Volunteer Youth Sport Coaches’ Efficacy Beliefs for Working with Athletes with ADHD

Abstract

The prevalence of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is between 2%-10% of children (Center for Disease Control, 2003). Participation in organized sports is beneficial to children with ADHD by increasing self-esteem, self-efficacy, peer acceptance, and social skills (Armstrong & Drabman, 2004;Bagwell, Brooke, Pelham, and Hoza, 2001). Little research exists as to preparation for youth sport coaches with regard to coaching athletes with ADHD. The study's purpose was to investigate coaches' efficacy beliefs for coaching athletes with ADHD. Two hundred nineteen volunteer coaches completed a questionnaire designed to measure their beliefs. The results showed that overall coaches reported fairly high feelings of efficacy for working with athletes with ADHD. However, results also indicated that coaches reporting experience with athletes with ADHD reported higher efficacy for coaching athletes with ADHD than their less experienced peers. Implications for coaching education include the incorporation of behavior management techniques into course content and the creation of ADHD resources such as weblinks and pamphlets.

Creating Inclusive Youth Sport Environments with the Universal Design for Learning

“…station activities can provide practice time for a variety of skills and for small groups of athletes to receive instruction from a coach (Vargas-Tonsing et al, 2008;Beyer et al, 2009).…”

“…This includes techniques such as the whole-part-whole method described earlier (Lieberman & houston-Wilson, 2002;Vargas-Tonsing et al, 2008;Vargas et al, 2012), which can support athletes who prefer visual, auditory, or kinesthetic learning, and also helps athletes identify important sequential steps in learned skills. When breaking skills down into steps, a clear and relevant cue word attached to each step can help athletes identify individual sequences.…”

“…after identifying and defining recurring cue words used in practice, as well as sport-specific terminology (Leiberman & houston-Wilson, 2002;Vargas-Tonsing et al, 2008), such vocabulary should be used consistently. For example, one of the first cue words coach Maria teaches her young wrestlers is "base of support."…”

Towards a New Culture in Physical Education with the Universal Design for Learning

“…For example, students with sensory disabilities (blindness or deafness), learning disabilities, language or cultural diversity may grasp information quicker or more efficiently through visual, auditory, tactile perception means (Lieberman & Houston-Wilson, 2002;Vargas-Tonsing et al, 2008;Vargas et al, 2012). Learning occurs when multiple representations are used, because it allows students to make connections within, as well as between, concepts.…”

“…Station activities where students rotate can provide practice time for a variety of skills and for small groups of athletes to receive instruction from a coach (Vargas-Tonsing et al, 2008;Beyer et al, 2009).…”