Code of Conduct and Policies

WINTER CLUB OF LAKE FOREST PARENT AND PLAYER EXPECTATIONS FALL 2021-2022 

Hockey provides a venue for our kids to play hockey at a competitive level, to assist players in the development of their hockey skills, and foster a growing appreciation for the game. Our Code of Conduct outlined below supports a positive atmosphere for all players to participate in the game of hockey, while promoting self-esteem, sportsmanship, work ethic, and teamwork, both on and off the ice. We field competitive teams and develop strong players – but our most important goal is to assist in the development of young men and women of exceptional character. 

GENERAL POLICIES • The season will run from after labor day until early March. The Spring season will run from April through May.  To ensure we field competitive rosters, coaches must be notified in advance of any absence for a game. • For practices, only assigned practice jerseys and socks are to be worn. Please do not wear game jerseys or socks to practice. For games, please wear matching socks and jersey – do not mix and match socks. • Each player must have a black helmet and black pants. • All players must dress in the designated team locker room. • Neck guards and mouth guards are required for all games and practices as mandated by USA Hockey. 

ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY •In order to ensure a safe environment for all players, coaches, and families, WC Hockey, along with the Amateur Hockey Association of Illinois (AHAI) adheres to a zero tolerance policy for behavior by both players and parents. All WC Hockey players and parents shall show respect for teammates, coaches, parents, opponents, and officials. Bullying, taunting, teasing, hitting, fighting, inappropriate language, or drug use will not be tolerated under any circumstances and will lead to immediate discipline, up to and including suspension or removal from the program based on the disciplinary committee review and decision. 

PLAYER CODE OF CONDUCT • Players will not dispute, argue or visually demonstrate any sign of dissatisfaction from any decision made by a coach or official. • Use of obscene or vulgar language, including swearing, is strictly prohibited, even if not directed at a particular person. • The use of derogatory comments with respect to one’s race, ethnic heritage, religion or gender/sexual orientation is strictly prohibited. • Taunting of other players is strictly prohibited. • Any fighting penalty that results in suspension will be in violation of the zero tolerance rules with separate penalties accessed by WINTER CLUB OF LAKE FOREST. • Cellular phone and camera usage are not allowed in the locker rooms. • Disruptive behavior at team practices or games is unacceptable. 

PARENT CODE OF CONDUCT •Support your child’s love of hockey by getting him/her to practices and games on time, by making sure they have all their equipment and by emphasizing the importance of teamwork, commitment, perseverance and good sportsmanship. Parents can be suspended from games, practices and presence in the rink for violations of the Zero Tolerance Rules: • If you have a situation where you feel you need to voice disagreement with the coach, go through the team manager first. A “24 hour rule” cooling off period applies after games and practices before any contact with the coach or team manager can be made to discuss disagreements. • No confrontations with the coaches in rink areas or locker rooms. • No use of vulgar language, including swearing, to anyone at any time in the locker room, rink area, lobby area, OR parking lot before, during or after a game. • No taunting of players, coaches, officials or other spectators by means of baiting, ridiculing, threat of violence, or actual physical violence. • No use of derogatory language for one’s race, ethnic heritage, religion or gender.

DISCIPLINARY ACTION • In order to ensure that any and all disciplinary issues are identified, tracked, and resolved, it is important to have them captured centrally. As a result, any instances of the code of conduct being violated, including bullying or taunting, reports of any actual or suspected violations, you may email the LFWC Safe Sport Coordinator Steve Sarauer (ssarauer@thewinterclub.com), LFWC President John McNicholas (rinkschair@thewinterclub.com), LFWC Rules and Ethics Chairperson: Ryan Vahey (rwvahey@gmail.com), and/or USA Hockey at SafeSport@usahockey.org or may call 1-800-888-4656. . We have read, understand, and agree to abide by the above policies and agree to accept actions taken for failure to abide by these guidelines. 

Winter Club of Lake Forest Hockey Electronic Communications Policy

 As part of the Winter Club of Lake Forest Hockey program emphasis on safety, communications involving any participant, and especially our minor participants, should be appropriate, productive, and transparent. Effective communication concerning travel, practice or game schedules, and administrative issues among coaches, administrators, players and their families is critical. However, the use of mobile devices, web-based applications, social media, and other forms of electronic communications increases the possibility for improprieties and misunderstandings and also provides potential offenders with unsupervised and potentially inappropriate access to participants. The improper use of social media, mobile and electronic communications can result in misconduct. Adherence to the Electronic Communications Policy helps reduce these risks. All electronic communication between coach and player must be for the purpose of communicating information about team activities. Coaches, players and all team personnel must follow common sense guidelines regarding the volume and time of day of any allowed electronic communication. All content between coaches and players should be readily available to share with the public or families of the player or coach. If the player is under the age of 18, any email, text, social media, or similar communication must also copy or include the player’s parents. 

SOCIAL MEDIA-

Social media makes it easy to share ideas and experiences. LFWC recognizes, however, that social media, mobile and other electronic communications can be especially concerning where minor participants are involved. Coaches are prohibited from having players joined to or connected through their personal Facebook page or any other similar social media application. To facilitate communication, an official organization or team page may be set up and players and parents may join (i.e., “friend”) the official organization or team page and coaches can communicate to players though that site. All electronic communication of any kind between coach and player, including use of social media, must be non-personal in nature and be for the purpose of communicating information about team activities or for team oriented motivational purposes. 

EMAIL, TEXT MESSAGING, and SIMILAR ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS

Coaches, team managers and players may use email and text messaging to communicate. All email and text message content between coaches/team managers and players must be non-personal in nature and be for the purpose of communicating information about team activities. Emails and text messages from a coach to any minor participant must include a copy to the player’s parents. 

REQUEST to DISCONTINUE All ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS or IMAGERY with ATHLETE

Following receipt of a written request by the parents of a minor player that their child not be contacted through any form of electronic communication by coaches or other adults in the program, the local program, team, coaches and administrators shall immediately comply with such request without any repercussions for such request.

ABUSE and MISCONDUCT

Social media and other means of electronic communication can be used to commit abuse and misconduct, However this is strictly prohibited (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. 

PROHIBITED CONDUCT and REPORTING

LFWC prohibits all types of physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, bullying, threats, harassment and hazing, all as described in the USA Hockey SafeSport Handbook. Participants, employees or volunteers in LFWC may be subject to disciplinary action for violation of these Electronic Communications Policies or for engaging in any misconduct or abuse or that violates the USA Hockey SafeSport Policies. Reports of any actual or suspected violations, you may email LFWC Safe Sport Coordinator Steve Sarauer: ssarauer@thewinterclub.com; LFWC President John McNicholas (rinkschair@thewinterclub.com) and/or USA Hockey at SafeSport@usahockey.org or may call 1-800- 888-4656.

Winter Club of Lake Forest Hockey 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 Winter Club of Lake Forest Hockey program goals. LFWC adheres to USA Hockey’s SafeSport Program as a means 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, LFWC 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. 

Some teams in our program may also occasionally or regularly travel to play games at other arenas, and those locker rooms, rest rooms and shower facilities will vary from location to location. LFWC’s team organizers will attempt to provide information on the locker room facilities in advance of games away from our home arena. At arenas for which you are unfamiliar, parents should plan to have extra time and some flexibility in making arrangements for their child to dress, undress and shower if desired. 

LOCKER ROOM MONITORING

LFWC 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. We conduct 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. 

PARENTS IN LOCKER ROOMS

Except for players at the younger age groups (Mites) we discourage parents from entering locker rooms unless it is truly necessary. 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. Naturally, with our youngest age groups it is necessary for parents to assist the players getting dressed. 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. As players get older, the coach may in his or her discretion prohibit parents from a locker room. 

MIXED GENDER TEAMS 

Some of our teams consist of both male and female players. It is important that the privacy rights of all of our players are given consideration and appropriate arrangements made. Where possible, LFWC will have the male and female players dress/undress in separate private changing area (or locker room) and then convene in a single locker room before the game or team meeting. 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 believe that this is the most reasonable way to accommodate and respect all of our players. 

CELL PHONES and OTHER MOBILE RECORDING DEVICES

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. 

PROHIBITED CONDUCT and REPORTING

LFWC prohibits all types of physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, bullying, threats, harassment and hazing, all as described in the USA Hockey SafeSport Handbook. Participants, employees or volunteers in LFWC may be subject to disciplinary action for violation of these locker room policies or for engaging in any misconduct or abuse or that violates the USA Hockey SafeSport Policies. Reports of any actual or suspected violations, you may email the LFWC Safe Sport Coordinator Steve Sarauer (sarauer@thewinterclub.com), LFWC President John McNicholas (rinkschair@thewinterclub.com), and/or USA Hockey at SafeSport@usahockey.org or may call 1-800-888-4656. 

WINTER CLUB of LAKE FOREST HOCKEY ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY

Any violation of the Zero Tolerance Policy constitutes conduct detrimental to hockey and makes the offender subject to disciplinary action, with possible suspension by the LFWC Rules and Ethics Committee. All violations are also subject to review by the AHAI Rules and Ethics Committee. 

I. Players shall not: 1) Openly dispute, argue or protest a decision made by an Official. 2) Use obscene or vulgar language, including swearing, at any time, even if not directed at a particular person. 3) Visually demonstrate any sign of dissatisfaction with an official’s decision in a manner that openly embarrasses the Official and/or challenges his/her judgment. 4) Taunt, bait, ridicule or threaten any Official, player, coach or spectator.

II. Coaches shall not: 1) Openly dispute, argue or protest a decision made by an Official. 2) Use obscene or vulgar language, including swearing, at any time, even if not directed at a particular person. 3) Visually demonstrate any sign of dissatisfaction with an official’s decision in a manner that openly embarrasses the Official and/or challenges his/her judgment. 4) Taunt, bait, ridicule or threaten any Official, player or spectator. 5) Make any aggressive physical contact with any Official, player or spectator.