Locker Room Policy

Co-ed Locker Room Policy

The Co-ed Locker Room policy attempts to balance the social integration and camaraderie of a team sport while providing a safe and respectful environment for all of our participants.

Dedham Youth Hockey’s policy is to 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 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.

Locker Room Monitoring

Dedham Youth Hockey 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.

Coaches will 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.

Gender Neutral Communication

Dedham Youth Hockey coaches of a co-ed team are to use gender neutral terminology in their communications with players of said team. Youth hockey is an inclusive youth sport where boys and girls often play on the same teams each and every year. An emphasis for coaches of these co-ed team is to communicate with the players while not excluding them i.e. using terms such as “guys, boys or gentlemen” excludes our female athletes. A concerted effort should be made to use more inclusive language with phrases such as “team, mites, squirts, peewees or Dedham” when communicating with our teams.

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