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When Executive Functioning Hits the Field: Neurodivergent Athletes and Game-Day Challenges

  • Writer: Charlie Barker
    Charlie Barker
  • Sep 22
  • 4 min read

Game day can feel like chaos at the best of times—uniforms to remember, timings to follow, instructions to process, teammates buzzing with energy, and the pressure of performance looming. For neurodivergent athletes, this chaos often collides with something less visible but hugely influential: executive functioning.

Executive functioning refers to the mental skills that help us plan, organise, remember, shift focus, manage emotions, and control impulses. When these skills don’t come naturally—or break down under stress—athletes can feel overwhelmed, distracted, or out of sync with routines. For neurodivergent athletes (including those with ADHD, autism, learning differences, or other profiles), executive functioning challenges are not just about “forgetfulness” or “disorganisation.” They can impact performance, wellbeing, and sense of belonging in sport.


Why Executive Functioning Matters in Sport


In a sporting environment, executive functioning skills show up everywhere:


  • Planning & Organisation: Packing gear, sticking to a warm-up routine, pacing across a game.

  • Working Memory: Remembering a coach’s multi-step instructions or tactical plays.

  • Cognitive Flexibility: Adjusting to sudden rule changes, new opponents, or shifting positions.

  • Impulse Control: Managing emotions after a referee’s call or a mistake on the field.


When these processes are shaky, game-day can quickly unravel. Missing a bus, forgetting equipment, zoning out in a team talk, or reacting strongly to mistakes are not just “bad habits”, they can be signs of executive functioning struggles.

And while all athletes face these challenges sometimes, neurodivergent athletes may experience them more intensely and/or more often.


Spotting the Signs: When an Athlete Might Be Struggling


If you’re a coach, parent, or professional working alongside athletes, look out for:


  • Inconsistency in routines: Sometimes they’re on time and fully ready, other times scattered or late.

  • Difficulty following instructions: They lose track of multi-step directions or get stuck when plans change.

  • Overreactions under pressure: Emotional regulation (frustration, tears, or anger) feels hard to manage in the heat of play.

  • Decision fatigue: They might seem indecisive or “freeze” when many choices are presented.

  • Forgetfulness: Missing equipment, water bottles, or even forgetting when/where to meet.


These are not signs of laziness or lack of care. They’re signals that executive functioning support is needed.


Practical Ways to Support Neurodivergent Athletes


Here are some tools and adjustments you can make on and off the field:


1. Create Consistent Structures

  • Clear checklists for gear, routines, or warm-ups.

  • Visual schedules in changerooms or on phones.

  • Set times for transitions (e.g., “boots on by 2:30”).


2. Reduce Working Memory Load

  • Break instructions into single steps.

  • Pair verbal directions with visual cues (diagrams, hand signals).

  • Use repetition without judgement—hearing it twice helps the brain catch up.


3. Build in Regulation Strategies

  • Encourage breathing, stretching, or music rituals before games.

  • Normalise breaks when overwhelm kicks in.

  • Offer athletes a “reset tool”—a word, gesture, or movement to ground themselves.


4. Encourage Flexible Thinking Through Practice

  • Roleplay “what if” scenarios in training: “What if the ref makes a call you don’t like?”

  • Let athletes practice adapting in low-stakes settings before game-day.


5. Support Impulse Control with Pre-Agreed Plans

  • Talk through how to respond to frustration:

    • “If I feel angry, I will take three breaths before speaking.”

  • Reinforce with positive coaching when they follow through.


Questions Coaches and Professionals Can Ask


Sometimes the best way to understand is to ask the athlete. Try:


  • “What part of game-day feels the hardest for you?”

  • “When do you usually forget things, and what helps you remember?”

  • “Do you like instructions written down, shown, or told to you?”

  • “What’s one thing I can do that makes game-day easier for you?”


These questions do two things: they open up dialogue (building trust and autonomy) and give you practical insight to adapt your approach.


Why This Conversation Matters


For too long, struggles with executive functioning in sport have been mislabelled as laziness, carelessness, or even attitude problems. By reframing these as cognitive and neurodevelopmental challenges, we can move from judgement to understanding—and from understanding to action.


Neurodivergent athletes bring incredible strengths to sport: creativity, hyperfocus, unique tactical thinking, persistence. But to access those strengths, they need environments that reduce barriers and support their brains.


When coaches, psychologists, and teammates lean into compassion, structure, and practical tools, we give athletes the freedom to perform, thrive, and love their sport without being held back by invisible hurdles.


Final Thoughts


Executive functioning isn’t just about school or work, it plays out on the field, in the pool, on the court. By noticing the signs, asking the right questions, and building supportive structures, we can help neurodivergent athletes manage game-day challenges with confidence.

Sport should be about ability, connection, and growth, not about whether your brain remembers to pack your shoes.


References (APA 7th ed.)


 
 
 

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