MICHIGAN AMATEUR HOCKEY ASSOCIATION

J100 STAR 07.ppt

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

All teams registered with the MAHA and USA HOCKEY must have each parent/legal guardian of each registered player sign the MAHA STAR Hockey Program Parent/Legal Guardian Code of Conduct Agreement.

Executed copies of the MAHA STAR Hockey Program Parent/Legal Guardian Code of Conduct Agreement shall be retained with all other team registration credentials

All Associations and Independent Teams should develop and submit to their District Council a disciplinary action procedure for parents found to be in non-compliance with the Program

Failure of the parent/legal guardian(s) of any registered player to comply with the MAHA STAR Hockey Program Parent/Legal Guardian Code of Conduct Agreement shall become the disciplinary responsibility of the District Council where the parent/legal guardian’s player is registered. The District STAR Representative may refer matters back to the association level when he/she deems appropriate. Upon resolution, all findings and actions are to be reported to the District STAR Rep and MAHA STAR Chairperson.

What is MAHA’s STAR Program?

• The Michigan Amateur Hockey Association's STAR (Shared Tolerance, Appreciation & Respect) Hockey program was one of the first of its type created anywhere in the country.  It is MAHA’s response to increasing reports of misconduct, abuse, and violence in youth hockey and other youth sports.  

• The S.T.A.R. Hockey program is meant to be presented and explained to ALL hockey participants in Michigan, including parents, players, coaches, officials, and administrators.  It is also reviewed in Coaching and Officiating education programs.  The Parent Code of Conduct form is a mandatory part of the registration process. 

• The mission of the Michigan Amateur Hockey Association's STAR HOCKEY program is to “Provide a youth hockey environment in which all the individuals are treated with respect and dignity for the enjoyment and personal development of everyone.”

Who is affected by the STAR Program?

• MAHA's STAR Hockey program involves monitoring and hearing all incidents that involve allegations of improper conduct involving Parents/Guardians/Spectators ONLY.

• The STAR Program DOES NOT monitor or hear any incidents that involve allegations of improper conduct by:

Coaches Referees Off-Ice Officials Rink Staff/Management Players

Physical Abuse of a Minor

Any and all incidents reported that allege physical/sexual abuse of a minor,

regardless of whether the accused individual is a parent, player, coach or

official, the report must IMMEDIATELY go to the MAHA Vice President of Abuse.

Coaches, Players or OfficialsThe MAHA STAR Program does not handle

any allegations against a Coach, Player, Referee, Off-Ice Official, or Rink

Personnel.

1. Complaints alleging misconduct by a Coach or Player should be referred to the District Chairperson and ACE Director in the District they are registered.

2. Complaints alleging misconduct by a Referee or Off-Ice Official should be referred to the District Chair and the Referee in Chief in the District the incident took place in.

How do I File a STAR Incident Report?

1. It is highly recommended that a complaint should be filed no sooner than 48 hrs after the incident takes place. This “cool off period” usually helps everyone to gain a little perspective before filing a formal incident report.

2. If an incident report is still called for, the accuser files the incident report on line at: http://www.maha.org/STARIncidentReport.aspx

3. All incident reports must: Name and contact information of the accuser Date of incident Name (if possible) of the accused

parent/guardian/spectator Association/Independent & District affiliation of the

accused Description of incident

What happens after a STAR Incident Report is Filed?

1. The Incident Report is electronically delivered to the STAR Chairperson, who reviews the complaint and determines which District the accused is from. In addition, the STAR Chairperson tracks all in-coming Incident Reports and out-comes of all STAR investigations/hearings.

2. The incident is then referred to the proper authority within 2 days of the date received.

True STAR Incident Reports are forwarded to the appropriate District STAR Rep to investigate or refer to the appropriate Association Star Rep.Note: Complaints on Coaches, Players, Referees and Off-Ice Officials are forwarded to the appropriate District RIC and/or District Chairperson. In addition, these reports are forwarded to the appropriate Vice President for supervision of review.

3. The District STAR Rep will review the complaint and determine who will investigate the complaint. After the investigation and any required hearings, a determination is made as to the legitimacy of the complaint. If the accused is found responsible for the allegations, the District STAR Rep will request a recommendation for penalty, which the District STAR Rep will review. If the penalty is found to be appropriate by the District STAR Rep, it is then forwarded on to the MAHA STAR Chairperson for tracking and posting any sanctionss on the MAHA Website.

Frequently Asked QuestionsQ: What if the accused is only listed with a physical

description? A: The Head Coach of the team and/or the president of the

association, that the individual is affiliated with, should be contacted and requested to provide the identification of the person.

Q: What if a parent violates the Parent’s Code of Conduct, but is a coach also? Should a STAR complaint be filed?

A: No, any Coach, Referee or Off-Ice Official are held to a higher standard for code of conduct. Any complaint against a parent who is a Coach, Referee or Off-Ice Official must be made to their District Chairperson, ACE Director or District RIC.

Q: What if someone violates the terms of their penalty? A: The individual should be reported to the STAR Rep

for that District and District Council for a hearing immediately. The District Chairperson and STAR Rep will be recommended to impose greater penalty than original and monitor. It would be a last resort, but the ability of their athlete to participate with a MAHA team/program will be in jeopardy.