Athlete with ADHD

Athlete with ADHD
ADHD is a disorder that refers to people with average intellectual abilities. People with ID
sometimes have a pronounced attention deficit and hyperactivity (impulsivity), but this is
part of their basic diagnosis.
How to choose the best sports activity for a child who has unbearable (psycho) motor
restlessness and extremely distractible attention (difficult to maintain on content and to
switch from one content to another)?
Everything in this part can also be applied to a child with ID who is also hyperactive and has
undeveloped attention, it is only necessary to take into account the level at which the child
functions, the way he communicates and whether there are associated disorders.
Probably uninformed people suggest to parents to engage children in demanding physical
activities as much as possible so that the child gets tired and therefore becomes more
“present”. It is easy to tire children with ADHD, but they, like everyone else, are not more
receptive to work when they are tired, they are simply tired, but that does not mean that they
are slower, that they will sit or lie down. No, they will only become irritable, and focusing on
activity will be even more difficult

One of the techniques that significantly benefits children with ADHD (and is
complementary to treatment) is playing sports. Playing sports allows children to focus their
energy and behavior on specific activities. Structured and directed behavior is required,
rules must be followed and instructions must be followed – this develops attention; motor
skills are improved, work habits are built – all the things that a child with ADHD normally
doesn’t have time for ‘ in their speed. What is learned in training is generalized to everyday
activities. Through sports and physical activity self image is developed (the body schema is
less well learned in children with hyperactivity),he experiences his own body and
movement in the environment, awareness of others who are separated from us (they don’t
read our minds and don’t always know what we need) – therefore, social behaviors also
develop.
Why individual sports are preferable to team sports or even better; Or Why team sports are
not recommended?
In a team sport, a child must wait his turn, follow the movement of his team’s players, as
well as the opposing team’s players, the ball or other props. He must also pay attention to
the coach’s talk, without paying attention to the crowd’s throws. He has to divide his
already weak attention, he has to predict the movements and accordingly unconsciously
do the motor planning of his movement. This is too demanding and extra frustrating.
Frustration, a stressful situation and heightened anxiety further reinforce undesirable
behaviors.
Already in the training process, problems arise precisely because the coach does not only
deal with him, but with everyone in the team. The socializing and socialization factor will
not be present enough here, because in this environment it is difficult to separate the
important from the less important, so the children that surround our athlete cannot become
a model for learning social skills.
A child with hyperactivity is suitable for individual sports because there coach and the
athlete work on a one-on-one basis. The training process is adapted to the specific child,
the activities are carefully planned and structured, more frequent breaks are provided (also
as part of the rhythm of activity), a “plan B” is prepared if the athlete shows boredom…
During the involvement in individual sports, the athlete is active all the time. It is
recommended that he is surrounded by other athletes from whom he will learn social skills,
receive praise and criticism, but the emphasis is on having a coach just for himself. Maybe
in the future he will be able to work within a smaller group of children. By then, the
activities will have already been mastered and the stress will be on improving the
performance of the activities, and friends can correct him, as he can correct them.

Recommended sports:
Swimming – implies a certain rhythm, it is necessary to coordinate movement and
breathing. Water already has a relaxing effect and the athlete feels additional pleasantness
and stimulation while staying in the water. The beginning and the end are clearly
indicated, everyone has their own path to move, there are no obstacles – distractors. It’s the
same with athletics.
Martial arts – involve planned and structured movements. Movements are learned slowly,
in slow motion, with meaning given. Rituals of greeting coaches and opponents are
included – the activity has a rhythm. Coordination develops – joint and harmonious action
of different parts of the body. Motor planning and movement prediction is required, so
attention is maximally involved. This opportunity is not reached overnight, but through
persistent work and practice.
Gymnastics – coordination develops, awareness of body parts and movement in space
(movements are planned). Additional stimulation is obtained through movements – tactile,
vestibular, proprioceptive. This can affect satisfaction due to the balance between the
stimulation needed and that provided by the activity.
There are also gifted athletes among people with ID. Gifted athletes:-they master and acquire skills in a field more easily and quickly-They need less guidance or support from others-They are interested – they enjoy the achievement
In sports, there is a term “catalyst of success” that can also be applied to competitors with
ID. These catalysts can be: personal characteristics of the athlete (personality traits,
perseverance, coping mechanisms), environmental (social milieu, people who are
important in the athlete’s life, resources – proximity to the sports field, equipment, events)
and the factor of luck (financial possibilities of the family, tendency to injuries). A parent
cannot do everything alone. In the event that someone assesses that their child is gifted,
they must strive to create an environment that will help their potential to be realized. That is
why it is necessary to involve sports experts who are connected to sports federations.
Serious training requires the commitment of not only the athlete. Parents have their daily
life responsibilities and they need help. Logistics – help in going to training if the fields are
not close, help in going to competitions, getting equipment, going to regular medical
examinations. A gifted athlete with ID needs to be given the same support as a gifted
athlete from the general population.