One-on-One Interactions (Athens Youth Hockey Association | Athens Ohio | Bird Arena)

PrintOne-on-One Interactions
The majority of child sexual abuse is perpetrated in isolated, one-on-one situations.  As an affiliate of USA Hockey and participant in the SafeSport Program, the AYHA maintains a policy that any member of the Association shall not have private interactions with youth players that are not that player’s legal guardian.  The AYHA also maintains a travel policy that minimizes one-on-one interactions and encourages all travel related to Association hockey practices, games, or other events to be family-based.  By reducing private interactions between minors and adults, USA Hockey and the AYHA seek to reduce the risk of child sexual abuse in its programs.


Links
The AYHA has developed one-on-one interaction and travel policies for players, coaches, parents, and all other Association member that adheres to the guidelines of USA Hockey SafeSport.

One-on-One Interactions Policy (2019-10-13)

AYHA Travel Policy (2019-10-13)


General AYHA One-On-One Interactions Policy
One-on-one interactions between youth players and coaches, officials, volunteers, or other Association members are permitted only if they occur at an observable and interruptible distance.  Observable and interruptible distance means that the interaction is that another adult is aware of the interaction and is close enough to intervene.  One-on-one interactions between youth players and Association members at a facility are otherwise prohibited.

Meetings between youth players at a facility may only occur if another adult is present and is advised the meeting is taking place, except under emergency circumstances.  Such meetings must occur where interactions can easily be observed at an interruptible distance from another adult.

Individual training sessions between youth players and Association members are only permitted at a facility if the session is observable and interruptible by another adult.

Coaches are prohibited from interacting one-on-one with unrelated youth players in settings outside of the facility that are not observable and interruptible (including, but not limited to, one’s home and individual transportation). All other Association members are prohibited from interacting one-on-one with unrelated youth players in settings outside of the facility that are not observable and interruptible (including, but not limited to, one’s home and individual transportation), unless parent/legal guardian consent is provided in advance. Nonetheless, such arrangements may raise risks of actual or perceived misconduct and are strongly discouraged.



General AYHA Travel Policy
Players and their parents / guardians are fully responsible for making their own travel arrangements and assuring themselves of the safety and suitability of such arrangements. 

Parents / guardians are responsible for ensuring that a person transporting a minor player maintains proper safety and legal requirements, including, but not limited to, a valid driver’s license, automobile liability insurance, a vehicle in safe working order, and compliance with applicable laws. 

Athens Hockey members, coaches, employees, and volunteers are responsible for supervising players during the team’s games, practices, or meetings scheduled on the Athens Hockey official website or scheduled by the head coach, and in locker rooms as described in Athens Hockey’s Locker Room Policy. At all other times, parents / guardians are responsible for ensuring proper supervision of their own minor players. 

Except when also acting as a parent, Athens Hockey employees or coaches should not drive alone with an unrelated minor player and should only drive with at least two players or another adult at all times, unless they have written permission from the minor player’s parent. 

Athens Hockey employees or coaches who are also a player’s parent or guardian may provide shared transportation for any player(s) if they pick up their player first and drop off their player last in any shared or carpool travel arrangement. 
It is recognized that in some instances it will be unavoidable for an employee or coach to drive alone with an unrelated minor player. However, efforts should be made to minimize these occurrences and to mitigate any circumstances that could lead to allegations of abuse or misconduct. 

Individual meetings between a coach and an unrelated player may not occur in hotel sleeping rooms and must be held in public settings or with additional adults present.  A coach shall not share a hotel room or other sleeping arrangement with an unrelated minor player unless the player is also accompanied by a parent / guardian.
 
Players must not be required (for example, as a condition of maintaining or earning playing time in regular season games) to participate in events that require them to pay a fee in addition to their regular season Athens Hockey team fee or to incur substantial travel costs in addition to those usual for regular season play.


Updated 2023-05-29.