Wednesday, September 30 is Rowan’s Law Day, a day dedicated to raising awareness about concussions and the importance of recognizing and responding to the signs and symptoms of a head injury.
The day is named in memory of Rowan Stringer, a 17-year-old rugby player who died after sustaining multiple concussions. In 2018, the Ontario government passed Rowan’s Law to help protect athletes and increase concussion awareness among athletes, parents/guardians, coaches, educators and officials.
Concussions aren’t always obvious, and signs and symptoms can take hours or even days to appear. Rowan’s Law encourages everyone to SPEAK UP about a possible concussion, seek appropriate care and take the time needed to recover.
Students who participate on school sports teams must also inform their coaches if they have sustained a concussion while participating in a sport outside of school.
To learn more about concussion management, watch Dr. Mike’s video on concussion safety.
Ball Play Zones
Ball strikes continue to be a leading cause of playground injury.While many result in minor injuries, ball strikes to the head can also result in concussion or other injury.
To help reduce the risk of ball strike injuries, ball play at HWCDSB schools is restricted to designated areas on the school playground. These areas are identified by red hash lines and provide dedicated spaces for games involving balls to be played safely.
Learn more about the HWCDSB Concussion Protocol.