Coach Carey ADHD Sports

Youth sports should be a place where every athlete feels supported and empowered to succeed. 🏆

I’m honored to be presenting at the National Alliance for Youth Sports (NAYS) Congress this November in Baltimore! My session will dive into practical, psychology-backed strategies for supporting neurodivergent athletes and creating a more inclusive environment on the field.

Can't wait to connect with fellow coaches and league organizers to discuss how we can help every athlete thrive. If you'll be at the conference, let me know! 🤝

As a parent, there is nothing harder than watching your kid walk off the field feeling defeated not because they lack talent, but because ADHD makes processing the game differently. 🧠⚽🏀

Telling a child with ADHD to "just pay attention" or "calm down" doesn't work when executive function overload hits mid-game.

I’m Dr. Carey Heller, and I created Game On with Coach Carey a short module-based on-demand video course designed specifically for parents and coaches of neurodiverse athletes.

Inside this on-demand course, you’ll get:
🎯 Field-Tested Strategies — Practical, real-world tools to help your child lock in focus and regulate big emotions.
⏱️ Short, Actionable Video Modules — Bingeable, bite-sized video lessons you can watch anytime on your phone or laptop.
📋 Reference Clipboard Guide — Easy PDF cheat sheets to take straight to practices and games.

https://psychopayments.gumroad.com/l/krboli

Want a sneak peek at the tools inside the course?

👇 Comment "GUIDE" below, and I’ll DM you my free Toolkit digital download sheet with a sampling of tools you can use right away!

Thrilled to sit down with Aaron Locks for the Youth Sports Mastery Daily Parks and Rec show!

As a clinical psychologist specializing in ADHD and executive functioning, I’m passionate about helping kids navigate sports, build confidence, and master the game on and off the field. A lot of this relies on the support that coaches, league staff, and parents can provide.

Coaching youth sports with ADHD is a superpower… until executive dysfunction hits at 4:45 PM on practice day. 🧠⚡️

If you’ve ever found yourself scrambling to figure out drills in the parking lot or forgetting to email team parents until 10 PM, you’re not alone.

When you have ADHD, standard organizational systems don’t work. You need a system that minimizes decision fatigue and automates routine tasks so you can focus on what you actually love: coaching the kids.

Here are 3 ways to build an ADHD-friendly coaching workflow:

1️⃣ Plan Practices Before They Start 📋
Break practice into predictable, time-blocked chunks: Warm-up ➡️ Skill Focus ➡️ Drill Blocks & Transitions ➡️ Wrap-up. Having a visual, reusable structure keeps practice moving smoothly without having to wing it.

2️⃣ Automate Parent Email Reminders 📩
Draft your communications once and schedule them to auto-send on autopilot. Set up pre-scheduled reminders with practice times, locations, and gear lists so you never get hit with a flood of "Where are we meeting?" texts again.

3️⃣ Streamline Lineups with Pre-Built Templates ⏱️
Ditch manual math and mid-game decision paralysis. Use templates with simple dropdowns for positions and roles, complete with auto-tallying playing time so everyone gets equal run without you having to count minutes in your head.

Work with your neurodivergent brain on the sidelines, not against it! 🙌

👇 Want to make this season effortless?
Comment "GUIDE" below and I’ll send over a free Coach or Parent Toolkit (or both) to help you build your system! 🛠️📥

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Game day should be about bringing the energy not stressing over a forgotten shin guard, left cleat, or mid-game energy slump! ⚽️🏽
For athletes with ADHD, working memory and executive dysfunction can turn packing for game day into a chaotic scavenger hunt. A visual checklist takes the mental heavy lifting off your shoulders so you can focus on playing your best.

Save this checklist for your next game day:
☑️ Uniform
☑️ Gear
☑️ Water bottle
☑️ Snacks
☑️ Sunscreen
☑️ Cleats
☑️ A positive attitude
Pro Tip: Pack your bag—and prep your healthy snacks—the night before! Laying out equipment and fuel ahead of time reduces last-minute rush anxiety and sets you up for a smooth morning.
What’s the one item or snack you ALWAYS seem to forget on game day? Let me know in the comments! 👇

Is your child struggling with focus during practice, getting frustrated after a mistake, or feeling left behind on the bench? Sports can be the ultimate confidence booster for kids with ADHD—when supported with the right tools! ⚾️⚽️🏀

Join us for Beyond the Bench: Empowering Your Child with ADHD to Excel in Youth Sports, a live Lunch & Learn I'm hosting on Zoom.

FORMAT:
I want to keep all of you engaged so this will be a highly interactive program largely focused on answering questions and having some great discussions. I will provide lots of tips and strategies as we work together to help you identify concrete tools to better support your child with ADHD in team sports.

TOPICS COVERED: Probably a lot of different ones, but below are ones we likely will touch on during the time.

Practical strategies to help your child focus and stay engaged.

How to manage emotional dysregulation and game-day frustration.

Tips for collaborating with coaches to set your athlete up for success.

📅 Date: September 11

⏰ Time: 12:00 PM EST

📍 Where: Online / Zoom via Meetup

👉 Tap the link https://www.meetup.com/adhdsports/events/316312778/?utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=announce_event&utm_source=link&utm_version=v2&member_id=379502110
Spaces are is limited so don't procrastinate with RSVPing if you'd like to join us.

When school and sports season collide, your athlete’s brain battery takes a massive hit. 🪫

Managing focus during a 7-hour school day drains their executive function. Throwing complex athletic instructions on top of that creates Double Cognitive Fatigue—leaving them completely depleted by homework time.

Protect your young athlete from autumn burnout with these two strategies:

The 30-Minute "Decompression Bridge": Create a mandatory buffer between school and practice. No homework nagging or tactical sports talk—just a high-protein snack, a drink, and quiet downtime to reset their nervous system.

Rhythm Blocks Over Rigid Timetables: Ditch strict hourly clock times that trigger panic. Instead, group evening tasks into predictable sequences: Practice ➡️ Shower/Snack ➡️ Homework Micro-Block ➡️ Rest.

💬 Comment "GUIDE" below to get my FREE Visual Coaching Playbook sent directly to your DMs!

👕 Want to support independent focus on and off the field? Tap the link in my bio to check out our Visual Cue Tees at coachcarey.printful.me!