Coaching basketball for children with autism

Coaching basketball for children with autism

Through my experiences as a volunteer basketball coach at the Special Olympics New Jersey Sports Complex and working at various camps and clinics, I have encountered life-changing practices through teaching developmental basketball. Many people assume that children with autism or other disabilities do not need to learn the necessary skills and concepts associated with basketball. However, I have found that it is important to teach autistic children the same skills and concepts as children without disabilities, but in a modified way. As an aspiring college basketball coach, my volunteer work focuses on developing individual skills, teamwork and communication. These three aspects of basketball are some keys to success in coaching the sport and are important to teach children at a young age. As a volunteer, I was able to learn new and innovative ways to teach individual skill development, teamwork, and communication that help children with autism develop their basketball skills and gain confidence and skills that help across the spectrum of healthy living.

Developing individual skills is the foundation for becoming a better basketball player, and players can improve by working on their weaknesses and expanding their strengths through developing individual skills. When working with autistic children, as with some children without disabilities, I have found that players tend to focus primarily on their strengths and are less interested in identifying a weakness. Additionally, players are usually reluctant to work on skills that could use more development. To solve this developmental problem, I use a principle called “rapid transition” to help children improve weaknesses or areas in which they are not as proficient. The principle of “rapid transition” focuses on the child's strength while quickly moving to a new task that requires more development and ultimately back to the player's comfort zone. Getting a child with autism to step out of their comfort zone is challenging and, to me, exciting when it occurs. I have had success implementing this principle and would recommend using the “rapid transition” principle to anyone whose challenge is motivating autistic children to work on their basketball weaknesses and strengths. Developing individual skills is an important element and a much-needed skill to facilitate the use of teamwork.

Teamwork is the backbone of basketball and all other team sports. Although it is important that players improve their individual skills, they must all play as a team to achieve an overall goal. Teamwork is the most difficult aspect of teaching children with autism, but it can be done. The key here is to first introduce a basic concept of two people working together to make a pass, score a basket, get a defensive stop, or any other concept of the sport. Once players are comfortable with achieving a common goal as two people, you can convert them into a small group accordingly by adding another person into the equation. Once they are proficient in this area, add more players until you reach the goal of having five players on the team that contribute to the conception of the overall goal. Coach Mike Krzyzewski, the head basketball coach at Duke University, has a quote titled, “Two are better than one, only when two act as one.” This quote embodies teamwork and encourages players to understand the concept that working and collaborating as a team gets the job done more effectively and efficiently, which is important in getting children with autism to learn. While teamwork is essential, teamwork in communication must be strengthened.

Communication in basketball is one of the things that can separate a good team from a great team. Communication is the voice that leads a team to victory because it generates energy and creates structure and order. Children with autism can have different types of communication deficiencies. For example, I have coached children who communicated well with me using short, precise words and sentences and others who did not express themselves verbally at all. When communicating with children with autism, I have learned to keep my instructions direct and precise, repeat myself, and demonstrate exactly what I want them to do. Demonstrating a particular skill or concept helps tremendously in developing players' abilities and they seem to enjoy having a leader who can mirror and emulate them. Of the three keys to success in coaching basketball for children with autism, communication seems to be the most important in developing a great team and great players.

In conclusion, as an aspiring college basketball coach, I am constantly trying to teach and learn new and innovative ways to help players develop. Additionally, I am committed to helping athletes become socially conscientious and solid citizens of society. Children with autism need the same love and care as children without disabilities and must be able to participate in physical activities if they wish. Basketball is a great way to introduce the concepts of improving individual skills, teamwork and communication and helps achieve an overall goal. The most interesting and fascinating element in coaching is the satisfaction of being able to coach and help different players. When I help these players with different backgrounds and abilities, they ultimately help me become a better coach, teacher, mentor and leader. I hope this article has introduced some key concepts for coaching basketball for children with autism that you can incorporate into your playbook.

Inspired by Donovan A Smalls II