Great Sports for Children With ADHD
11 ways to help the coach of your ADHD child expose her natural talent, better provide instructions, and make her team-sport experience a good one.
Shared by: C.K.
From: http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/855.html
During my early days of coaching school sports, there was a young girl with an amazing amount of energy on the basketball team. During practice, she was the first one out of the locker room, dressed and raring to go. She was also the last one to leave the gym. A coach's dream? I thought so, until the frustration set in - for both of us.
Angela could really handle a basketball, having grown up in a houseful of brothers. But she didn't understand strategy or teamwork. When she was on the court, she performed as if she were the only one there. How could I help her see that enthusiasm, while admirable, was no substitute for team play?
One afternoon, when Angela's dad picked her up from practice, he asked how things were going. I voiced my frustration and he shook his head knowingly, explaining that his daughter had ADHD. He said that she loved sports and had tried several, with little success. We decided that he would attend all the practices, and together we would figure out how to help this young athlete achieve success at something that she really wanted to do.
Our effort helped Angela to see that basketball was not her sport. Her poor spatial awareness and strategic thinking, compounded by emotional triggers during a game, thwarted her success. Yet Angela also came to learn that her spirit, enthusiasm, and motivation could help her shine in another sport: cross-country track. She excelled at track in her first year of high school, and she also gained insight into her capabilities. This partnership between coach, parent, and child ended in a win-win.