National campaign urges coaches to kick off season with concussion speech

A national campaign aimed at getting young athletes to talk more openly about concussion has been launched in Canada.

Team Up, Speak Up is urging coaches to talk to their players about head injury before the start of the playing season, and encourage them to say something if they believe a teammate has suffered a concussion.

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"We're changing social norms by actually having a coach give the speech," said Chris Nowinski, a former athlete and CEO of the Concussion Legacy Foundation, at the campaign's launch at Queen's Park Tuesday.

"We're really framing the idea of identifying concussions as being a good teammate," said Nowinski.

Nowinski, who suffered numerous concussions as a professional wrestler, ending his career, said in the past athletes were inclined to hide their injuries. However today, with what's now known about the long-term effects of repeated head trauma, he said it's critical for young people to speak up.

Nowinski said Rugby Canada is the first national governing body to participate in the campaign, which was launched in the U.S. last year.

​"Rugby Canada is partially involved because there is a former rugby player that really helped inspire this program," he said. "Her name was Rowan Stringer."

Remembering Rowan

Stringer died in 2013 at the age of 17 after being knocked unconscious during a high school rugby match. 

An inquest found the John McCrae Secondary School student had suffered numerous concussions before her death.

Teammates sometimes see things that happen during a game that coaches and others don't pick up on.- Gord Stringer, Rowan's father

In June 2016, the Ontario Legislature passed Rowan's Law, which mandates a new set of concussion protocols for youth sports.

"We fully support this initiative," said Rowan's father, Gord Stringer, at the launch. "I believe [Team Up, Speak Up] will — and can — be a difference-maker." 

• Rowan Stringer ignored concussion symptoms days before death
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"Had this been in place, [Rowan's] outcome may have been different," he said.

"She talked on social media with her friends about the possibility of having a concussion. She never mentioned it to her coach, parents or anyone else. But teammates sometimes see things that happen during a game that coaches and others don't pick up on."

Nowinski is encouraging coaches to speak to their players about concussion early in the season, and to post their speeches online with the hashtag #teamupspeakup before Sept. 12. 

"We're filming prominent coaches giving [their speech] ... so people buy in that this simple, only one-minute speech can really help change the culture of your team. It needs to be a part of the kickoff of every season with every new team."