Autism and Sport – It’s Everybody’s Game
Author: Mark Palmer
Sport is a huge part of many people’s lives, whether taking part, watching and following a particular team or athlete, or a combination of both. The stereotypical view of Autism might suggest that an Autistic person’s interest in sport would be confined to an encyclopaedic knowledge of sports statistics. But as is almost always the case with stereotypes, the truth could not be more different.
How Autistic People Benefit From Sport
Autistic people enjoy participating in sport at all levels, including the very top, and follow sports as fans in every way from casual observer to the insanely dedicated. For some Autistic people, a sport or team may be a special interest – but that is also the case for many neurotypical sports fans, who can tell you how their team performed in every game going back many years. Those who are less enthusiastic sports fans may find this level of commitment and knowledge hard to understand, but that applies to people with a deep knowledge and interest in just about anything!
One reason that sport may be particularly appealing to Autistic people is that in sport, everyone knows the rules and plays to them (or at least they should!). In many sports, there are literal lines that confine the action and the game, offering a level of security that many of us struggle to find in our wider lives. When you are Autistic, a lot of the time in life you can feel like you are playing a game without knowing the rules. The rules that you do know seem to keep changing, and those that break the rules seem to prosper all too often. This is not the case with sport.
Sport and exercise can also be hugely helpful in managing your mental health.The reason for this is that any kind of exercise releases endorphins in the brain. Endorphins are chemicals that generally improve your mood. Going for a walk or a workout when you are feeling mentally down really can make things better, and in a much more natural and beneficial way than using substances to deal with how you are feeling. This is important for Autistic people, who are far more likely to struggle with mental health issues than neurotypical people.
Of course, most Autistic people that enjoy sport do so on a casual basis. Autistic people often have other neurodivergent conditions. One of these is dyspraxia, which causes difficulty with things like physical coordination and balance. This can be a big problem when you try to play sports to win. Many dyspraxic adults may recall the indignity of always being the last selected when teams were picked for school sports without understanding why they could not do what all the other kids seemed to find so easy! This is one reason why it is vital that sport is promoted for the enjoyment of taking part as well as to win.
Above all, sport and exercise should be fun, and the benefits of a healthy body to our mental health cannot be underestimated. Getting active when you are feeling down, even by just taking a walk around the block, can make a huge difference. Taking time to do something enjoyable, even if it is watching your team lose again, can be a great escape from the more serious parts of life that we all have to spend much of our time dealing with.
Sport matters because it really does not matter at all. It can and does make a huge difference in the lives of many Autistic people – long may this continue
Elite Autistic Athletes
There are many Autistic athletes who are hugely successful in their fields.
Lisa Llorens is an Autistic athlete who won gold Paralympic medals in high jump, long jump and sprinting. Known as the cheetah because of her great speed, she now finds volunteering to care for these stunning animals helps to calm her anxiety, a common issue for Autistic people.
The current world’s strongest man, Tom Stoltman, describes his Autism as his secret weapon. He tells of how, having struggled with academic subjects, pushing himself to excel at sport was his release and helped him to find his place in the world.
Brittany Tagliareni is Autistic and has won over 100 medals as a professional tennis player. After struggling with social interaction growing up, as many Autistic children do, tennis unlocked the world for her, enabling her to make friends and find ways to overcome obstacles.
Now retired, MMA star John “Doomsday” Howard was not diagnosed Autistic until he was 33. He has shared the common experience with many Autistic people diagnosed later in life that his diagnosis explained a lot in retrospect about his childhood and gave him a better understanding of who he is.
Autistic swimmer Jessica Jane-Applegate has won 7 Paralympic medals. Having struggled to fit in as a child, she says she found her place in the pool. Swimming has helped her to overcome the many challenges she has faced and given her peace of mind. She has also spoken about the importance of routine, a common trait in Autistic people.
Sam Holness hopes to become the first Autistic professional triathlete. He believes that being Autistic gives him a significant advantage, enabling him to maintain his focus on training for longer periods amongst other things.
