Healthy Sports Parents How ADHD Shows Up In Kids and Impacts Youth Athletes (with Dr. Joey Case; Sports Psychologist)
Nov 19, 2025
Dr. Joey Case, Assistant Athletic Director of Counseling and Sports Psychology at Mississippi State, shares his expertise on ADHD's impact on youth athletes. He clarifies that ADHD isn't a character flaw and can be reframed as a challenge rather than a barrier to success. Dr. Case discusses how ADHD traits can actually be strengths in sports, while also providing practical strategies for parents and coaches to support kids. He emphasizes the importance of understanding behaviors misinterpreted as laziness and encourages focusing on the joy of sports rather than outcomes.
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Kids Cried For Friends, Not The Loss
- Dr. Joey Case coached a 10U hockey team that went undefeated but lost the final.
- The kids cried because they would miss playing together, revealing sports' social value beyond winning.
Reframe Perfectionism To Process
- Reframe perfectionist kids toward process and values instead of outcomes.
- Use analogies (like school grades) and concrete counts to normalize mistakes and refocus effort.
What ADHD Really Means
- ADHD includes hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity and can present in different combinations.
- Symptoms must be present in childhood and the disorder is neurobiological rather than moral failing.