OPERATIONAL POLICY: DATE ISSUED:
LAST UPDATED:
DRESSING ROOM STANDARDS & CONDUCT February 28, 2005
December 1, 2022
POLICY STATEMENT: Hockey Alberta and our Members will provide a dressing room environment with the proper supervision, standards and guidelines necessary to ensure the safe, inclusive, and equitable participation of all players.
DRESSING ROOM USE: All athletes have a right to access safe, inclusive and equitable dressing room spaces. Hockey Alberta also stresses the importance of all Team Officials and players being able to access pre and post-game team sessions and other team related activities. To ensure that all athletes are treated as valued members of a team, team officials should only engage in pre and post- game talks when all athletes are present in the dressing room.
Age of Athletes
Hockey Alberta allows the use of ‘all access dressing rooms’ at the U7, U9 and U11 levels (5-10 years of age), provided participants arrive wearing a base layer (e.g., shorts and t-shirt, compression shorts and shirt or sports bra). An athlete not arriving at the rink wearing their base layer can use an appropriate space (e.g., restroom or empty/unused dressing room) to change into the base layer and then enter the team dressing room with the other athletes.
At the U13 level and above the following conditions will apply in all team environments:
The lesser represented gender(s) will change in separate rooms (the gender in the majority shall not begin changing prior to the departure of the lesser represented gender);
Once dressed in equipment and prepared to participate in the game/ practice, at least 15 minutes prior to the scheduled ice time, all players will congregate in one dressing room for pre-game/ pre-practice talks;
At the conclusion of the game/ practice, all players will congregate in one dressing room for a post-game/ post-practice talk, after which the lesser represented gender(s) shall depart for their separate dressing room(s) (the gender in the majority shall not begin changing prior to the departure of the lesser represented gender, with the exception of helmets, gloves and
skates);
When separate dressing rooms are not available, due to facility limitations, dressing and showering shall be done in shifts. Team Officials will assign times for each gender to use the room to change and/ or shower and will ensure that the dressing room has been fully vacated prior to the other gender(s) using the facility.
Gender Identify and/ or Gender Expression
All athletes have the right to utilize a dressing room or appropriate and equivalent dressing areas, based on their gender identity and/ or gender expression, that meets their individual needs.
Athletes (and/ or the family) are responsible for asking for assistance and support to the best of their ability from their Team or Member organization if they believe they are experiencing or have
experienced discrimination based on their gender identity and/ or gender expression or when requiring related accommodation. When such an accommodation is requested, the athlete (and/ or the family) agree to work cooperatively with their Team or Member organization to locate appropriate and equivalent dressing areas when faced with facility limitations.
If due to facility limitations, and despite proactive efforts of the applicable Team or Member organization, a dressing room that meets an athlete’s individual needs is unavailable, the applicable Team or Member organization must work in cooperation with the athlete (and/ or the family) to find an appropriate solution.
To best promote inclusion on a hockey team and to respect the privacy of all athletes on a team, Hockey Alberta requires that all teams require all athletes to wear certain “minimum attire” at all times in the dressing room. This means that athletes should arrive at the rink wearing a base layer (e.g., shorts and t-shirt, compression shorts and shirt or sports bra). An athlete not arriving at the rink wearing their base layer can use an appropriate space (e.g., restroom or empty/ unused dressing room) to change into the base layer and then enter the team dressing room with the other athletes. Use of showers (especially when showers are not separate from the dressing room or individualized) shall be permitted in a manner respecting all athletes’ privacy.
DRESSING ROOM SUPERVISION: Team Officials are responsible for the safety and welfare of their players at all times during any sanctioned events, this includes while players are changing in the dressing rooms both prior to and after on-ice activities.
When any player under the age of 18 is in the team dressing room(s) before, during and after a game or practice, a minimum of two of the following shall be present in the dressing room(s) or immediately outside the dressing room(s) with the door ajar:
two team or club/ association officials, properly screened; or
one such official and an adult person, properly screened, associated with the team.
* this provides protection for not only the players but the Team Officials as well.
In the situation of Junior hockey, the coach may use an adult player over the age of 18 to be the second adult associated with the team.
No minor aged player shall be left alone in a room with an adult who is not the player’s parent or guardianbefore, during and after games or practices. Team officials are permitted to leave the dressing room but must remain directly outside of the entrance and with the door open so they can still hear conversations from the dressing room. It is recommended that team staff occasionally announce and enter the room so that their presence is known.
A Team Official, or delegate, must supervise the team until the last member of the team has left the building after any practice or game.
USE OF CAMERAS AND PHONES: The use of any form of camera, video camera, camera phone, etc. is prohibited in any hockey dressing room during any sanctioned event (this includes players’ phones). Parents and/ or coaches wishing to take pictures of individuals or teams in the dressing room (ie: post game photo with a trophy) must request permission of the team staff. For Minor Hockey, the team staff should consult the parent group prior to making a decision. If permitted, pictures must only be taken if everyone in the room is completely clothed/ dressed.
REPORTING/ SANCTIONS: If a violation of this policy is identified, registered participants (or the parent/ guardian thereof) are asked to report the violations to the Member that they are registered with. Hockey Alberta Member organizations are required to review/ investigate all reports of potential violations and can refer to Hockey Alberta’s Maltreatment, Bullying and Harassment Policy for guidance.
In the case that a Member organization has not properly reviewed/ investigated a potential violation of this policy, a request can be made for Hockey Alberta to review the process that has been completed. If any Member organization is found to be in violation of this policy, they may be subject to disciplinary action as determined by Hockey Alberta.
Note: New concepts and practices require an open mind, time, a willingness to ask questions and collaborate, and patience. This policy may be modified, updated or otherwise changed from time to time pending the release of updated medical and expert information. Hockey Alberta and our Member organizations will implement and administer this policy in a fair and equitable manner that is inclusive and respects an athlete’s human rights.