Coordinated, speedy and energetic, eight-year-old Jamie seemed to have all the right stuff for a stellar Little League career. But three weeks into his first season, Jamie came home in tears. "The coach is always yelling at me," he would tell his parents. "All the kids are teasing me." Which wasn't far from the truth.
Even on his prescribed dose of a psychostimulant that keeps his symptoms well under control at school, Jamie couldn't sustain the attention, focus or self-control required to be part of the team. Unable to sit still while waiting his turn at batting practice, Jamie sometimes ended up in scuffles with the other boys. Distracted by teammates and street noise, he could neither comprehend nor follow most instructions or rules. Banished to the outfield, he appeared to forget where he was as hits went flying by.
His coach used phrases such as "Wake up!" and "Earth to Jamie" to try and keep him on track. It didn't work.
"I don't know whether to force him to stay with it or give in when he wants to quit," laments Jamie's father, Keith. "In second grade, he already feels like a failure."
ADHD children like Jamie benefit from sports in many ways: For one thing, vigorous activity releases endorphins, brain chemicals that reduce stress and enhance well-being, particularly important for kids with ADHD. Sports also can help teach social skills crucial to healthy emotional development. But some sports prove so challenging for children with ADHD that these benefits get canceled out. "Little League became a huge source of stress for Jamie,"says Keith. "Not to mention a huge strain on the rest of the family."
ADDitude magazine interviewed parents, children, gym teachers, counselors and coaches to determine which of twelve summer sports are best for ADHD kids. While our list (at right) is by no means exhaustive, it provides important guidelines for matching a sport with your child.
Formidable opponents
For many children with ADHD, the most formidable opponents on the playing field are themselves. Because structure, order and lack of distraction are the keys to sports success, the very issues that plague them in the classroom may get magnified on the playing field.
"Children with ADHD have the same difficulty with sports that they have in the classroom," says Jan Seaman, Ph.D., executive director of the American Association of Active Lifestyle and Fitness, a division of the National Association of Sports and Physical Education. "They become distracted by what is around them and they will often miss instructions." Or even wander off mentally from the game.
ADHD frequently co-occurs with learning disabilities that affect organization, spatial awareness, and game concepts and strategies. So besides distractibility, other factors often hampering sports success for many ADHD kids are:
- Difficulty following directions. "They often want to skip the rules and get right to the activity," Seaman says.
- Impulsivity. Because ADHD kids often act before thinking, they're more quick to operate on instinct rather than employ strategies and rules that are part of the sport. They also may have difficulty waiting their turn and standing in line, especially during practice.
- Inattention. Sports such as baseball that require the child to pay at least moderate attention during periods in which they not fully engaged in the game are particularly challenging. Kids with ADHD often are caught daydreaming or fooling around during low action intervals. They may miss their turn at bat or, like Jamie, be caught mid-daydream when covering the outfield.
- Low frustration tolerance. Losing is especially difficult for kids with ADHD, and may give rise to tantrums, rages, and other inappropriate or even physically aggressive behaviors.
Team sports: foul play
"If the dose of medication is working well, the child should be significantly less hyperactive, distractible, and impulsive," says Larry Silver, M.D., and national leader in ADD research and treatment. "Many kids on medication do so well that they do not need additional consideration."
But most experts we consulted, including Dr. Silver, agree that individual sports have it all over team sports for kids whose ADHD is less well controlled. Team contact sports are the worst.
"They have a hard time grasping the 'play system,'" explains Robert Giabardo, athletic director at Summit Camp for Youth with Attention Deficit Disorders in Honesdale, Pennsylvania. "In order to participate in a game such as football, the player must always be focused not only on his or her role in the game, but must also be aware ofthe actions and physical placement of other players at all times."
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