How to Help Your ADHD Child Stay Focused When Playing Baseball

When my seven year old grandson, Peyton, told me he wanted to play baseball last year, I smiled and then slightly cringed. He has ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), and was taking medication for it, but he still had difficulties concentrating on the task at hand. It is hard for any child to stay focused on anything for very long, but it is even harder for an ADHD child. Peyton also was not an overly or even moderately athletic child. Not wanting to disappoint or discouraged him, his mother and I signed him up.

Long before the first baseball practice, we started practicing hitting and catching the baseball with Peyton, as he had never played baseball before and needed lots of practice. Not much of a baseball fan myself, I tried to explain the basics of how to play baseball. I showed and told him the names of the bases and how to run around them when he hit the ball. I showed him how to hold a bat and how and in what direction to hit the ball. I explained that when he is in the outfield, he was to try to catch the ball and if not able to catch it, than to run after it, pick it up and throw it to the person on home plate. I explained that he had to pay attention to the game, to what was going on around him, and to listen to his coach. I explained what a coach was and how the coach would help him play better.

Some parents and grandparents believe that the way to show a child how to act is to ignore the bad behavior and reward the good behavior. I do not believe this. I believe that in order for a child to learn what is appropriate and what is not, they need to be told what is incorrect, told and shown what is correct, and discipline and reward as needed. Anticipating Peyton having difficulties, for the first two practices I did not criticize when he would sit down in the outfield and start playing with the grass, wear his glove on top his head, try to strike up a conversation with other the kids in the outfield, squat down and start drawing in the dirt, or when he would make faces at the pitcher.

I made mental notes of everything Peyton had done appropriately and what he had done inappropriately. I don't like to use the words right and wrong or the word bad when talking to him. Before the third practice I had a talk with Peyton, asking him how he liked playing baseball, if he was having fun and if he wanted to continue. He assured me he was having fun and wanted to keep playing. I said, "Ok, but we need to establish some rules, so you can play better and have even more fun." He agreed and I went over the appropriate and inappropriate behavior he had displayed at the last two practices.

I told Peyton in order to do better in the outfield he needed to not sit down, not talk to the other kids standing out there with him unless it had to do with the current play (like cheering his teammates on), not make faces at the pitcher when he was batting, and not wear his glove on his head. I told him I would stand close to the fence to help him remember these things. I also reinforced the positive things he did by telling him what a good job he did when running to the bases and how he remembered which bases to run to. I told him he swung the bat like a real ballplayer. I also promised if he was able to do all these things and listened to what he was told by his coach, that we would get an ice cream cone when practice was over.

While driving to each practice or game, Peyton and I would go over the rules. As baseball season progressed, we added to rules and subtracted as the situation needed. During the practice when Peyton's team was not out in the field and waiting their turns at bat, I talked to Peyton reminding him of the rules we set down. I gave him positive feedback on the things he did appropriately and reminded him of the special treat afterwards. When Peyton was out in the field I stood by the fence, where he could see me, and gave him guidance. Sometime just making eye contact with him and shaking my head sideways was enough for him to stop doing something inappropriate and get him back on track.

We didn't always go for an ice cream afterwards because Peyton did have his moments when he would just ignore the rules and do whatever he wanted. This is where it can be hard for a parent or grandparent, when you have to say, "No ice cream tonight," for whatever reason. I didn't refrain from the special treat because of a single incident, but for several things Peyton may have did at each game or practice. If it was one or two things, I let them slide, but more than that and no ice cream. Peyton came to accept that he had to behave a certain way during these baseball sessions and I saw an improvement in him as the season progressed. He had lots of fun last year and enjoyed it so much that he wants to play again this year.

Some things to remember that will help the ADHD child have fun and do well playing baseball are:

- Practice with the child and explain how the game is played and the child's role as an individual player (batter) and as a team member.

- Establish a routine on the nights there is a practice or game. ADHD children do better with structured routines.

- Point out appropriate and non-appropriate behavior for the practices and games.

- Set down behavior rules or instructions once you have identified problem areas.

- Enforce the rules and instructions by going over them with the child, having the child repeat them back and making sure the child understands them.

- Stick to the rules and add to or delete from them as needed.

- Talk with the child and ask if they are having fun playing baseball and if they want to continue.

- Reward the child for appropriate behavior and point out the inappropriate behavior.

- Give lots of verbal support and physical support with hugs, 'high fives', and pats on the back.