About Rowan’s Law
Rowan’s Law was named for Rowan Stringer, a high school rugby player from Ottawa, who died in the spring of 2013 from a condition known as second impact syndrome (swelling of the brain caused by a subsequent injury that occurred before a previous injury healed). Rowan is believed to have experienced three concussions over six days while playing rugby. She had a concussion but didn’t know her brain needed time to heal. Neither did her parents, teachers or coaches.
Rowan’s Law and Rowan’s Law Day were established to honour her memory and bring awareness to concussions and concussion safety. In honour of the memory of Rowan Stringer, ‘Rowan’s Law Day’ is commemorated in Ontario on the last Wednesday in September to raise awareness about concussions in sports.
About Concussions
A concussion is a brain injury. It can’t be seen on X-rays, CT scans or MRIs. It may affect the way a person thinks, feels and acts.
Any blow to the head, face or neck may cause a concussion. A concussion may also be caused by a blow to the body if the force of the blow causes the brain to move around inside the skull. A concussion can happen to anyone – anywhere – including: at home, school or your workplace; following a car, bike or pedestrian accident; from participating in games, sports or other physical activity.
A concussion is a serious injury. While the effects are typically short-term, a concussion can lead to long-lasting symptoms and even long-term effects.
There are many signs and symptoms of a concussion to look out for, including: headache, dizziness, ringing in the ears, memory loss, nausea, light sensitivity, drowsiness, and depression.
If you notice signs of a concussion in others, or experience any of these symptoms yourself, consult with a physician or nurse practitioner.
Know the risks
You can get a concussion even if you don’t black out or lose consciousness.
Slips and falls can also increase concussion risk, especially in:
- young children
- senior citizens
Take time to heal
It is important to take time and heal if you have a concussion.
In some cases, concussions or repeat concussions can result in:
- swelling of the brain
- permanent brain damage
- death
Requirements for Sport Organizations
Ontario is a national leader in concussion management and prevention. Rowan’s Law (Concussion Safety), 2018 makes it mandatory for sport organizations to:
- Ensure that athletes under 26 years of age, parents of athletes under 18, coaches, team trainers and officials confirm every year that they have reviewed Ontario’s Concussion Awareness Resources.
- Establish a Concussion Code of Conduct that sets out rules of behaviour to support concussion prevention.
- Establish a Removal-from-Sport and Return-to-Sport protocol.
The new rules requiring the review of Concussion Awareness Resources and Concussion Codes of Conduct came into effect on July 1, 2019.
The rules for removal-from-sport and return-to-sport protocols are expected to be in place by January 1, 2022.
1. Ensure that athletes under 26 years of age, parents of athletes under 18, coaches, team trainers and officials confirm every year that they have reviewed Ontario’s Concussion Awareness Resources.
As a result, for the 2019-20 basketball season, Ontario Basketball has introduced new concussion awareness initiatives. Ontario Basketball is using registration platform SportSavvy to administer annual review and acknowledgement of Concussion Awareness Resources and the OBA Concussion Policy & Code of Conduct during the team registration process.
SportSavvy Requirements – Rowan’s Law
Click the button below to view the instruction manual on how to complete the mandatory concussion safety education program through SportSavvy in accordance with Rowan’s Law.
Please note that you will not be able to complete registration for Ontario Basketball League, Ontario Cup, etc. until all members of the team have acknowledged Rowan’s Law.
2. Establish a Concussion Code of Conduct that sets out rules of behaviour to support concussion prevention.
Ontario Basketball’s concussion policy has been updated in collaboration with the Concussion Centre at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Ontario Physical and Health Education Association and the Coaches Association of Ontario. The update is required by law in Ontario as Rowan’s Law came into effect on July 1, 2019.
The purpose of this Concussion Policy and Code of Conduct is to increase education and awareness for coaches, parents/guardians, players, officials, managers and other team or club members on the signs and symptoms of concussion and the specific protocols for managing concussion in Ontario Basketball (OBA) sanctioned activities.
This Concussion Policy and Code of Conduct aims to 1) ensure that players with a suspected concussion are removed-from-sport and seek medical assessment and 2) all players with a suspected and/or diagnosed concussion do not participate in OBA sanctioned activities before medically cleared to return to basketball.
This Concussion Policy and Code of Conduct applies to coaches and team trainers of all OBA sanctioned teams, to athletes participating in all OBA sanctioned activities, and to parents/guardians of participants.
Ontario Basketball Concussion Policy & Concussion Reporting Guidelines
Head Coaches are partly responsible for recording instances of concussion on their team to their member club and to Ontario Basketball. More information on reporting obligations can be found in Ontario Basketball’s Concussion Policy (updated July 2019).
- Suspected Concussion Report Form
- Medical Assessment Letter (template)
- Medical Clearance Letter (template)
- OBA Concussion Reporting Portal – Smartsheet
- Removal from Basketball Protocol
- Return to Basketball Protocol
Courses
NCCP Making Head Way
FREE Concussion eLearning series for Sport (generic), Football, Soccer, Snowboard, Freestyle Ski, and Speed Skating.
Note: Your NCCP number is required to complete a module. If you have never taken a NCCP course, register for The Locker.
