Locker Room Policy

In addition to the development of our hockey players and enjoyment of the sport of hockey, the safety and protection of our participants is central to the IYHL’s goals. The IYHL adheres to USA Hockey’s SafeSport Program to help protect its participants from physical abuse, sexual abuse and other types of misconduct, including emotional abuse, bullying, threats, harassment and hazing. To help prevent abuse or misconduct from occurring in our locker rooms, the IYHL has adopted the following locker room policy. This policy is designed to maintain personal privacy as well as to reduce the risk of misconduct in locker rooms.

The Compton Family Ice Arena and the Ice Box Skating Rink have locker rooms available for our program’s use as our home-ice facilities. Some teams in our program travel to play games at other arenas, and those locker rooms, rest rooms and shower facilities will vary from location to location. The locker room policy for the IYHL applies to any IYHL registered team(s) at any arena. For arenas for which parents are unfamiliar, please make sure to allocate extra time and to have some flexibility in planning for their player to dress, undress, and shower if desired.

The IYHL has predictable and limited use of locker rooms and changing areas (e.g., generally 30-45 minutes before and following practices and games). This allows for direct and regular monitoring of locker room areas. While constant monitoring inside of locker rooms and changing areas might be the most effective way to prevent problems, we understand that this would likely make some players uncomfortable and may even place our staff at risk for unwarranted suspicion. The personnel at both ice rink facilities normally conducts a sweep of the locker rooms and changing areas before players arrive, and if the coaches are not inside the locker rooms, either a coach or voluntary locker room monitors (each of which has been screened) will be posted directly outside of the locker rooms and changing areas during periods of use, and leave the doors open only when adequate privacy is still possible, so that only participants (coaches and players), approved team personnel and family members are permitted in the locker room. Team personnel will also secure the locker room appropriately during times when the team is on the ice.

The IYHL requires ALL players in the 6U and 8U to dress in the locker room with a base layer of clothing that will be worn underneath their hockey equipment. Players must arrive in their base layer or go to a private bathroom stall to put it on.

A base layer of clothing is NOT underwear or sports bras for female players. Athletic wear made by manufacturers such as Under Armour, CCM, Bauer, are preferred, however, a simple pair of long underwear over regular underwear/undergarments is also acceptable.

Except for parents of players at the 6U and 8U age groups, parents who are not registered and certified with USA Hockey, have not completed a background check, and the required safe sport training are prohibited from entering locker rooms unless it’s an emergency. If a player needs assistance with his or her uniform or gear, if the player is or may be injured, or a player’s disability warrants assistance, then we ask that parents let the coach know beforehand that he or she will be helping the player administer any assistance needed outside the locker room, i.e. the hallway/lobby.

We encourage parents to teach their players as young as possible how to get dressed so that players will learn as early as possible how to get dressed independently. In circumstances where parents are permitted in the locker room, coaches are permitted to ask that the parents leave for a short time before the game and for a short time after the game so that the coaches may address the players.

Some of our teams consist of both male and female players. It is important that the privacy rights of all players are given consideration and appropriate arrangements made. Where possible, the IYHL will have the male and female players dress/undress in separate locker rooms and then convene in a single locker room before the game or team meeting (Girls 12U and up MUST change in their own locker room).

Once the game or practice is finished, the players may come to one locker room for a team meeting and then the male and female players proceed to their separate locker rooms to undress and shower, if available. If separate locker rooms are not available, then the players will take turns using the locker room to change. We understand that these arrangements may require that players arrive earlier or leave later to dress, but we believe that this is the most reasonable way to accommodate and respect all players.

Cell phones and other mobile devices with recording capabilities, including voice recording, still cameras and video cameras, are not permitted to be used in the locker rooms. If phones or other mobile devices must be used, they should be taken outside of the locker room.

Bottom line: Cell phones must not be out and visible, in a person’s hand, in the locker room, period. Not to text, not to check the time, nothing, let alone take pictures or record videos – NO EXCEPTIONS.

Violations of this provision will be handled as follows:

1. First offense = verbal warning from an IYHL Board Member, the Director of Hockey, or one of the USA Hockey certified coaches associated with the respective team
2. Second offense = a written warning will be issued and forwarded to the IYHL’s Disciplinary Committee for review.
3. Third offense = $250 fine

• No wrestling, pushing, hitting, or throwing objects in the locker room
• No chewing tobacco or spitting on the floor
• Music with profanity is strongly discouraged and should not be audible in the hallway or lobby areas
• Showers are not to be used as bathrooms
• Respect your teammates and coach’s belongings. Do not move or take items that do not belong to you
• Respect the locker room space and please clean up after yourself or your teammates by placing ALL garbage in the provided trash can.
• Leave the locker room as clean or cleaner than you found it
• Always honor the USA Hockey Player’s Code of Conduct, which is:
• Play for fun
• Work Hard to improve your skills
• Be a team player – get along with your teammates
• Learn teamwork, sportsmanship and discipline
• Be on time
• Learn the rules and play by the rules. Always be a good sport
• Respect your coach, your teammates, your parents, opponents, and officials
• Never argue with an official’s decision