Concussion Awareness Week serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of understanding, preventing, and properly managing concussions in sport. It’s a time to reflect on how we can better protect athletes by recognising the signs of concussion and taking swift, informed action to support their recovery and long-term wellbeing.

At Ontario Soccer, this week also marks the observance of Rowan’s Law Day—a meaningful occasion for our community and all sport organizations across the province. It’s an opportunity to share vital concussion education tools and reinforce our collective commitment to safe sport practices.

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 Seventh Minister’s Progress Report, released on Rowan’s Law Day 2025, highlights Ontario’s continued leadership in concussion safety. The report showcases expanded education efforts, stronger cross-sector partnerships, and a growing national movement toward harmonized concussion legislation inspired by Rowan’s Law.

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.