Wrestling: A Defense Against ADHD

[TomM]

Wrestling: A Defense Against ADHD


http://www.newyorkwrestlingnews.com/news_article/show/652589-wrestling-a-defense-against-adhd

[padre]

I have always had a soft heart towards this issue.  Many of my wrestlers over the years suffer from ADD and sometimes ADHD.  I have seen it in my own family and the struggles that a kid goes through to try to stay focused.  I have always intentionally tried to get these many times labeled "misbehaved" kids out for the sport and see where it leads.  It has worked out well for the most part as many of our successful wrestlers overcame these issues and became excellent wrestlers. 

There are times when suffering from one of these plus a poor home life with no help that things just don't work out, but that can be said in tons of cases with other problems.  Coaches need to know that this is a real thing as I hear from some that believe its solely a behavioral issue and that they should be able to control themselves.  If you can keep practices moving at a good pace and work with the parents and teachers it can really work out in the end.

[aarons23]

I have always had a soft heart towards this issue.  Many of my wrestlers over the years suffer from ADD and sometimes ADHD.  I have seen it in my own family and the struggles that a kid goes through to try to stay focused.  I have always intentionally tried to get these many times labeled "misbehaved" kids out for the sport and see where it leads.  It has worked out well for the most part as many of our successful wrestlers overcame these issues and became excellent wrestlers. 

There are times when suffering from one of these plus a poor home life with no help that things just don't work out, but that can be said in tons of cases with other problems.  Coaches need to know that this is a real thing as I hear from some that believe its solely a behavioral issue and that they should be able to control themselves.  If you can keep practices moving at a good pace and work with the parents and teachers it can really work out in the end.

I believe you are completely correct on this.  I have said it for many years.  I am quite sure I would have been diagnosed with adhd when I was a kid and a basketball coach was the one who told my mom I needed to wrestle.  I know of a young man graduating this year who struggled hard with this issue through elementary and middle school...we got him into wrestling as a young kids and I truly believe that is why he was able to over come it.  He is a great young man and also a great wrestler.  4x state place winner and 2x finalist.

[bigG]

"a basketball coach was the one who told my mom I needed to wrestle."

After fouling out 50 games, my basketball coach (my dad) came to the same conclusion.

I was SPED in el. school. Good parents and wrestling helped me to overcome most of those hurdles.

I agree 1000% with this article. Many kids just need that level of physicality.

[TomM]

The labels 'ADD' and 'ADHD' can be a real negative.

I'd prefer calling ADD something else.

How about A.A. or Accelerated Attention?
Sounds like a positive to me.
Kids with Accelerated Attention have all kinds of postives going for them.

Quick thinking.
Coming up with excellent ideas and solutions.
Great in emergencies and crisis.
Think outside the box!
Can have super focus on a subject or project (or a sport).
Super attentive to the environment around them.

And many more....

[bigG]

The labels 'ADD' and 'ADHD' can be a real negative.

I'd prefer calling ADD something else.

How about A.A. or Accelerated Attention?
Sounds like a positive to me.
Kids with Accelerated Attention have all kinds of postives going for them.

Quick thinking.
Coming up with excellent ideas and solutions.
Great in emergencies and crisis.
Think outside the box!
Can have super focus on a subject or project (or a sport).
Super attentive to the environment around them.

And many more....

Love it. I have a first grader who you have to multitask, and he picks it all up. I'll have his knucklehead doing all the chores while he's listening. Sweetest kid ya ever met. Engage him convo. and you better have a lunch packed. The whole world just pours out. Raised by nice folks who will tell you to keep him busy. Good advice. Da Vinci must have suffered from to roll like he did. Edison I suspect. Perfect kid for wrestling. Gotta play O and D at the same time; always another option, simple but complicated. The toughest puzzle made. You wear that boy out physically, and he can focus better. On the playground make him run like crazy. Back in class, he's with you. Still a nut; but on the same page. I have faith this boy will grow normally.

We sometimes don't see the growth when we work with kids day by day. It tends to sink in now near graduation. We have these kids going into busy, making good money, professions. Many make great college kids; but you have them ease them into clubs, and all, being newbies and sometimes leery of new people judging them. Open shops, weight rooms; they need to stay busy. If you have projects in Rotary Club, or one of those; this man is gold.