Autism and sport

One of my big regrets in adulthood is I never kept up with sports. I would probably be much fitter now! I used to go to the gym, but weight training damaged my shoulder because I was unsupervised...

According to a lot of what I'm reading lately, autistic people supposedly aren't supposed to be good on the sports field. When I was at primary school, I was certainly bad at sport and uncoordinated. Except I was an okay long distance runner, often coming in at second, third, fourth position etc. By secondary school age, I  was more competent, so much so that I was repeatedly selected for school teams. I wasn't the best maybe, but i was solid, and in one of our school magazines I was name checked as a consistently good and committed rugby player. If it hadn't had been for an infected foot, I would have been given try outs for a regional youth team. Who knows? Maybe I would have been selected...

I know this sounds like I'm boasting, but I'm not. I'm just trying to prove how wrong some stereotypes can be.

I suspect there are plenty of autistic people on the sports field. Cricket particularly. It was never my thing, but a lot of cricket fans are into all the number crunching and stats (check out Wisden's Almanac to see what I mean). Some football fans also show signs of it, but being a football fan is socially acceptable. It is probably easier to hide behind that than an interest in stamps or star gazing. I never got into football myself, but I see many fans who are very, very focussed on the game to the exclusion of nearly all else.

I certainly got really obsessed with rugby in my teens. Not only with playing but watching it. I still retain a love of it to this day, but less obsessively! I think it was partly because I enjoyed it, and also because it got me in socially with the other boys at school, and integrated me. 

  • I'm terrible at team sports. I was on our school netball team for a bit, and I too was 'solid' and enjoyed the game but I always struggled with the social side of things, and gave up quickly. I've recently started taekwondo and that's been really great because it's social but there's no expectation for me to talk to anyone or hang out outside the dojang. It's been really great for me to get out and get moving and I'm able to get along at my own pace. I think it's just a matter of finding the right sport that fits your needs.

  • I spent my childhood obsessed with cricket. I still buy Wisden Almanack and can quote people's batting averages

    I love sport and love playing it but I have never been very good at it. Cricket and tennis I am ok at. I love playing football but my brain doesnt respond to situations quick enough for me to play the right pass or shot before someone tackles me. 

    One thing I have found is that loving sport means I am drawn to the sporty type people who are often the so called cool kids who are the least understanding or accepting of autism or any sort of eccentricity or vulnerability. This is the case in adult hood as well
    Is that something you ever found? I find rugby people can be more accepting than football people so maybe not 

  • I believe that the statement that people with autism are not predisposed to sports is wrong. My friend's son has a passion for repeating stereotypical movements. In addition, because of the medications he takes, the child has problems with excess weight. Maggie approached the situation very unconventionally. She bought her son a treadmill on the website https://treadmill review site.co.uk/reebok-zr8-review/. Now the boy is busy doing what he loves (he constantly performs repetitive physical exercises) and he has noticeably lost weight.