Managing a special needs player

[SoftSocDad]

Do any of your rec leagues have written guidelines concerning special needs players?

Our league doesn't and in the years I've been here, while I'm not privy to conversations that have gone on between the board and coaches or parents and coaches, there has been no communication with the other players on the team.

I'm not arguing for or against having that conversation (although I would choose 'not' in most cases), but there seems to be a code of silence - "We know ZeeZee is special, but we're not going to talk about it and you girls can figure out how to throw the ball to her in a way that gives her a better chance to catch it."

 

[Chris O'Leary]

No, and this can cause problems.

In many cases, the coach isn't even made aware of any issues. They just have to figure it out for themselves.

In most cases, what I am dealing with are autism spectrum and emotional [1] kinds of things that, in the case of younger girls, I wonder if the parents are even aware of.

It's VERY obvious at practice but the parents often seem to be oblivious.

[1] With one girl I don't even know how to describe it. She doesn't get sports. They are too complicated for her. What I see is terrible depressive tendencies; she thinks that everyone hates her and is out to get her (and says so out loud). She once ended up pounding on another girl after they collided.

 

[Lozza]

I did the first part of my level 2 tonight and this was touched on.

A big part of it is asking the kid what they want. Let them guide you to a certain extent. Put the player first, the disability second.

 

[Coachmom]

No, and this can cause problems.

In many cases, the coach isn't even made aware of any issues. They just have to figure it out for themselves.

In most cases, what I am dealing with are autism spectrum and emotional [1] kinds of things that, in the case of younger girls, I wonder if the parents are even aware of.

It's VERY obvious at practice but the parents often seem to be oblivious.

[1] With one girl I don't even know how to describe it. She doesn't get sports. They are too complicated for her. What I see is terrible depressive tendencies; she thinks that everyone hates her and is out to get her (and says so out loud). She once ended up pounding on another girl after they collided.

I had this happen to me a few years ago with no warning.
Being just a volunteer coach I had no idea how to handle it. BOD gave no direction on the issue and I was left to handle it on my own. It was a very rough season. We just made the best of it.

 

[amanda_cake]

We've never had special needs players. However, whenever a player was known to come from a rough situation, to struggle in school, have a hard homelife, etc. and the board knew, we were made aware of it.