B. Active Living / C. Movement Competence · Active Living and Movement: Train, Plan, Stay Safe and Play Smart

Play Safe: Lowering the Risk of Concussion

B3 A1.1 A1.4About 40 minutes

Learning goals

I can explain how concussions happen in sports and play.
I can describe behaviours, rules, skills and equipment that lower the risk of concussion for me and others.
I can explain why it's important to report symptoms and how to support someone to do so.
I can manage my feelings and stand up for safety, even under peer pressure.

Words to know

concussion
A brain injury caused by a blow to the head, face, neck or body that makes the head and brain move quickly back and forth. It usually can't be seen on X-rays or regular scans.

symptom
Something a person feels or notices, like a headache or dizziness, that can be a sign of injury or illness.

heads-up play
Keeping your eyes up to see people, objects and space around you.

fair play
Following the rules and the spirit of the game, and respecting everyone's safety.

Rowan's Law
Ontario's concussion safety law, named after Rowan Stringer, a young rugby player from Ottawa.

return-to-learn and return-to-sport
A step-by-step plan, guided by a doctor or nurse practitioner, for going back to school work and activity after a concussion.

Remember from earlier grades

In Grades 4 to 6 you learned what a concussion is, its signs and symptoms, what to do (stop, tell a grown-up, get checked), about Rowan's Law, and how to support a friend's recovery.

This year the focus is prevention: the behaviours and procedures that lower the risk of concussion, for you and the people you play with. You'll also practise what to say when there's pressure to keep playing.

Hook: the tournament final

It's the final of a ball hockey tournament. Your teammate Zoe bumps heads with an opponent. She says, "I'm a bit dizzy, but I'm fine. We need me. Don't tell the coach."

What would you do? Think about it. By the end of this lesson, you'll have a clear answer and the words to say it.

How concussions happen

A concussion can happen from a hit to the head, but also from a hit to the face, neck or body that makes the head whip quickly. Inside the skull, the brain moves and can be injured.

Most concussions happen without being knocked out.
Symptoms can show up right away or hours later.
Young people's brains are still developing, and recovery can take longer than for adults.
A second hit before the brain has healed can be very serious. That's why anyone with a suspected concussion must stop and not return to activity that day.

How a concussion can happen without a hit to the head: a hit to the body makes the head whip, and the brain moves inside the skull. Not to scale.

Way to lower risk	What it looks like
Follow the rules	No hits to the head; no checking from behind; sticks below the waist; tag below the shoulders
Fair play and respect	Control your body and your temper; never try to hurt anyone; play hard but safe
Heads-up play	Keep your eyes up, call "Mine!" or "Yours!", watch where you're going
Skills	Learn safe technique: how to fall, how to stop, how to protect yourself and others
Equipment	Wear the right gear for the activity, the right size, worn properly (like a properly fitted helmet for biking, skating or skiing)
Safe space	Clear obstacles, enough room between games, safe surfaces, good lighting
Report and respond	Tell an adult right away about any possible concussion, yours or someone else's

Behaviours and procedures that lower the risk of concussion. Helmets help prevent serious head injuries like skull fractures, but no helmet can fully prevent a concussion, so safe behaviour matters most.

Why people hide symptoms, and why they shouldn't

People sometimes hide symptoms because they don't want to let the team down, miss a game, look weak, or they think it's "just a bump".

But playing with a concussion can make it worse and recovery longer, and a second hit can be dangerous. Reporting isn't weak; it's smart and brave.

In Ontario, many sports organizations and schools ask athletes to review concussion awareness information and agree to a Concussion Code of Conduct: playing by the rules, respecting others' safety, and reporting possible concussions. When in doubt, sit them out.

What to say under pressure

To a teammate: "You need to sit out and get checked. A game isn't worth your brain."
To yourself: "Telling someone is the brave choice."
To a player who is playing too rough: "Hey, that was a high hit. Keep it low, please."
To an adult: "Zoe hit her head and says she's dizzy. Can you check on her?"

A good teammate cares about the person more than the score.

Managing feelings in the moment

In a close game, emotions run high: excitement, frustration, fear of losing. Strong feelings can make people take risks or play rough. Notice the feeling ("I'm angry"), take one slow breath, and choose a safe action. Calm players make safer and smarter plays.

Worked example

Let's decide what to do

Back to the tournament final: Zoe bumped heads, feels dizzy and asks you not to tell the coach.

Notice: dizziness after a head bump is a possible concussion symptom.
Decide: she must stop playing now and not return today. Even if she says she's fine.
Act: tell the coach or another adult right away. Say what you saw and what she told you.
Support: stay with Zoe, be kind: "I know you want to play. Your brain is more important." Afterwards, she should be checked by a doctor or nurse practitioner.

Tell an adult right away, even though Zoe asked you not to. Keeping a friend safe is more important than keeping a secret about an injury.

What to do about a possible concussion, in order. Telling an adult is the brave and caring choice, even in a final.

Hands-on activity

Our team safety agreement

You need: paper, coloured markers, and family members or friends you play with.

Together, choose a game you often play (ball hockey, tag, soccer, tobogganing, basketball).
Write a safety agreement with at least 6 rules: one each for rules of play, fair play, heads-up play, equipment, space, and reporting.
Add a line: "If anyone might have a concussion, we stop, tell an adult, and they don't play again that day."
Everyone signs it. Post it by the door or take a photo.
Practise heads-up play: with a soft ball in a clear space, dribble (with hands or feet) while a partner holds up fingers. Call out the number without stopping. This trains you to keep your eyes up.
Role-play the tournament-final scenario twice, taking turns as the player and the teammate.

Safety: Use soft balls and a clear, flat space away from walls, furniture and roads. Warm up before the heads-up drill.

Your turn

Can a hit to the body cause a concussion? Explain.

Name four ways to lower the risk of concussion in a game.

True or false: You have to be knocked out to have a concussion.

Why should a person with a suspected concussion not return to play that day?

A friend says, "Don't tell anyone I hit my head." What do you do and say?

Does a helmet prevent all concussions?

More practice: warm-up

What part of the body does a concussion injure?

What does "heads-up play" mean?

What is Ontario's concussion safety law called?

Who should check someone with a suspected concussion?

Finish the saying: "When in doubt, ..."

More practice: on your own

List three reasons athletes might hide symptoms, and one reason not to.

Write a safety rule for backyard ball hockey that lowers concussion risk.

In tag, how can the rules lower the risk of collisions and concussions?

You're frustrated after an opponent fouled you. How could your feelings make play less safe, and what could you do?

Why can concussion recovery take longer for young people?

Challenge

Write a short Concussion Code of Conduct (4 points) for a Grade 7 intramural ball hockey league.

An opponent keeps making high, risky plays, and no adult has noticed. Plan what you'll do, step by step.

Explain how each of these lowers concussion risk in tobogganing: a helmet, a hill with a long flat run-out, going feet first, and one person at a time.

Check your understanding

Quiz

Which can cause a concussion?

Which behaviour lowers concussion risk?

A teammate feels dizzy after a head bump and wants to keep playing. You should:

Which statement about helmets is true?

Why is a second hit before healing dangerous?

Finish the safety rule: "When in doubt, ..."

For parents and teachers

Big idea: Grade 7 students demonstrate behaviours and apply procedures that maximize safety and lessen the risk of concussion for themselves and others.

How to help at home:

Talk about the tournament-final scenario. Ask, "What would you say?"
Check that helmets and equipment fit properly and are worn properly.
Make clear that your child will never be in trouble for reporting an injury, theirs or a friend's.

Common difficulties:

Thinking helmets make you invincible. Explain what they do and don't do.
Pressure not to tell. Practise the exact words.
Believing concussions require being knocked out. Most do not.

About concussions: A child with a suspected concussion should stop right away, not return to activity that day, not be left alone at first, and be assessed by a medical doctor or nurse practitioner. Call 911 for red-flag signs: worsening headache, repeated vomiting, seizure, severe neck pain, increasing confusion, weakness or tingling in arms or legs, or loss of consciousness. In Ontario, Rowan's Law and school board procedures guide removal from activity and a gradual return to learning and sport.

Social-emotional learning: Managing strong feelings during competition builds emotional skills (A1.1); speaking up for a friend and refusing peer pressure builds healthy relationships (A1.4).