One common misconception that occurs in youth sports today, is that if a child is hard to control or seems to be inflexible and immature while participating, than he/she is simply misbehaving and should be disciplined or removed from the team.  According to Jack Southwick, an instructor at the University Of Kansas Graduate School Of Social Welfare, these behaviors could be the result of the child suffering from a neurological disorder. 

One out of every twenty kids is diagnosed with a neurological disorder, which may vary from: tourette syndrome, asperger syndrome, obsessive compulsive disorder, pervasive developmental disorder, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.  According to Southwick, these types of children benefit the most from sports activities because it helps them improve peer relationships, increase self esteem, and enable them to develop better coordination skills and physical development.   

There are seven common behaviors that are associated with neurological disorders:

1. Impulsiveness:  anything that is on the child’s mind will be spoken
2. Dis-inhibition: the child loses the ability to put a thought barrier between an impulse and an action
3. Explosiveness:  the child will throw a tantrum or rage.
4. Inflexibility:  tunnel vision occurs
5. Immaturity:  the child cannot remember newly taught lessons and may often show a maturity level which is two-thirds their chronological age
6. Disorganization: the child cannot perform “executive functions” such as goal formulation, planning, and seeing the big picture 
7. Performance Inconsistency:  the child can perform a task one day and not the next

There are certain conditions that will cause these behaviors to surface if the child is suffering from a neurological disorder.  For example, if a child is in a stressful environment, becomes excited, experiences a sensory overload, or feels fatigued, a coach or parent might notice one of these seven behaviors escalating. 

In order to diffuse these behaviors Southwick suggests to:

1. Take a break to lower the child’s stress or excitement
2. Defuse the behavior through humor
3. Provide empathy and praise
4. Redirect the child’s attention to an area of high interest

If the behavior cannot be diffused and the child experiences a meltdown it is important for the coach and parent to remove the child from the audience.  Southwick notes that it is best to walk with the child but to not talk to him/her.  It is imperative not to discipline the child during this stage and to be non-confrontational. 

Southwick offers a few coaching points to those that have never had experience with this situation before.  First, the coach needs the parents to inform him/her if one of these conditions exists, and learn how the situation is dealt with at home in order to maintain consistency between home and the playing field.  Second, be certain that all assistant coaches know and agree with the plan.  Third, educate the other teammates and friends about the disorder, and if possible, appoint an assistant coach to monitor the child.  Most importantly, develop a rapport with the child so you can be seen as a calming force.

As Southwick says, “These kids may not spark your team to a successful season, but you may spark a child to a successful life.”