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Children and teenagers with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which is a neurodevelopmental disorder, often benefit from sports with personalized coaching and little down time, like gymnastics, hockey, tennis, and basketball. Research shows gymnastics provides opportunities for children and teenagers to work on their executive functioning, to improve their motor and processing skills, and to practice their social communication skills. Additionally, gymnastics can offer behavioral therapy practice to parents, children, and teenagers by teaching athletes and their families how to focus on action and behavior rather than emotions.
In Helen Ambrose’s research on the benefit of gymnastics for children aged 8-12 years old with ADHD, “[G]ymnastics appears to have captured the internal motivation of the children and provided ‘just the right challenge’ by reaching the ‘child-environment-task’ balance.”
Participation and performance gymnastics, such as recreational and team gymnastics, offer children and teenagers with ADHD a supportive and inclusive space where they can work on their ability to complete tasks, to practice focusing on the activity at hand, to communicate with peers and coaches, and to refine their motor and processing skills.
For parents who are new to gymnastics or want to get their children or teenagers started with gymnastics, start with the beginning participation class at our gym!
Try This At Home:
Have the family practice staying on task, such as by having members wear watches and use the watches to keep track of time.
Encourage the use of a planner or calendar, printed or electronic, for family members to practice keeping track of appointments, due dates, and tasks. Normalize the need to keep track of information so the child or teenager who has ADHD does not feel singled out.
As a family, practice mindfulness strategies–long walks, prayer or meditation, yoga, deep breathing, dancing, etc.–to develop longer-term calming strategies for all family members. Mindfulness strategies are incredibly beneficial for addressing stress, anxiety, and overwhelming feelings or emotions.
Want to Learn More? Read This!
Kim Payne, Luis Llosa, and Scott Lancaster’s Beyond Winning: Smart Parenting in a Toxic Sports Environment
Jim Taylor’s Raising Young Athletes: Parenting Your Children to Victory in Sports and Life
Steven J. Overman’s Sports Crazy: How Sports are Sabotaging American Schools
Alfie Kohn’s No Contest: The Case Against Competition
Work Cited
Ambrose, Helen. “Experiencing Success: An Occupational Therapy Partnership Programme. Gymnastics for Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.” Irish Journal of Occupational Therapy, volume 49, number 2, 2021, pp. 84-88. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOT-03-2021-0005.
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