OWHA Screening (Sault Female Hockey Association)

OWHA Roster, Bench, and Screening Requirements

To ensure player safety and compliance with Ontario Women’s Hockey Association (OWHA) regulations, all SFHA teams must strictly adhere to OWHA roster, certification, and screening requirements.

Roster & Bench Eligibility

Players and team staff must be registered and approved on an OWHA roster before they are eligible to participate in any OWHA- or OWHL-sanctioned activities.

Only rostered players and approved team staff are permitted:

• On the bench

• In dressing rooms (with the exception of U7/U9)

• In game-related or restricted team areas

Anyone who is not rostered and approved may not be behind the bench or in game spaces at any time.

Coaching & Trainer Requirements

All OWHA teams must meet the following minimum requirements:

• At least one registered coach with a minimum certification of:
  
  

  • NCCP Coach Level

  • OR Hockey Canada FUNdamentals / Initiation Program (HCIP) for Atom, Novice, FUNdamentals, and House League
    
    

• OWHA recommends competitive teams have at least one coach certified at the NCCP Intermediate Level

• All teams must have a registered trainer with a minimum of HTCP Level 1 certification

• A certified trainer must be present at all OWHA-sanctioned events, including:
  
  

  • Games

  • Practices

  • Dryland training
    
    

• The trainer’s valid certification number must appear on the game sheet
  

A Head Coach may not also be assigned as the Head Trainer on the same team.

OWHA Screening & Vulnerable Sector Check (VSC)

In accordance with the OWHA Screening Policy, the following individuals must complete OWHA screening requirements, including a Vulnerable Sector Check (VSC) where applicable:

• Board of Directors members

• Full-time and part-time staff, interns, and volunteers

• Team officials, including (but not limited to):
  
  

  • Head coaches

  • Assistant coaches

  • Trainers

  • Managers

  • At-large team officials
    
    

• On-ice officials and officiating coaches/instructors

• Any individual who, through their role, may work with children, including:
  
  

  • On-ice volunteers

  • Skills coaches (must be OWHA-registered)

  • Dressing room supervisors
    
    

Anyone 18 years of age or older must have a satisfactory VSC processed through the Centralized Screening Portal.

Mandatory Requirements for All Team Staff

All team staff must:

• Be registered with the OWHA

• Complete Respect in Sport – Activity Leader

• Complete Rowan’s Law Resource Review & Acknowledgement

• Be a minimum of:
  
  

  • 16 years of age (including Trainers)

  • Two (2) years older than the oldest player, except in Senior divisions
    
    

• Each team must have:
  
  

  • At least one insured female staff member

  • A minimum of two (2) Dressing Room Monitors
    
    

    • All Dressing Room Monitors must be rostered with the Association

    • It is recommended that at least one Dressing Room Monitor be female
      
      

• All third-party instructors must be insured and rostered with the Association

Enforcement

Any individual who does not meet the above requirements may not be behind the bench or in game spaces at any time.

Enforcement of these requirements is the responsibility of the coaching staff, as part of their obligation to ensure player safety and compliance. These requirements will continue to be monitored by the SFHA Executive, and sanctions may be applied at the Board’s discretion for non-compliance.