Competitive Sports Issue? | ADHD Information

I agree with your post for the most part. I can do sports that mainly require brute endurance and thats about it. My disctractibiilty and clumsyness prevent me from doing any sort of team sport. I guess it was just not meant to be

David

Hi All,

Is it me, or do we have trouble with competive sports. Besides being oddly clumsy, I can't take the pressure. I bowl on Saturdaynights in a league, I have a horrible average, because when I walk up to bowl, if someone is in my left or right hindsight and is walking up to, it screws up my stride and I mess up.

THe more pressure on me, the worse I get, its like I loose what little dexderity I do have with all the distraction, and throw gutter balls. :( I know its pressure and distraction, because when me and my wife bowl alone, I average about a 150, yet when I bowl under pressure, I am hard pressed to break 120, sometimes 100, its embarrasing.

Have you ever heard ADD are horrible at competive sports? or maybe it just me lol.

I CANT play competitive sports!!!!
I'm good at those loner sports like rollerblading, biking, canoeing, swimming. The ones where you you just go in a STRAIGHT LINE and do not need to get involved with a team. I can not pass a basketball. When I played soccer I couldn't quite get when I was supposed to run for the ball or when I should leave it to the person closer. I SPACE OUT in the outfield in baseball, and STEP ON TOES when dancing with a partner.

golen: bowling? I just throw the thing like I'm making a basket.

I was always just OK at sports until I got diagnosed and started on meds. My basketball game improved dramatically. I stopped thinking about everything and started reacting. I have also found that even throwing a baseball around is more enjoyable for me because I just do it instead of thinking about it. Maybe Nike was onto something with their ad campaign.....perhaps it was directed at us? [QUOTE=GarbagePailKid]

golen: bowling? I just throw the thing like I'm making a basket.

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BOOM! Boom! baboom boom boom.

Lol.
Competitive sports To much pressure to young. This pressure starts at age 9. The better players play the most. To expensive also. We know because our Daughter could of played on this level in soccer. We decided no because this would take away time for Daniel also. It becomes living out of a suitcase on weekends.The have to sign a contract for that year. Bascialley a professional player without pay.

hey garbagepailkid,

in response to your questions yes i have done both and it is so embarrassing! lol. I trip when I'm at work(am a hostess at Outback) which is horrible! Being a hostess and a klutz is not good! lol. I will be looking for clean tables and will bump into a server or a customer! it is the worst! lol.

-Princess-

do you think ADHD has something to do with clumsyness? because I am very clumsy. Always have been. I used to spill my glass of water almost every day when i was a little girl. I still sometimes spill things or trip when walking or have awkward movements or whatever at times. I also don't watch where I'm going at work sometimes, seeing what free tables are open and bump into the servers lol. Anyways, I hate clumsyness!! I feel like I'm almost too "competitive" when I do bowling or whatever it is and its not good. I'm working on getting better with my competitive streak though. My mom is very competitive and my brother is too. It was very hard for me growing up because he always beat me at everything. I guess that probably had an effect on me i dont know. I just want to get better with not being overly competitive!! :)

One more thing, i used to be in gymnastics and the pressure got so bad I had to quit because I got to a higher level where a lot more was expected out of me and the coaches really put the pressure on, let me tell you!! for my sensitive, add self, it was just too much! I loved it before I got up to that point though! It was a blast! [QUOTE=princessbride22]

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LOL
my sister used to call me "Hellen Keller", because I bumped into things like I was blind, and had table manners like someone who can not observe and emulate ettiquette. My father called me "The Pig"...

These were, ahem, affectionate nicknames.

[QUOTE=GarbagePailKid]

golden: bowling? I just throw the thing like I'm making a basket.

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LOL!! Can you imagine us on a bowling team together??

Even though we would suck and be losing, we'd probably still be finding a way to create our own fun by doing God knows what and everyone would probably be so pissed at us but we'd be laughing and just having fun in our own little goofy way.

I can rollerblade too and to other active sports like you too so I know what you mean about the other recreational activities like canoeing, but I have done that, with a friend. It was such a nice day on the lake I couldn't stand it any more and jumped off the little canoe and went swimming along side of it because in the canoe I just sat there and didn't even get a paddle so I was getting bored

. I did seem to truly appreciate some serious rapid riding trips I have gone on. Now that was fun and I didn't dare feel the need to jump over and swim in those waters. I've even jumped out of an airplane more then once....(WHAT WAS I THINKING??????) The reason I stopped parachuting was because the very last jump I did my chute didn't open up right and I remember thinking to myself, "sh*t! I never paid attention in the training classes!! What the heck was I supposed to do when I candlestick??!!"...."Should I pull my reserve now??? I'm falling pretty good, here, and I gotta make a choice pretty quickly!!" I was afraid to pull my reserve because I didn't know if it would get tangled in my chute that was up but not opened AT ALL. I sort of thought I was screwed but I kept playing with my lines and I remember saying so peacefully and calmly through all that chaos, "God, I think I need a hand right now if you're out there." Then I pulled another line to try and open it up ant the parachute opened up beautifully. Once I landed and got grilled by my instructor (because I couldn't stand waiting in the airplane for my turn---DUH...and so when it was my turn instead of jumping out I didn't exactly do it the right way. I just threw myself out of the plane before he even told me to go...DUUUHHH... I decided that was just a taaaaad bit more stiumulation for even me to appreciate. So I moved on to rock climbing (HUH??) for a while, but years later I still dable in it and still have the gear.

Oh, but ps...I love dancing and all types, romantic slow stuff, ballroom, regular stuff, salsa, Jitter-bug, shag, etc.. I love it and I know how to do that without feeling clumsy. Go figuregoldenmoment38470.3629513889Once again last night I had another clumsy moment. I was carrying plates to the sink after dinner and i had a little bit left of my potpie...mainly the gravy. I don't know how it happened but the rest of the potpie spilled all over the floor. lol.

Dave,

I used to think ADDers were at a disadvantage in sports......but when I really thought about it, the issue is the baggage we've been carrying around for most of our lives...piled ever deeper each day.

We all have trouble with fine motor skills, repetition and closed tasks. Of which I would consider bowling, shooting free throws, pitching horse shoes, high jumping. To be perfect, everything has to be done the same way every time. For example, a figure skater does a closed routine....the same thing every time. They can do the entire routine in their head because nothing ever changes.

But that isn't what we're about.

Now consider hockey, there are an infinite number of variables...where the puck is, the defenseman trying to take your head off, hitting the blue line just as the puck crosses it, the fans throwing stuff on the ice....is the goalie coming out or staying in....rough ice...puck come up...do I pass it to my team mate on the far post.....and all this is going on through your head without thinking about it....you just react and play. So which sport is suited to ADDers? Any sport with high levels of chaos, speed, infinite opportunties, continuous action and lack of control by coaches.....just play the game and don't think about it too much.

[QUOTE=ADHDAthlete]

Dave,

But that isn't what we're about.

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Not sure about sports, but music was always my thing. I started playing drums and it was GREAT. I can play for hours at a time now due to my constant need to be moving always. The only time I'm not fidgeting is when I'm asleep, haha! People at work are always like, "DO YOU HAVE TO CONSTANTLY BE MOVING AROUND? WHY CAN'T YOU STAY IN ONE PLACE?!" And I'm like, "uhh, I dunno. What's the big deal?"

thanks for your response garbagepailkid!! I'm so sorry to hear that your family called you names though! that is soo cruel!! my brother criticized me a lot too so i know it doesn't feel good at all to hear that stuff! I think it's rude of your sister but even worse for your parents to have done that! that would have killed me!! just remember, your not the only clumsy one! I used to think it was just me but now I know it's not!! anyway, hang in there! we'll be clumsy together lol.

-Princess-

Yep--I have that "random bruise" syndrome as well--as in--where did
that bruise come from?!

heheheh

It doesn't help that I am tall and skinny either--everyone assumes I
play(ed) basketball--HAH--run, dribble, AND shoot--good luck! I do
participate in martial arts at a high level and enjoy it because it is difficult
foe me and really tests my focus. Hey princess-

Ever miss your mouth when you drink from a soda can???

Ever try to run through a glass or plastic sliding door, because you didn't realize it was there?

hahaha.
[QUOTE=GarbagePailKid] Hey princess-

Ever miss your mouth when you drink from a soda can???

Ever try to run through a glass or plastic sliding door, because you didn't realize it was there?

hahaha.

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Garbage, I agree with her too. That was my first response when I read it a couple of days ago, that it was mean and cruel and probably what contributes to any self doubts.

I had to work VERY hard at my table manners. I was sloppy and half the food fell off of my fork before it would reach my mouth.

When I'm in public I have learned to be VERY mindful and very refined. I am more guarded in public. You should see me eat alone WHEN I'M STARVING. It isn't pretty and I spill it all over and sometimes bite my fingers when I'm putting food in my mouth.

Has anyone else learned how to put a string of spaggetti in one side of their nose and pull it out the other?

I've always been a good clutch shooter and bowler. I always figured that it was always hard for me to focus, not just in pressure situations, so I should be used to it. On the other hand, I'm pretty clumsy day-to-day and tend to fall off the porch every few months. Power tools are also bad. [QUOTE=Dave2u4now]

Hi All,

Have you ever heard ADD are horrible at competive sports? or maybe it just me lol.

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I'm horrible at being competitive in nature, period. I can't keep that "drive" in me, unless it's a harmless something with friends that doesn't last too long....and I ran track! Can ya' believe that? I had serious problems staying focused before I would run a sprint even! Same with relays. I lost the competitive drive nearly half way through...cross country was a bit better. I don't know why. I could NOT keep a drive in me and I was clumsey too. I've bowled with friends. I wanted a really light ball but it was so light the finger holes were a bit smaller. So, when I went to throw it down the lane, I went with it.. TRUE STORY! I'm just glad I was with friends because I got up, looked around...I was embarassed at that one but they all just laughed and made a harmless blond joke. I can bumper bowl :) I don't have great eye hand coordination, for the most part. When I'd play darts, I couldn't keep my attention on it too long, then I'd start acting silly. With those metal tip sharp darts, I'd secretly unscrew the metal pointed tips then throw them at the person/s I'd be playing with...just to see them jump in fear :), then they realized it was just the plastic part of the darts. I cannot stay "with it" mentally for the length of the duration of the game...I'd start off w/ good intentions but the mind had other things to think about after about 10 minutes and it's hard for me to play sports/games where you have to wait awhile until "you're up next".

I am not a good team player and I am not very coordinated.I do however LOVE the adrenaline rush I get from running.I run all the time,about 6 miles a day when I go to the track.If I go to the gym I constantly play with the buttons on whatever machine I am on.People must think I'm nuts.If I'm on the tredmill I will go uphill,Then I will run then I will go steeper uphill,then run etc.etc.I workout until I am DRIPPING wet!!!I mean that literally.I sometimes wish my workout could be more normal like the other people at the gym.I always start out saying to myself I am not going to be the maniac on the tredmill and I will start out nice and normal but within second I am doing a 15 incline.I have tried taking classes at the gym. like I tried this step class but when the class is turning right I am turning left.When they are turning left I am turning right ,I am sure you get the picture. & nbsp;

as Far as music.That is my favorite thing in the whole world!!!!!I LOVE MUSIC!!!!!!LOUD MUSIC!

[QUOTE=debdrunner]

as Far as music.That is my favorite thing in the whole world!!!!!I LOVE MUSIC!!!!!!LOUD MUSIC!

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Yes!!!