone calls, scheduled or unscheduled, initiated either by the player or parent, shall be allowed. 14. Family members should be allowed and encouraged to stay at the same lodging as the team. 15. Each team shall make every effort to accommodate reasonable parent requests when a child is away from home without a parent. 16. When available, specific detailed travel itineraries will be made available to all parents and will include contact information for all team personnel and chaperones 17. No coach or chaperone shall at ANY TIME be under the influence of alcohol or drugs while performing their coaching and/or chaperoning duties. 18. If disciplinary action against a player is required while the player is traveling without their parents, the parents will be notified before any action is taken. 19. In all cases involving travel, parents have the right to transport their minor player and have the minor player stay in their hotel room. Co-Ed Team Specific 1. In the case of Co-Ed teams, chaperones must be divided appropriately between both genders in relation to the percentages of male and female players on the team. 19

20 ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS POLICY Effective Date: July 1, 2014 Purpose In accordance with USA Hockey s SafeSport guidelines, AAHA has adopted a comprehensive communications policy for all electronic communications. Social media and other means of electronic communication can be used to commit abuse and misconduct (e.g., emotional, sexual, bullying, harassment, and hazing). Such communications by any employee, volunteer, independent contractor or other participant of a USA Hockey Member Program will not be tolerated and are considered violations of USA Hockey s SafeSport Program. Responsibility It is the responsibility of each AAHA Official, Coach, Volunteer, and Member to become familiar with and adhere to a strict interpretation of this policy. Any AAHA participant, parent of a participant, non-parent coach, official or volunteer who violates this Electronic Communications Policy will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action including, but not limited to, suspension, permanent suspension or referral to law enforcement authorities. General Information 1. All electronic communication between a coach and player must be for the sole purpose of communicating information about team activities, and should be readily available to share with the public or families of the player and coach. In most cases, where the player is under the age of 18 and as such is a minor, ANY electronic communication ( , text, social media, or other communication), MUST copy or include the player s parents in all circumstances. 2. and text messaging are permissible forms of communication between coaches and players, but must adhere strictly to topics involving team activities. To repeat the above, all communications between coaches and minor players must include the parents. 3. Teams are allowed and encouraged to set up and maintain individual team pages on the internet, and these sites may be used to facilitate communication between coaches, managers, parents and players. 4. ALL electronic communication between coaches and players must be non-personal in nature in all circumstances. 5. Coaches are strictly prohibited from connecting to individual players via personal Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat or any other social media platform accounts. 6. Requests to discontinue all electronic communications and/or imagery by coaches or other adults in the program with any minor player will be immediately complied with following receipt of a written request from the player s parent and/or legal guardian 20

21 LOCKER ROOM MONITOR HANDBOOK

22 The role of Locker Room Monitor is taken seriously at AAHA. In accordance with USA Hockey guidelines, AAHA provides the information you need to be responsible and in compliance. Please review carefully the guidelines carefully, and contact the Member Services Coordinator or Health and Safety Committee if you have questions. Every team must have at least 1 Locker Room Monitor. Neither a coach nor the Team Manager may also be the Locker Room Monitor. A Locker Room Monitor must be in attendance at all practices, home and away games. If there is ever a situation you cannot meet the requirements for a specific event, you must work with your Team Manager to find a replacement. The replacement must have fulfilled all the required checks to be eligible. If you encounter any situation that you feel violates any part of the policy, please report it to the Member Services Coordinator and the Health and Safety Committee immediately. Locker Room Monitor Duties The Locker Room Monitor has many duties throughout the season. The coach, players and parents rely upon the Locker Room Monitor to keep our players safe while in the locker room area for all practices and games. Duties include: Communication Securing Locker Room Player Safety while in Locker Room Enforcing the Locker Room Policy and Electronic Communications Policy COMMUNICATION The Locker Room Monitor is responsible for ensuring that the coaching staff, team manager, players and parents adhere to all rules and regulations regarding the locker room policy and electronic communications policy. If you encounter any situation that violates any part of these policies, you are required to report it to the Member Services Coordinator and the Health and Safety Committee. SECURING LOCKER ROOM When the players are on the ice, the Locker Room Monitor is responsible for properly securing the locker room to limit access to non-players and coaches. 22

23 At the start of all home/away games you will need to coordinate with the Team Manager on obtaining the key, and maintain responsibility at all times. LOCK BOX Team manager or locker room supervisor have access to team lock boxes for in the locker room when athletes arrive. Leave it open and on the bench closest to the door. When all athletes have arrived the box will be locked and left on the bench. If you would like to use a lock box, please contact member Services and you will be issued one. Phone cannot be in the open in the locker rooms. They need to be kept in jacket, team bag, hockey bag, pocket some place where they are not seen and cannot be used for photographic purposes. If you choose not to comply, these are the consequences. First offense: Warning Second offense: Miss a practice Third offense: Miss a game Fourth offense: Turned over to the conduct committee This is a no tolerance, mandatory policy. PLAYER SAFETY WHILE IN THE LOCKER ROOM The Locker Room Monitor must be physically present inside the locker room at all times when players are within the facilities. It is not sufficient to stand outside in the hallway. At no time should a single Locker Room Monitor be in the locker room with only one player, unless that player is his/her child. When necessary, the Locker Room Monitor should have the second-to-last player wait for the final player to finish preparation, and they should leave the room together. Volunteer Credits and Dibs There are 30 credits allocated for locker room monitors for the season. Locker Room Monitors must claim their volunteer credits online at: These DIBs can be split between 3 or 4 people if desired. This split must be communicated to the DIBs coordinator at the start of the season. 23

24 WAHA Background Check Locker Room Monitors must complete a background screening through WAHA and Protect Youth Sports. The background check is required every two years. There is a fee for the background check that must be paid online. You may request to be reimbursed for the expense. Begin the background screening process online at: under Resources/Background Screening. If you are not sure if you need to complete the WAHA Background Check for this season, please the Vice President (vp@aahahockey.com). The Background Check must be completed prior to serving in any capacity as a Monitor. Failure to comply will result in loss of Volunteer Credits and removal as Monitor. USA Hockey SafeSport Training Locker Room Monitors must successfully complete USA Hockey s SafeSport Training Program. SafeSport Training is required every two years. There is no fee for the training program. The program must be completed online. Go to usa-hockey-safesport-program to complete the SafeSport Training Program. The SafeSport Training Program educates program volunteers on USA Hockey s policies on: sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, bullying, threats, harassment and hazing. The policies address areas where misconduct can occur and are intended to reduce the risk of potential abuse including a locker room policy, electronic communications policy and travel policy. SafeSport training must be completed prior to serving in any capacity as a Monitor. Failure to comply will result in loss of Volunteer Credits and removal as Monitor. 24

25 LOCKER ROOM POLICY Effective Date: July 1, 2014 Purpose In accordance with USA Hockey s SafeSport guidelines, AAHA will provide a safe and monitored locker room environment for all participants in youth hockey. This policy is enacted to minimize player vulnerability to bullying, harassment, sexual abuse and hazing in AAHA locker room environments. Responsibility It is the responsibility of each AAHA team s coaching staff and team manager to implement and enforce this Policy, including the selection of a Locker Room Monitor for each team. Failure by a coach or Team Manager to take appropriate steps to ensure adherence to the Locker Room Policy, or violation thereof by any participant or parent of a participant is subject to appropriate disciplinary action. General Information 1. Each AAHA team will appoint a minimum of one adult to act as Monitor for the entirety of the season. 2. The candidate(s) must undergo and pass a background check and successfully complete SafeSport training. 3. The Monitor(s) must be of the same gender as the players in the cases of boys-only and girls-only teams. See below for additional Co-Ed team rules. 4. This position may NOT be a member of the current coaching staff or the Team Manager, as responsibilities of these positions require absence from the locker rooms at various times pre- and post-practice and game times. 5. The Monitor will receive 15 credits toward their AAHA Volunteer requirements. If a team has multiple Monitors (recommended), these credits can be split. There are 30 credits allocated per team. 6. Coaches, Manager and Supervisors will decide each individual team policy in regard to locker room access for parents, family and other approved personnel. (For younger players, it is common for more parental access to aid in gearing up before practices and games; for older players, it is not recommended to have a free, open parental access policy) 7. The Monitor must be physically inside the locker room at all times that players are within the facilities. 8. In addition, at no time should a single Monitor be in the locker room with only one player, unless that player is his/her child. And at no time should a coach be along with only one player, unless that player is his/her child. When necessary, the Monitor should have the second-to-last player wait for the final player to finish preparation, and they should leave the room together. 25

26 9. When the players are on the ice, the Monitor is also responsible for properly securing the locker room to limit access to non-players and coaches. 10. The use of cell phones, tablets, cameras, video recorders and other electronic media with recording capabilities are strictly forbidden at all times, with the only notable exceptions being pre-arranged victory celebrations, team party, et al, wherein all players are fully dressed and prior notice has been given. Co-Ed Team Specific In the cases of team rosters with both male and female players, the following additional stipulations must be followed: 1. Whenever possible, separate locker rooms will be made available for changing clothes and hockey gear for each gender. 2. After all team members are completely dressed, the two groups may convene in one locker room for team meetings, etc. 3. Following the game or practice, the entire group may convene for a post-activity meeting, and then the two must go to their separate locker rooms. 4. In the event that separate facilities are not available (in the instance of away games, for example), each gender must take separate turns in the locker room for dressing both pre- and post-game. This is not negotiable under any circumstance. 5. During times such as meetings, locker room celebrations etc., it is required that NO LESS THAN two USA Hockey screened adults be in the locker room at all times. In this case, the Coaches and Team Managers would qualify. 26

27 TRAVEL POLICY Effective Date: July 1, 2014 Purpose In accordance with USA Hockey s SafeSport guidelines, AAHA has established this policy to establish a rule set pertaining to all team travel in regard to both local and overnight travels. This policy is designed to aid in directing the supervision of all minors involved in the program, and minimize the opportunities for misconduct. Responsibility It is the responsibility of each parent/guardian of AAHA players to arrange all local travel arrangements, these duties should not be arranged by AAHA, the individual team Coaches or Managers. Team Managers should arrange Accommodation and travel plans for overnight trips in correlation with Coaches and team parents/guardians. General Information 20. In either circumstances of local or overnight travel, no Coach, Manager, or other team volunteers should ever drive alone with an unrelated minor, and should only drive with at least two other players and or another adult at all times, unless otherwise agreed to in writing by the minor s parent. 21. In circumstances where the above personnel are involved with an unrelated minor player s travel, all efforts should be made to pick up and drop off players in groups, to prevent unsupervised time travel time between an adult and unrelated minor to minimize risk and opportunity for misconduct. 22. When one of the minors traveling are the child of the driver, the driver should ensure that their child is the first one picked up and the last one dropped off. 23. Regardless of gender, NO coach or unrelated team volunteer should share a hotel room or other sleeping arrangement with a player, unless the coach or volunteer is the parent, legal guardian or sibling of the player. 24. The only exception to the previous rule would be if the sleeping arrangements also include a player who is the child of the coach or team volunteer in the same room, and with written agreement from the minor s parent. 25. For longer/overnight trips, because of greater distances, coaches, volunteers and chaperones will often travel together, which is permissible. However all proper safety requirements must be in place and on record, including valid drivers licenses, automobile liability insurance as applicable by state law, a vehicle in safe and working order, and in compliance with all state laws. 26. Any chaperones will need to have passed the USA Hockey Screening policies. 27. Appropriate chaperone-to-minor levels should be considered to be (1) adult for every (6) players (Coaches may be considered chaperones in this equation) 28. When sharing rooms, players will only share rooms with players of the same gender, with the 27

28 appropriate number of players assigned per room depending on accommodations. 29. Regular monitoring and curfew checks should be made of each room by a minimum of two properly screened adults, and all chaperones traveling with a team must be Safe Sport certified to ensure compliance with the Safe Sport program. 30. When making hotel arrangements, the Team Manager or assigned personnel should request that all adult pay-per-view access be blocked from assigned team rooms. 31. Under NO CIRCUMSTANCE are individual meetings allowed between a player and a coach in a hotel sleeping room. Any individual meetings must take place in a common area. 32. All players will be permitted to make regular check-ins with parents via phone, and all phone calls, scheduled or unscheduled, initiated either by the player or parent, shall be allowed. 33. Family members should be allowed and encouraged to stay at the same lodging as the team. 34. Each team shall make every effort to accommodate reasonable parent requests when a child is away from home without a parent. 35. When available, specific detailed travel itineraries will be made available to all parents and will include contact information for all team personnel and chaperones 36. No coach or chaperone shall at ANY TIME be under the influence of alcohol or drugs while performing their coaching and/or chaperoning duties. 37. If disciplinary action against a player is required while the player is traveling without their parents, the parents will be notified before any action is taken. 38. In all cases involving travel, parents have the right to transport their minor player and have the minor player stay in their hotel room. Co-Ed Team Specific 2. In the case of Co-Ed teams, chaperones must be divided appropriately between both genders in relation to the percentages of male and female players on the team. 28

29 Effective Date: July 1, 2014 Purpose ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS POLICY In accordance with USA Hockey s SafeSport guidelines, AAHA has adopted a comprehensive communications policy for all electronic communications. Social media and other means of electronic communication can be used to commit abuse and misconduct (e.g., emotional, sexual, bullying, harassment, and hazing). Such communications by any employee, volunteer, independent contractor or other participant of a USA Hockey Member Program will not be tolerated and are considered violations of USA Hockey s SafeSport Program. Responsibility It is the responsibility of each AAHA Official, Coach, Volunteer, and Member to become familiar with and adhere to a strict interpretation of this policy. Any AAHA participant, parent of a participant, non-parent coach, official or volunteer who violates this Electronic Communications Policy will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action including, but not limited to, suspension, permanent suspension or referral to law enforcement authorities. General Information 7. All electronic communication between a coach and player must be for the sole purpose of communicating information about team activities, and should be readily available to share with the public or families of the player and coach. In most cases, where the player is under the age of 18 and as such is a minor, ANY electronic communication ( , text, social media, or other communication), MUST copy or include the player s parents in all circumstances. 8. and text messaging are permissible forms of communication between coaches and players, but must adhere strictly to topics involving team activities. To repeat the above, all communications between coaches and minor players must include the parents. 9. Teams are allowed and encouraged to set up and maintain individual team pages on the internet, and these sites may be used to facilitate communication between coaches, managers, parents and players. 10. ALL electronic communication between coaches and players must be non-personal in nature in all circumstances. 11. Coaches are strictly prohibited from connecting to individual players via personal Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat or any other social media platform accounts. 12. Requests to discontinue all electronic communications and/or imagery by coaches or other adults in the program with any minor player will be immediately complied with following receipt of a written request from the player s parent and/or legal guardian 29