Autism in Sports: Hyper-Focus Can Be A Competitive Advantage

When players in sports have autism, is it considered an advantage or disadvantage? Autism in sports poses an interesting question, because parents, coaches, or even the players themselves may worry about possible communications challenges or the anxiety that some sports may cause (for anyone) due to performance expectations.

Autism can be a distinctive advantage in sports due to many individuals on the spectrum having a commanding hyper-focus. That hyper focus meaning of extreme attention can allow autistic players to tune out distractions and concentrate on the intent and rules of the game. Autism in sports and that hyper focus meaning can also be a disadvantage if the player is not motivated or finds the sport stressful.

These factors are definitely worthy of consideration, but just like with any neurotypical individual, choosing which sport to play—and with it the level of competition and involvement—varies by person. Some people may like team sports, while others prefer individual ones.

And, just like anyone else, some players in sports may like activities and practices that are outdoors and are played in a variety of elements (i.e. football), while others desire only sports played indoors in a consistent environment (basketball).

Of course, some people may not be interested in sports at all. And that  is perfectly okay!

So, assuming there is interest, the next consideration is which type of activity, and also at which competitive (or non-competitive) level of sport.  That may depend on age, ability, offerings, and interest in the area. Often, it’s no surprise that a person wants to try a sport due to all the marketing promoting leagues.

The Public Push for Sports

In my experiences, there are usually signs to “sign up” by fields near our neighborhood, flyers distributed in the mail and at school, and emphasis on sports in physical education classes as well as some churches. That’s because sports can be a lot be fun and check the box of being physically active and learning a new skill and hopefully making some new friends.

With anyone, a person’s strengths should come into play. If you are highly flexible, you might be good at gymnastics, for example. Or, if you like speed and pushing yourself while running, you might like track.  Choosing a compatible sport, along with particular interests, is something that is important for any individual choosing a sport.

You’ve probably noted that everything I’ve said so far pretty much applies to anyone, and is not autism specific. in terms of autism in sports But, now I want to address the specific topic of having autism in sports, and specifically, autism and hyper fixation.

Hyper Focus Meaning: Advantages to Having Autism in Sports

Autism gives many of us on the spectrum with the impressive ability to completely focus on something. For many typical kids, focus is often lacking in the early years because they get distracted by other players or things happening around them.  We’ve all heard stories where kids start chasing butterflies, playing in the dirt, and even laying down during practice.  (My personal experiences certainly support the distraction levels with kids on my various teams I’ve played on through the years.)

With autism in sports (and again I’m putting in the disclaimer that I fully realize that every person is different), a player often, not always, has a hyper focus  with things.  That can be very advantageous with sports because the autism mind can often really focus on the elements needed to be successful in the sport, such as hitting the ball in tennis, for example.

Athletes with autism in sports, especially when they have autism and hyper fixation, can often tune out the environment all around them, such as playing soccer with another team playing a game next to their field. They may not become distracted by observers (or fans!) or other things happening around them and literally just focus on the particular object of the game, so to speak.

This autism in sports hyper-focus works well in baseball/softball, football, basketball, etc.  The key is to have the coach and players understand that a hyper focus meaning allows those with autism and hyper fixation to really  keep the eye on the prize, so to speak. When sports players with disabilities, such as autism in sports, are on the team they can be an awesome secret weapon!

Also, autism and hyper fixation when it comes to sports can be a successful experience for individuals who may be non-verbal, or speak only at a minimum.  That’s because as long as someone can understand the rules of the game and can meet expectations, it is not necessary to be able to have two-communications in order to compete.  Again, of course, it depends on the individual, and I’m just mentioning this as a generality.

Learn more about Nonverbal Autism:  Exploring the Power Beyond Words

Hyper Focus Meaning: Disadvantages of Having Autism in Sports

If a participant doesn’t like a particular activity or sport, however, it is hard to motivate and get a high performance out of them. This is regardless of whether they are neurotypical or neurodiverse.  So if a parent tries to encourage a child to participate in something they don’t want to do, it is probably not going to end well for anyone.  Frustration, meltdowns, or defiance can result.

For people with autism, being pressured to do something they don’t want to do can be particularly stressful. Speaking from my own experiences, if I liked the sport (I really liked basketball and was pretty good at it), then I was a contributing member of the team and enjoyed going to practice and learning the skills. I also enjoyed my other teammates.

However, when I didn’t like a sport (I didn’t like baseball or soccer very much), then I would shut down and not really respond to the pep talks or even try. In other words, I then wasn’t really contributing anything to the team.

As I said early, it is important to match an interest with an ability, but that isn’t always the case.  Not everyone can be a ballerina or a professional football player, any more than everyone can become a rock star. But ability isn’t always a priority if participation leagues are available.  

At least around where I live in Texas, parents could choose leagues that were non-competitive, with rules like everyone plays the same amount of time, and scores were either not kept, or they didn’t really matter.

Autism and Hyper Fixation: My Sports Experiences

I played basketball for several years in the Upward league, and it basically a no-pressure and skills-building league. It promoted learning skills and teamwork, over the outcome of each game.

That doesn’t mean that people didn’t want to win. Of course they do.  It just wasn’t all-consuming and a more positive, stress-free experience. For me, that was enough.

While I played basketball in elementary school, I played tennis in middle school and high school. I really enjoyed that tennis could be played as an individual sport or as a team sport, and I played singles and doubles throughout my time in tennis. 

I wasn’t the best player, but my partner and I managed to win a UIL medal in a doubles tournament in high school. I am proud of that medal.

My autism and hyper fixation could show itself at times with sports in both good ways as well as bad. For example, there were long periods of waiting times between matches and I would become bored. That might be when I would have a tendency to stim, for example.  

With me, I could also lose the hyper-focus if I mentally had exhausted myself and needed to focus on something else for a while.

I attribute my positive experiences overall with autism and sports, however, to support and respect shown to me just as those qualities was shown to others on the team as well.

Sports Players with Disabilities: Just Play and Enjoy the Experience

The bottom line is that in many cases, sports and autism can be a positive with some creative communications as needed and with understanding and empathetic people who support having a variety of player personalities on the team.

A good coach will recognize and pull out the strengths and use them to the team’s advantages. In my case, my tennis coach understood my needs and brought out the best in me. 

As a result, I believe I tried harder to do a good job and to be a good individual and team player.

If you are the one with autism, don’t think being on the spectrum is some terrible disadvantage. Even if your social skills or communications skills aren’t as strong as you would like, don’t let that deter you.

Your focus and determination, along with your talent, could make you a champion.  And that is the takeaway for anyone with autism:  don’t let anyone take away your value or contributions, on or off the field!

Just as a motivation if you are considering sports, there are many sports players with disabilities out there, either past or present. I won’t mention them all here, but check out this list of 30 famous athletes with autism. It is impressive and it shows that autism and hyper fixation can be a positive for those having autism in sports!

Other Common Autistic Behaviors

There are many behaviors associated with having autism. Keep in mind that everyone presents differently, which is why it is caused a spectrum disorder. However, there are common autism behaviors. Learn more about them. 

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