The Athlete You’re Frustrated With Might Be Processing Differently

About this episode

This episode discusses how coaches can better support young athletes with hidden disabilities and neurodivergent conditions.

On almost every team, there are young athletes who want to succeed. They look capable. They understand the game. They care. But something isn’t clicking.They’re inconsistent. They overreact. They miss instructions. And too often, they get labeled lazy, unfocused, or "uncoachable".But what if the issue isn’t effort? What if it’s processing??In this episode, Derek sits down with Dr. Timothy Baghurst and Dr. Christopher Stanley, co-authors of Reach Every Athlete, to explore how coaches can better support athletes with hidden disabilities and neurodivergent conditions — including ADHD, autism spectrum differences, learning disabilities, processing challenges, and more.This conversation challenges the one-size-fits-all coaching model and reframes breakdowns in performance as understanding gaps — not discipline failures.This episode is not about lowering standards. It’s about coaching with more precision.Because when you understand how an athlete processes the world, you don’t reduce expectations — you remove unnecessary barriers.If you’re a parent, volunteer coach, high school coach, or athletic director, this is a must-listen conversation.🎙️ About Out Guests:Dr. Christopher Stanley…

People in this episode

Host: Derek Shunk

Guests: Dr. Timothy Baghurst, Dr. Christopher Stanley

Topics covered

• athlete development
• neurodivergence
• coaching strategies
• hidden disabilities
• performance gaps
• youth sports

Keywords

• ADHD
• autism
• learning disabilities
• processing challenges
• coaching
• youth athletes
• performance

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Reach Every Athlete, University of Western States

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