OF and ADHD

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Jun 14, 2019
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My daughter is a young catcher who started on a team that has three older more experienced catcher's about to age up. Being the youngest on the team we knew she might not get to catch much in games, but were happy she was still getting to catch during practices. She has one of the best overhand throws even being younger than everyone else. She has been getting some practice in the outfield, but her adhd is becoming a serious challenge. Catching was great for her because she stayed engaged. She is also learning to pitch which keeps her engaged. Standing in the outfield for even a short span of downtime and she is picking daisies. I would love any tips to keep her engaged in the game so she can help her team when needed. Thanks!
 
May 6, 2015
2,397
113
ways to stay engaged

-make certain to communicate with teammates, talk up pitcher
-stepping on every pitch
-look to dugout for positioning instruction (maybe talk to coach, to give her some every time, even if it is one step left, then one step right next ppitch)
-mentally recount score, inning, runners, count
 
May 20, 2016
433
63
Young is a very loose term. If she is 10 and picking daisies in the outfield, that sounds about right. If she's 14 then probably something you need to concerns yourself with.
 
Jun 14, 2019
80
8
Young is a very loose term. If she is 10 and picking daisies in the outfield, that sounds about right. If she's 14 then probably something you need to concerns yourself with.
She just turned 9. Very hard worker, but extremely distracted sometimes.
 
Nov 18, 2015
1,585
113
Not really an answer - more a confirmation for any future readers that Catcher is possibly the best position for an ADHD athlete. As we've moved up in age, I'm also seeing (mostly at the rec level) P as the "next best spot".

But OF? Yeah - that's tough - especially at 9. Maybe develop a routine every post-pitch - flash the # of outs to the other OFs, count the runners on base (give the mind a job to do), and if all else fails - encourage the P to work quicker!

You probably already know this - but you need to talk to the coach. Hopefully, he/she isn't one of those who thinks "you just need to focus on X" and the problem is solved. If the catchers ahead of her are going to move up, just make sure she's ready to become C1 next fall.

Lastly - (and another Capt Obvious statement when said to her parent) - distracted doesn't always = clueless. I've had a player (from K-5th) who could be building anthills with her feet at 2B, but as soon as the ball was hit to her, would somehow know what to do with the ball. Would your daughter get a late jump on the ball? Probably. But at 10U - she's not getting much in the way of direct action. If she moves to backup the right base once the action starts, the coach should be counting his blessings.
 
Jun 14, 2019
80
8
Not really an answer - more a confirmation for any future readers that Catcher is possibly the best position for an ADHD athlete. As we've moved up in age, I'm also seeing (mostly at the rec level) P as the "next best spot".

But OF? Yeah - that's tough - especially at 9. Maybe develop a routine every post-pitch - flash the # of outs to the other OFs, count the runners on base (give the mind a job to do), and if all else fails - encourage the P to work quicker!

You probably already know this - but you need to talk to the coach. Hopefully, he/she isn't one of those who thinks "you just need to focus on X" and the problem is solved. If the catchers ahead of her are going to move up, just make sure she's ready to become C1 next fall.

Lastly - (and another Capt Obvious statement when said to her parent) - distracted doesn't always = clueless. I've had a player (from K-5th) who could be building anthills with her feet at 2B, but as soon as the ball was hit to her, would somehow know what to do with the ball. Would your daughter get a late jump on the ball? Probably. But at 10U - she's not getting much in the way of direct action. If she moves to backup the right base once the action starts, the coach should be counting his blessings.
Thanks for the reply. Lots of great points. Being a lefty also limits her position choices. I think catcher and pitcher are probably her best choices if she is willing to work hard.
 
Jun 8, 2016
16,118
113
At barely 9, you would be hard pressed to find many kids who don't pick daisies in the OF. Heck last year my kid's former team had a kid at 12 YO who was caught doing a toc toc dance right before the pitch was to be delivered. That said teaching her how to get in a proper ready position in the OF for every pitch might keep her mind occupied enough to forgo the botanical activities.
 

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