Policies & Documents

Locker room monitors are the same gender as the team they are monitoring. If you are not - base layer requirements have to be met by the players in order to be a monitor in the room. For placements base layers are required, so any gender may be a locker room monitor.

CLICK HERE FOR USA HOCKEY REGISTRATION, SAFESPORT, BACKGROUND CHECK REQUIREMENTS.  

District 9 REQUIRES that all board members, coaches, team managers, locker room helpers and volunteers complete a background screening form. You also need to complete the Safe Sport training through USA Hockey. If you will be performing multiple roles (board member and coach for example) you only need to complete the form once. If you have already completed a background screening for another purpose such a classroom volunteer, you still need to complete one through Minnesota Hockey.

To complete the form you will need to login using your NGIN account. Use the same login you used during registration. The direct link to the registration form is below.  Be sure to click the correct button at the bottom of the page (Coaches or All Other Positions). For the Association select "Mankato Area Hockey Association" and "9" for the District.  

MAHA Grievance Procedure

Purpose

The MAHA Grievance Procedure provides participants with a structured process for raising legitimate hockey-related concerns involving:

• MAHA policies;
• Participant conduct;
• Hockey operations;
• Player safety;
• Association decisions; and
• Other matters within MAHA’s authority.

The goals of the grievance process are to identify the concern, gather relevant information, allow the appropriate individuals an opportunity to respond, determine whether MAHA action is warranted, and provide recommendations to the MAHA Board of Directors when necessary.

Resolve Concerns at the Lowest Appropriate Level

Members are strongly encouraged to resolve concerns at the lowest appropriate level before filing a formal grievance.

Whenever practical, the concern should first be discussed directly, respectfully, and in good faith with the coach, team representative, committee chair, or individual involved. Unless an immediate safety concern exists, individuals should wait at least 24 hours before raising a concern related to a game, playing time, team decision, or other emotionally charged situation.

Player attendance, effort, attitude, language, and other routine team matters should generally be addressed through the coaching staff and established team rules.

The MAHA Board is responsible for Association governance and operations but is not responsible for mediating personal disagreements that fall outside MAHA activities or authority.

When Immediate Reporting Is Appropriate

The expectation to resolve a concern directly does not apply to matters involving:

• Player safety;
• Abuse or suspected abuse;
• Harassment or discrimination;
• Retaliation;
• Threats or violence;
• Criminal conduct; or
• Conduct requiring a report to USA Hockey SafeSport, law enforcement, or child-protection authorities.

The MAHA grievance process is not a substitute for emergency reporting, law-enforcement reporting, child-protection reporting, or USA Hockey SafeSport reporting.

Filing a Formal Grievance

When a legitimate hockey-related concern cannot be resolved through appropriate direct communication, the affected individual may submit a formal Grievance Report.

Complete the Grievance Report available at the bottom of this page and email it to both:

• grievances@mankatohockey.com
• mahapresident@mankatohockey.com

The report should include:

• The name and contact information of the person submitting the grievance;
• A clear description of the concern;
• The individuals involved;
• Relevant dates and locations;
• Steps already taken to resolve the concern;
• Supporting documents, communications, or other available information; and
• The resolution or action being requested.

MAHA requires individuals submitting grievances to identify themselves. Anonymous Grievance Reports will not be processed.

Grievance Review

The Grievance Committee may include a cross-section of MAHA representatives and community members, including:

• The Hockey Operations Director;
• Board Members;
• Parents or guardians;
• Coaches;
• Adult participants;
• Independent community members; and
• Other individuals appointed by the Board.

Reasonable efforts will be made to select committee members who are fair, objective, approachable, and free from material conflicts of interest.

A committee member with a personal, family, team, financial, or other significant conflict shall not participate in reviewing the matter. A neutral replacement may be appointed when necessary.

The committee may review written statements, communications, witness information, video, applicable policies, and other reasonably available information. The individuals involved may be contacted and provided an opportunity to respond.

The committee will determine whether further investigation or corrective action is appropriate and may provide findings or recommendations to the MAHA Board of Directors.

Appropriate Use of the Grievance Procedure

The grievance process is intended for legitimate hockey-related concerns and matters within MAHA’s authority.

It shall not be used to:

• Pursue personal disputes unrelated to MAHA activities;
• Retaliate against another individual;
• Harass, intimidate, or undermine another person;
• Circumvent appropriate team communication channels;
• Repeatedly raise a matter that has already been reasonably reviewed without presenting material new information; or
• Attempt to have another person disciplined without a factual and supportable basis.

Submitting a grievance does not guarantee that disciplinary action will be taken. MAHA will review the available information and determine whether investigation, corrective action, or discipline is appropriate.

Knowingly submitting false or materially misleading information through the grievance process may itself be considered misconduct.

Confidentiality and Protection From Retaliation

Grievances will be handled with appropriate discretion. Information will be shared only as reasonably necessary to conduct a fair review, protect participants, comply with reporting obligations, or implement appropriate corrective action.

MAHA cannot guarantee complete confidentiality when disclosure is necessary for safety, due process, or legal compliance.

No individual shall be discriminated or retaliated against for making a good-faith report or participating in the grievance process. Discouraging or intimidating someone from appropriately using this procedure will not be tolerated.

MAHA’s stance on bad weather accounts for parents to make an ultimate decision on behalf of the child. All Seasons Arena typically does not close due to poor weather, therefore MAHA does not cancel practice on poor weather days, even if school is called. However, any practices being held on days school is let out due to weather are considered “optional”, yet coaches will attend the practice time for anyone wishing to attend. Players​ ​missing​ ​such​ ​practices​ ​will​ ​NOT​ ​be​ ​subject​ ​to​ ​any​ ​team​ ​rule​ ​sanctions.

In the case of school cancellations, teams must follow the District 9 policy, which calls for both teams agreeing to cancel a game​ ​before​ ​it​ ​can​ ​be​ ​cancelled.