What Is Rowan’s Law and What Does It Mean for Athletes?

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Many different rules and regulations can affect an athlete’s performance and ability to sign and participate in agreements. One of the most important things for an athlete in Canada to be aware of is Rowan’s Law.

How the Loss of One Athlete Began a Shift in Concussion-Related Studies

This article will explore the basic premises of Rowan’s Law imposing clear rules about concussions for youth sports. The law is named after Rowan Stringer, who was 17 years old when she passed away on Mother’s Day after sustaining a fatal concussion during a rugby game in Ottawa. Unfortunately, it was her second concussion within a seven-day period.

The coroner’s report in that case raised a great deal of awareness about the danger of concussions, in particular for youth sports organizations and generated concerns about the lack of protocols associated with the youth sport organizations that could be used to help keep children safe. A Canadian jury released 49 recommendations as a result of the coroner’s inquest upon Rowan’s death.

This ultimately led Ontario to adopt Rowan’s Law, an act that governs the handling of all youth concussions in sports. This mirrors laws in the United States where all 50 states have laws about the management of youth concussions. In recent years, many professional sports have contributed to a growing awareness of the severity of concussion injuries.

Head injuries are some of the most notoriously difficult to diagnose and they can also have significant implications on an individual’s ability to recover effectively. The National Football League has even been accused of hiding the league’s history of repeated head injuries over the course of years.

Concussions Receive More Attention with Pro Sports

The NHL and the NFL have been prominently featured with regards to allegation regarding concussion protocol. In 2013, the NFL required an individual who had a suspected concussion to get clearance from an independent neurologist and the team doctor before being allowed to return to play. In 2011, the NHL began mandating that players leave the bench and move forward to assessment with a doctor immediately after taking a hit to the head.

Aside from Rowan’s Law, however, regulations in Canada do not go quite as far to govern youth sports. This is why the Canadian Paediatric Society requested that in 2012 a statute be developed for school boards and regional sporting associations to have written policies about the management and recognition of concussions.

According to research, concussions make up nearly 12% of all sports injuries at the high school level. The current Canadian system for addressing concussion management is a confusing network of rules and policies adopted in varying levels by local, provincial and national sporting bodies. A study in 2013 identified that up to 40% of concussions affecting high school athletes in the United States were never reported to medical officials or to coaches.

Often this is because young athletes are concerned about letting down their fellow players, their parents or their coaches. Rowan’s Law passed in the Ontario legislature unanimously on June 7th, 2016. After the coroner’s inquest that determined that Rowan Stringer passed away from second impact syndrome, the new law requires appropriate management of suspected concussions.

A second concussion during the recovery stage from an initial concussion can lead to a dangerous decrease in blood flow and energy levels, ultimately causing the brain to swell and causing fatal injuries. This can happen in any situation in which a person sustains two significant concussions in a short period of time. Some of the 49 recommendations within the law included: 

  • Better tools for trainers and coaches to identify concussions.
  • Increased awareness and educational opportunities.
  • Concussion policies in place for all sports associations and school boards in Ontario.

An expert advisory committee was also created as part of Rowans Law to develop a plan within the next several years to implement the coroner’s remaining recommendations. Concussions are a serious issue that could lead to secondary injuries or even fatalities if concussions occur shortly behind one another.