🧠 ADHD and Cheerleading: Understanding, Adapting, and Shining as a Team (S2.34)
- janie724
- Aug 25
- 2 min read
Episode of May 12, 2025
Cheerleading is a demanding sport, filled with energy, coordination, and teamwork. For athletes living with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), it can be both a real challenge and a great opportunity for growth. In the latest episode of Kick's Cheer Podcast, coaches and guests shared practical tips to help athletes, parents, and coaches better understand and support youth with ADHD in this sport.
💞 Know your ADHD athlete
Whether you're a parent or a coach, the first step is to know the athlete well: their strengths, areas for improvement, and distraction or stress triggers. An impulsive child, for example, might need to be placed closer to the action to better follow instructions, while another might need to arrive 15 minutes early to focus before practice. The important thing is to identify these needs and turn them into clear, achievable goals.
💪 Encourage adaptation… but maintain team spirit
ADHD sometimes requires adjustments: splitting up instructions, using "mini-coaches" (experienced athletes who accompany younger athletes), or giving an athlete a specific role to help them stay focused. But it's important to remember that cheerleading remains a team sport: the athlete also adapts to the team, just as the team learns to live with different profiles. It's a win-win learning experience : you develop tolerance, patience, and the ability to work with diverse personalities.
😬 Managing performance anxiety
Many athletes with ADHD also experience anxiety, especially during competitions. Rather than threatening or pressuring, it's more effective to use positive reinforcement :
Make a progress chart
Set clear steps towards a goal
Highlight efforts as much as results. This helps reduce stress and maintain motivation.
Strategies during competitions 🤸♀️
Competitions are intense: noise, music, lights... sources of stimulation that can be destabilizing. Among the tips shared:
Wear a hood or use soundproof earmuffs before stepping onto the mat
Use stress balls or color to calm down.
Give a specific task (manage water bottles, prepare an accessory) to channel energy
💊 Medication or not?
The decision to use medication should be made on a case-by-case basis, with the doctor and family. It should not make the athlete feel inactive, but should help focus attention. In some cases, the sport is adapted (for example, switching from group skating to free skating) rather than changing the medication.
To talk about it… or not?
Some parents are hesitant to tell their coach that their child has ADHD. However, mentioning it allows for the right strategies to be put in place from the start and ensures everyone's safety and well-being. ADHD isn't a negative label: it's useful information to help the athlete thrive.
A learning tool for life
Cheerleading, even for an athlete with ADHD, remains an incredible social laboratory :
Learning to listen and collaborate
Managing your emotions
Accepting differences. These skills will serve you well beyond sports.
In summary
With understanding, proper strategies, and good communication between parents, coaches, and athletes, cheerleading can become an ideal playground for channeling energy, developing focus, and learning teamwork.
And sometimes, the athletes who are most nervous before stepping onto the mat deliver… the most breathtaking performances!
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