2024/2025 ONPARA Membership

Overview

Benefits of ONPARA Membership

• Information on ONPARA-sanctioned programs, leagues, tournaments, clinics, seminars, and events.
• The ability to participate in ONPARA-sanctioned events (local/regional, provincial, and national levels).
• The ability to be selected to an ONPARA provincial team.
• The ability to rent a sport wheelchair through the ONPARA Wheelchair Loans Program.
• Liability insurance coverage when participating in ONPARA-sanctioned clubs/programs and events.
• Voting privileges at the ONPARA Annual General Meeting.
• The opportunity to participate in special events, giveaways, contests, etc.
• Compliance with provincial Rowan’s Law concussion safety requirements.

Annual membership runs from October 1 – September 30.

The following certifications are REQUIRED for all ONPARA coaches, officials, and staff.

• Rowans Law NCCP Making Head Way (Can be found on The Locker under the E-learning tab)
• Rule of Two (Can be found on The Locker under the E-learning tab)
• Safe Sport Training (Can be found on The Locker under the E-learning tab)
• NCCP – Coaching an athlete with a disability (Can be found on The Locker under the E-learning tab)
• NCCP – Intro to Competition (Can be found on The Locker under the E-learning tab)

---

Rowan’s Law Concussion Awareness Resources & Sport Organization Requirements:

Ontario is a national leader in concussion management and prevention. Rowan’s Law (Concussion Safety), 2018 makes it mandatory, as of July 1, 2019, for sport organizations to:

1. Ensure that athletes under 26 years of age, parents of athletes under 18, coaches, team trainers, and officials confirm every year that they have reviewed Ontario’s Concussion Awareness Resources
2. Establish a Concussion Code of Conduct that sets out rules of behavior to support concussion prevention
3. Ensure that athletes under 26 years of age, parents of athletes under 18, coaches, and team trainers have read and agree to the Concussion Code of Conduct

IMPORTANT:
Please ensure that you have reviewed the Ministry-approved Concussion Awareness Resources and have read and agreed to the Athlete Concussion Code of Conduct and/or Coaches/Team Trainers/Officials Concussion Code of Conduct prior to becoming an ONPARA member.

• Concussion Awareness Resources (online)
• Athlete Concussion Code of Conduct
• Coaches/Team Trainers/Officials Concussion Code of Conduct

While Rowan’s Law only applies to athletes under the age of 26, we highly encourage all athletes to educate themselves on concussion safety, regardless of age.

Post-Concussion 'Return to Sport'
ONPARA follows Parachute Canada’s Return to Sport Guidelines.

More Information
For more information regarding Rowan’s Law and the Government of Ontario’s concussion safety plan, please visit https://www.ontario.ca/page/rowans-law-concussion-safety