A Sports Analogy for Neurodiversity

Where differences are not just tolerated, they’re sought after

This one’s for folks who, like me, actually enjoy sports analogies

What if we conceptualized the benefits of Neurodiversity (having people with many different kinds of brains) as being like players working together on a team?

A team needs a mix of different skill sets. A good team will foster and emphasize its player’s strengths, and teammates will compensate for one another’s areas of weakness.

When they work together as a unit, they each bring something valuable to the game. For example, you can’t have a successful team with all offensive players and no defensive players.

Put me in, coach

For example, you have a player on defense who’s always taking the puck up the ice, making amazing offensive plays, getting assists, scoring goals, but isn’t back-checking after turnovers.

You could try to train them to play more defensively… but that would be pretty stupid (from a coaching perspective).

A good coach knows how to recognize and harness their players’ strengths. A good coach teaches players how to make use of their natural talents, rather than fighting against them.

Instead of trying to change who they are, we might give this offensive-minded player an opportunity on, y’know, offense. Given a little guidance, they can hone those skills and become a strong forward instead of a weak defender.

If we did leave that player on defense, trying to mould them into the player we need in that position, they might end up frustrating their teammates (and themselves). They may lose confidence in their abilities instead of recognizing they were just in the wrong position for their style of play.

Parallel lines

This is what we do to a lot of neurodivergent (ND) folks, especially kids. Instead of recognizing what’s unique and special about them, embracing their differences, we often try to mould them into some approximation of a neurotypical (NT) person.

This can cause significant issues with making (and keeping) friends and getting along with peers. When we don’t have a good understanding of ourselves and why we are different, then we can’t explain those differences to our peers.

When those peers don’t have a context for why someone is different, they are more likely to see them as “weird”, “odd”, or abnormal. Education about Autism and ADHD (and other divergent neurotypes) reduces stigma, bullying, ableism, and other forms of mistreatment and marginalization.

Self-awareness and self-knowledge improve self-acceptance, the ability to advocate for ourselves, and our self-concept. When the people around us are frequently telling us what is wrong with us, this has the opposite effect.

Regardless of how “positively” it may be framed, and however well-intentioned, a lifetime of being told what we need to change about ourselves (whether overtly, through ostracization, or in the form of behavioural therapies) will undoubtedly harm our self-esteem.

If we’re always focusing on what we need to improve, we’ll never have the opportunity to discover our abilities and talents. As good sports psychologists and coaches will tell you, there’s a danger of focusing too much on a player’s weaknesses and hurting their confidence.

One final comparison

Growing up I very much struggled to fit in and make friends. I was bullied all through elementary school, and suffered from extremely low self-esteem throughout my teens and early adulthood. I had incredible difficulty figuring out who I was and finding my place.

Except when I was on the ice.

Sports were my refuge. I’ve always loved sports, especially soccer and hockey, and I’ve always been a good athlete. While I still had the occasional issue, never did I feel more included than when I was part of a team.

Being a strong player gave me a sense of confidence and purpose. Being an athlete became part of my identity. On the ice or on the pitch, I was encouraged. My coaches saw my potential and wanted to help me succeed.

When something was unusual about me it was usually a good thing. As a team, we knew we needed each other, and that we were all an important part of the group. We were all different and that was not only tolerated, it was celebrated.

We all brought different strengths to our sport, and rarely did we try to change one another for the purpose of fitting in. Oddballs were often the most popular players on the team. Being weird and sticking out were desirable.

I’ve had similar experiences in discovering the neurodivergent community. Finding space where my differences are understood and embraced, and meeting others who share similar experiences, feel like being part of a massive international team.

© Jillian Enright, Neurodiversity MB

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References

Gearity, B. & Thompson, M. (2011). Athletes’ experiences of psychological effects of poor coaching. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 12, 213–221. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2010.11.004

Scheerer, N.E., Boucher, T.Q., Sasson, N.J., Iarocci, G. (2022). Effects of an Educational Presentation About Autism on High School Students’ Perceptions of Autistic Adults. Autism in Adulthood, 4(3), 203–213. https://doi.org/10.1089/aut.2021.0046

Sosnowy, C., Silverman, C., Shattuck, P., Garfield, T. (2019). Setbacks and Successes: How Young Adults on the Autism Spectrum Seek Friendship. Autism in Adulthood, 1(1), 44–51. https://doi.org/10.1089/aut.2018.0009

Toye, M.K., Wilson, C., Wardle, G.A. (2019). Education professionals’ attitudes towards the inclusion of children with ADHD: the role of knowledge and stigma. Journal of Research in Special Education Needs, 19(3), 184–196. https://doi.org/10.1111/1471-3802.12441

Wu, I.C., Lo, C.O., Chrostowski, M., Tsai, K.F., Sue, D. (2023). A Case Study of Self-Inclusion: Self-knowledge as a Potential Tool for Inclusive Education. Trends in Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43076-023-00324-5