"Know A Kid with ADHD? Get the Facts About Kids With ADHD and Sports"
74
ADHD or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a neurobehavioral based disorder. The disorder can be found in adults as well as children. However, it is most commonly diagnosed in young children. Someone who has been diagnosed with ADHD often experiences hyperactivity, as well as the inability to pay attention, mood swings and aggression.
Often times, it can be hard for a kid with ADHD to get involved in sports. Many sports require the ability to completely concentrate and stay focused. As well, certain sports may require that the child remain calm and quiet in many instances. However there are a variety of different sports that can be ideal for a child with ADHD. Team sports are often an excellent choicce for someone with ADHD. One example of a good sport for a kid with ADHD would be soccer. Soccer requires a lot of running and the need to work together with other teammates. In a child that experiences the hyperactivity side of ADHD, a sport that involves running is a great way to burn off the excessive energy. Another great sport for kids suffering with ADHD is running or track. Again, the idea behind this is that the kids can run and burn off excessive energy. They also do not have to use a lot of concentration in such sports. Hockey is an excellent sport for a child who has been diagnosed with ADHD. Hockey requires a lot of action and is a fast paced game. In the average hockey game, there is very little down time in which the kids need to remain calm and quiet. Another sport that is good for someone with ADHD is karate. Karate not only gives the child the ability to burn off some of his excess frustrations, it also gives the child the ability to learn discipline and structure. Structure is extremely important in a child with ADHD. In little kids, t-ball is a poor choice for someone with ADHD. Waiting your turn to bat is extremely hard for any little one. However, if you add in the ADHD factor, it becomes nearly impossible. Once the child is placed in the outfield, his attention will drift off even further, since there is often very little activity out there. Golf would be another sport that is not necessarily a good choice for someone who has been diagnosed with ADHD. Golf requires a great deal of patients and the ability to remain calm and quiet throughout the game. This is often a difficult task for a child with ADHD. Kids with ADHD and sports can go hand in hand with some careful planning. It is important that if your son or daughter has been diagnosed with ADHD, then you find a sport that fits with their particular personality. If at first you do not find a sport that is a perfect fit, do not give up hope. Simply try additional sports, until you find the perfect one. Sports give all children, especially those with ADHD, the ability to burn off the excess energy and stress they often carry with them.- http://healthfitnessvitamin.com
For more information on ADHD as well as other mental and physical challenges please visit our blog:
CommentsLoading...
Thank you clickurway for your comment, I agree that your idea would probably help these kids learn. If the learning was given to them at their own pace, they could understand it better. However, would they be able to function in society? Society moves at the pace that it does and if these kids grow up at a different speed than the rest how would they do in life when they are finished with school? They would only function well with their own kind.
Sports, AND EXERCISE in general are good for everyone. Especially for people with ADHD. Not only does exercise release stress and burn energy is helps produce endorphins which are the brain chemicals that lead to the calmness and focus ADHD sufferers need! Great Hub!
Thanks Marktech, I appreciate the compliment. Good point on the releasing of endorphins. Endorphins are the the bodies natural pain killer and can help an ADHD sufferer in many ways. In fact I have a similar post that talks about endorphins and relieving depression over on my blog at
As I read this, I have to chuckle. My son has ADHD and could not stand karate and some contact sports like soccer and football, though loves playing baseball, golf and wrestling. He is not medicated either.
I guess it just depends on the child's level of interest. Don't get me wrong, he does still "march to his own beat", but enjoys the comradery of the team and is able to "maintain" while in outfield and waiting his turn in golf. I did notice that he becomes a bit agitated when a team member remarks about a mistake that he makes or if one coach is more boisterous than another (there is often more than one coach for little league). I am hoping that this will resolve with age.
Just thought that I would add this little tidbit of information, so that other parents will not discourage their children from trying one sport and guide towards another based on statistics. Each child with ADHD is unique, too.
Thanks Pittsburgh SEO - great points and I am glad that you mentioned them here. I think that I should also mention that this article was written only as a general guideline and that I am in no means giving professional advice. I am only giving information that I have research myself being that I am personally involved with a child with ADHD. Every case should be taken on it's own merit. For example, I did some research a while back that said the avoidance of sugar for these children is only a falsehood and that sugar has no effect on them good or bad. From experience I completely disagree with the research that I found, just like you do not agree with this article. As I said, I believe each case is different and we can only state generalities. Thanks for your comments
Your welcome, and thank you! This is a great hub because it provides some guidelines that we can use for comparison. Plus, lets us share, you know? I have linked back to you on my Squidoo and invite you to read what I wrote.
As for the sugar, I agree that diet modification is extremely beneficial for children with ADHD. My son literally transforms when he has red dye #40.
Well, I am a fitness specialist and I have ADD. My son is 13 and has ADHD. he has played rep hockey for years and we are having huge trouble because he keeps blowing up impulsively when he doesn't agree with a penalty call or gets frustrated about a hit. It is truly bringing out the behaviours we are working to help him manange. I am in a divorced situation where my son goes back and forth between his dads house and mine every other week. This certainly doesn't help. I think it is time for my son to take a break from hockey until we get him some help with recognizes his triggers and what to do about them. He doesn't want to give it up and his father won't agree with me.
I am honestly afraid someone may get hurt. Contact hockey is not a great idea for kids with adhd and impulse challenges.
clickurway 3 years ago
I have delt with this in my family, but what I have found is many children as well as some adults need intence progression, meaning we teach to slow, I beleave if we had schools with children with only ADD and ADHD and a true moving inhansing fast past upward moving education we could get the most educated intelegent people ever thought of.
http://www.adhdconcerns.com