Policies - Social Media & Electronic Communications

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 electronic communication originating from coaches or other Association member to youth players must be professional in nature. Absent emergency circumstances all electronic communications (including social media), between coaches or other Association members and a youth player must copy that player’s parent or legal guardian.  If a youth player communicates directly with a coach or other Association member privately first, the coach or Association member must respond to the youth player with a copy to the players parent or legal guardian. When a coach or Association member communicates electronically to the entire team, another adult must be copied.  

Coaches and other Association members are prohibited from having youth players joined to or connected through their personal Facebook page, Instagram, or any other similar social media platform.

Coaches, team managers, and players may use email and text messaging to communicate. All email and text message content among coaches, team managers, and youth 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 youth player must include a copy to the player’s parents.

All electronic communication originating from Adult Participants to Minor Athletes must be Open and Transparent and professional in nature. Unless an exception exists (see below), if an Adult Participant to communicate directly with a single Minor Athlete via electronic communications (including email, phone, text, or any social media), the Minor’s legal guardian, another family member, or another adult Participant must be copied. If a Minor Athlete communicates to the Adult Participant privately first, said Adult participant should respond to the Minor Athlete with a copy to another Adult Participant, the minor’s legal guardian, or another adult family member of the Minor Athlete. When an Adult Participant communicates electronically to more than one Minor Athlete (or the team), said Adult Participant must copy another Adult Participant or at least one parent/guardian of each Minor Athlete.

Pursuant to these requirements, 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 Open and Transparent and readily available to share with the public or families of the player or coach. Where possible, a coach should be provided and use the organization web site email center (the coach’s return email address will contain “@organization.com”) for all communications with the team, players, and player’s parents.

Exceptions

The prohibitions on social media or electronic communications between an Adult Participant and a Minor Athlete do not restrict such communications if any of the following exceptions apply:

• A Dual Relationship exists;
• The Close-in-Age exception applies;
• The Minor Athlete needs a Primary Care Assistant; or
• In emergency situations.

Social Media

Social media makes it easy to share ideas and experiences. USA Hockey recognizes, however, that social media, mobile and other electronic communications can be especially concerning where Minor Athletes are involved. Coaches are prohibited from having Minor Athletes joined to or connected through their personal Facebook page, Instagram or any other similar social media application, unless an exception exists. 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 the team through that site.

Web-Based Conferencing and Similar Communications

Coaches, team managers, and others may use web-based conferencing software (i.e. Zoom, Google Hangouts, Microsoft Teams) to meet with, train, or otherwise communicate with Minor Athletes. All webbased conferencing of any kind between a coach (or any Adult Participant) and a Minor Athlete(s) must be non-personal in nature and be for the purpose of training, communicating information about team activities or for team-oriented motivational purposes. Any invitation to such communication to any Minor Athlete must include the player’s parents or legal guardians and must adhere to all of the requirements found elsewhere in this Handbook as if the virtual meeting were being held in person, including the One on One Interactions Policy and the minimum attire policy (found within the Locker Room Policy). Virtual lessons or live stream videos should be Observable and Interruptible. Coaches, team managers, and players may send pre-recorded technique or training videos, but must copy at least one other Adult Participant. Best practices for web-based conferencing with a team should include use of passwords for entry and/or other security precautions.

Social Media and Group Chats Among Players

Minor Athletes often create group chats through texting or other social media applications. Such group chats are concerning because Minors may engage in bullying behavior, sexual misconduct, harassment, threats, discriminatory and other inappropriate conduct that may violate policies of USA Hockey. Group chats among Minor Athletes should be supervised by an adult to mitigate these risks.

Request to Discontinue All Electronic Communications or Imagery with Athlete

Following receipt of a written request by the parents of a Minor Athlete that their child not be contacted through any form of electronic communication by coaches or other adults in the program, the Member Program, team, coaches and administrators must 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 (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 Safe Sport Program.

Disciplinary Action

A USA Hockey Participant who violates this Social Media & Electronic Communications Policy is subject to appropriate disciplinary action including but not limited to suspension, permanent suspension and/or referral to law enforcement authorities.

Updated Sept 29, 2024.