Locker Room Monitor

It is the policy of USA Hockey that there be at least one approved and responsible adult monitoring the locker room during all team events when there are minors present in the room. This person must complete all screening/safety requirements and shall appear on the team's USA Hockey roster. 

Each team shall assign a Locker Room Monitor for each game, practice, and other applicable team events in which a locker room is utilized by members of the team. The Locker Room Monitor on duty will oversee the locker room areas in an effort to prevent, reduce, and eliminate adverse and harmful behavior. This provides a key component to upholding a safe environment for all players under the USA Hockey Safe Sport Program.

The monitor should be in close proximity to the locker room door so the monitor can hear inside the locker room. It is recommended that the monitor checks inside the room occasionally and immediately enters the room if misconduct is sensed. Acceptable locker room monitoring could include placing the Locker Room Monitor inside the room if a situation warrants stricter supervision.

If only a minor and a non-parental adult (coach, medic, etc.) are present in a room, the Locker Room Monitor should become a third occupant of the room. The Locker Room Monitor should also prevent entry of any unauthorized person into the locker room and shall ask all unapproved individuals to leave the locker room area/hallways. 

Locker Room Monitors shall provide supervision to help watch for, prevent, and/or report the following harmful behavior: 

• Physical abuse: intentional threats of harming a person or intentionally hitting.
• Emotional abuse: a formed pattern of deliberate non-contact behavior that cause emotional harm.
• Bullying: the use of coercion to gain control over another person or being cruel
• Threats: this can be in written, verbal, physical or electronic.
• Harassment: any pattern of physical or non-physical behaviors that intended to cause fear humiliation, offend, degrade, create a hostile environment, or be discriminatory to an individual.
• Sexual harassment: unwelcome sexual advances, request for sexual favor, verbal and non-verbal or conduct of sexual nature may be considered sexual harassment.
• Hazing: conduct that is intimidating, humiliation, offensive or physically harmful.
• Use of cell phones: no cell phones or recording devices are allowed in a locker room. 

It is emphasized that there is “zero tolerance” for abuse or misconduct, so the Locker Room Monitor shall intervene at the first sign or suspicion of any such activity. The Locker Room Monitor should report any adverse behavior, suspicious individuals, or unsafe events to the Safe Sport Coordinator or a Board Member. 

Q: How do I designate an individual to be a Locker Room Monitor for a JYH game?

A: First, that individual must complete all requirements of an LRM: SafeSport training, USAH screening, Background Check. That person must then be listed on the team's USAH roster, at which time the person can be submitted to the JYH to appear on the score sheets as a possible LRM. For any game in which that person is serving as the LRM, the box next to the person's name needs to have an 'X' or a checkmark to indicate that the individual is serving as the LRM.

Q: Do the coaches also need to be listed on the JYH scoresheet as a Locker Room Monitor?

A: No. A coach is eligible to be a LRM simply by being a coach on the team roster. So if that coach is also serving as the LRM for the game, the box next to the coach's name needs to have an 'X' or a checkmark to indicate that the coach is serving as the LRM. Of note, this does not work in reverse: an individual listed on the scoresheets as a LR Monitor is not eligible to be a coach simply by appearing on the scoresheet. That person must be registered as a coach to be on the bench.

Q: Can the Team Manager also be the Locker Room Monitor?

A: Yes. The Team Manager meets the requirements of the LRM and can be denoted as serving as the LRM. The manager does not need to be listed twice nor labeled on the sheet as an LRM to be eligible for this role. JYH recommends that coaches and managers are the primary individuals serving as the Locker Room Monitors.

Q: We have 1 person designated to be our Locker Room Monitor, so what do we do if that person is not at a game?

A: A coach can fill the role of a the LRM, so if the usual LRM is not present at the game, a coach or the team manager must be designated to fill that role for the game.

Q: Can anyone serve as a Locker Room Monitor?

A: No. Only approved individuals who appear on the team's USAH roster can serve in the role. If no approved LRM is available (as listed on the JYH scoresheet), a coach or the team manager must fill the role.

Q: What if we do not have a Locker Room Monitor?

A: By default, the person listed as the team's Head Coach is responsible to ensure that a Locker Room Monitor is present. If no one else accepts the role, the Head Coach should perform those duties. If no one is marked on the scoresheet as the LRM, the role is automatically defaulted to the Head Coach.

Q: Do we need to have multiple locker room monitors if we have males and females on our co-ed team?

A: In most cases, the answer is yes since the team is likely to be utilizing two locker rooms. As described in the LRM Responsibilities section above, the LRM should be in close proximity to the locker room door. So, if the two rooms are immediately adjacent to each other, a single LRM could be suitable. In all other instances, an LRM should be outside of each locker room when it in occupied by one or more minors.