Concussion Awareness Week is an annual initiative that raises awareness about concussion prevention, management and recovery. It serves as an essential reminder for everyone involved in sports to recognize the signs of a concussion and take action to preserve player safety and wellbeing.
For Ontario Soccer, Concussion Awareness Week is the time we commemorate Rowan’s Law Day – which holds particular significance for sport organizations within our province – and to share essential concussion resources with our community.
What is Rowan’s Law Day?
Rowan Stringer’s tragic story serves as a pivotal moment in the push for improved concussion safety in sports. Rowan, a 17-year-old rugby player from Ottawa, passed away in 2013 from a fatal condition called Second Impact Syndrome, the result of Rowan suffering multiple concussions in a short period of time.
Her death led to the passing of Rowan’s Law in 2018, a landmark concussion safety legislation in Ontario designed to educate and protect youth athletes. The law mandates concussion awareness and return-to-play protocols for all sports organizations in the province. In doing so, Rowan’s Law has raised awareness about concussions, educating more parents, teachers, coaches, athletes and trainers across the province on the signs and symptoms.
As a way of honouring her impact, Rowan’s Law Day is now observed on the last Wednesday of September each year.
To learn more about the impact of Rowan’s Law, the Minister's Year Five Progress Report from 2023 outlines the recent advancements in implementing Rowan’s Law, highlighting ongoing efforts to improve player safety.
ACCESS A FREE E-LEARNING MODULE
To further support our Membership in commemorating Concussion Awareness Week, Ontario Soccer has shared a new Rowan’s Law Day E-Learning Module, accessible here.
Concussion Resources
Ontario Soccer’s Concussion Resource Page has been updated with recent developments in Canada Soccer Concussion Policy, learning opportunities and more.
Parachute is a leading organization in concussion awareness and prevention. It provides comprehensive concussion resources to educate players, coaches and parents about recognizing and managing concussions. You can access Parachute’s Concussion Resources through Ontario Soccer’s concussion webpage.
In addition to these resources, new research from Western University sheds light on the issue of under-reporting concussion symptoms in youth sports:
- Concussion Symptom Under-Reporting and Removal from Play in Youth Sport [video]
- “It’s not that bad” - Addressing the influences to concussion symptom under-reporting and removal from play in youth sport
- ‘I just want to keep playing:’ Why youth athletes under-report concussion symptoms [The Conversation]