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Best Practices for Co-Ed Locker Rooms

By Minnesota Hockey, 10/17/16, 8:00AM CDT

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Co-ed teams are still common in youth hockey, especially in areas where there aren’t enough girls to form girls’ only teams. When it comes to managing locker rooms on those teams, there can be angst on the part of players’ parents.

The good news is it doesn’t have to be that way. Every parent wants the same goal(s) for their kid and the team: They want them to be safe, to have fun and to improve.

USA Hockey’s Co-Ed Locker Room Policy sets forth three options that provide every player on the team, regardless of gender, a safe environment with equal exposure to coaching and the camaraderie of the locker room.

Below are a few options that equally uphold male and female players’ privacy while reducing the chance of abuse or misconduct:

1.) Have a minimum attire policy if sharing one locker room. All players should be required to arrive at the rink wearing their hockey base layers or shorts and t-shirts (in good condition – no holes or tears in clothing) under their street clothes. All members of the team must have this minimum attire before entering a co-ed locker room so that no player of one gender has the opportunity to see players of the opposite gender in a state of dress/undress.

2.) A second option is for the program to have boys and girls change/dress in separate, supervised locker rooms. Approximately ten (10) to fifteen (15) minutes before each game/practice, everyone is to be ready in gear in one designated locker room so the coach can address the entire team. If a player (whether boy or girl) is not fully dressed by the time the coach arrives, that player must go to a separate locker room or bathroom to finish dressing. The onus is on the players being properly dressed when the coaches actually begin preparing the team for the practice or game. When separate locker rooms are used, both locker rooms must be properly monitored by a screened adult.

3.) Another option is the alternate use of a single locker room. Players of one gender dress in the locker room while players of the opposite gender wait outside. When the one group is ready, then the players switch places and the players in gear wait for players of opposite gender to get dressed. No coaching is to be done until all the players are together in full gear. Taking turns is a means of reasonable accommodation; neither gender group should be favored, nor should one group be the group who always has to wait to change.

The key to success with any of these policies is to fully commit to them so everyone on the team can focus on making sure the procedures are followed closely. USA Hockey’s SafeSport Policy specifically states it is not acceptable for persons to be observing the opposite gender while they dress or undress and achieving that in a fair manner requires the cooperation of the entire team.

With co-ed teams, it is also important that the person(s) monitoring the locker room is of the same gender as the players being monitored. When both male and female players are together in the locker room, there should be at least two adults in the locker room that have been properly screened in compliance with USA Hockey Screening Policy.

If you have any questions on these suggestions or USA Hockey’s SafeSport Policy, please contact Minnesota Hockey’s SafeSport Coordinator Scott Gray at 612-685-0406 or by email.

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