ADHD and Athletes: Its Impact On Sport Performance For When It Matters Most

Let’s imagine…It’s preseason. You’ve just arrived at the training facility, and walk into a room of a handful of other recruits. Many familiar faces, or maybe none at all… and you take a seat for the opening meeting.

It feels as though all eyes are on you, yet you know the  surrounding players are hyper focused on seeing their name on that final roster.

Your mind briefly flickers back to the past preseason times of intense schedules. Double days or even triple days of conditioning and strength training, exhibition games, coach’s meetings in lecture halls and film study rooms. 

It’s your time to shine… and you’ve been chosen to be here for a reason. The pressure is on whether you’re a rookie, or a veteran coming “home”.

What do you notice coming up for you? Heart racing, muscles getting a bit tense, a rush of excitement, or nervousness at the same time? Maybe feelings of dread, or thoughts of , “Last season was brutal…here we go again.” Whatever that thought or feeling is, it’s a mental match. You’ve endured before, and you can do it again. 

Thing is, athletes are not immune to mental health issues either. Have you ever thought to yourself, “This is getting too much,” yet notice those around you handling everything like it’s nothing?

Have you ever…

• Felt your body is struggling to keep up with the training load, and you notice a mental fog creeping in.

• You are in the middle of a training circuit and feel embarrassed when you forget the coach’s instructions, or worried about forgetting set plays in the playbook? 

• Stuck in waiting mode where on game day, it’s difficult to focus on anything else that’s important until it’s gametime.

• Constantly told by your coach or others to focus or stop moving,especially during film sessions.

• You are more quick to anger or find yourself drifting from staying connected with family or friends.

• Feeling out of sync, react emotionally, or overwhelmed more easily.

Physically you are healthy, yet something else is up, pushing you off balance. These are some tell tale signs there may be underlying mental barriers that may be coming up. 

Prevalence of mental health challenges

In a comprehensive analysis by Alessi Longa (2025), findings from the study indicated that showed, “elite Olympic athletes are at a much higher risk of developing clinical depression and anxiety than their amateur counterparts”. 

Interestingly enough, individuals with ADHD are more likely to experience mental health challenges such as depression and anxiety than the general population (CHADD, n.d.). So let’s sprinkle that into the mix of what it takes to have to perform at your best consistently, and when the stakes are high.

What is ADHD?

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a common mental health struggle among athletes. Han et al (2019) found that 7-8% of student and elite athletes are impacted by ADHD. Furthermore, findings from a meta analysis by Hoare et al 2023, found multiple studies that confirm higher rates of the presence of ADHD among elite athletes compared to the general population. Though there is not a large amount of science looking at ADHD among athletes at the elite level, generally speaking, ADHD comes with many great strengths (listed below). It also brings unique challenges that can interfere with individual performance, especially during the most crucial times, including pre-season.

• Ability to hyperfocus, have intense concentration, and weed out distractions

• High energy

• Creativity boost that helps with adapting to change and new environments

• Good problem solving skills

Three helpful tips to manage:

• Personal and professional goal setting is something unavoidable in coach’s meetings. Long-term goal setting might bring a flood of overwhelm, so breaking goals down to be achieved quickly is a good strategy.

• Buddy-up with a trusted teammate who can keep you in check during drills, circuit training, and meetings to help you stay focused.

• Practice stress reduction techniques such as progressive muscle relaxation, deep breathing, or guided visualization to help reduce stress and improve focus. 

Remember, you made it this far. You bring something unique to the sport. Keep going. If this post resonates with you, and are curious in learning more about your needs to reach peak performance, schedule a complimentary discovery call here.

Sources:

Alessi Longa, F. (2025). A Comprehensive Comparative Analysis of Clinical Depression and Anxiety in Elite Olympic Athletes Versus Amateur Athletes. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202502.1966.v1

Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD). (n.d).ADHD and co-occurring conditions. https://chadd.org/about-adhd/co-occuring-conditions/ 

Han DH, McDuff D, Thompson D, et al. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in elite athletes: a narrative review. British Journal of Sports Medicine 2019; 53:741-745. 

Hoare, E., Reyes, J., Olive, L., Willmott, C., Steer, E., Berk, M., & Hall, K. (2023). Neurodiversity in elite sport: a systematic scoping review. BMJ open sport & exercise medicine, 9(2), e001575. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjsem-2023-001575