Over the years, a number of parents have asked me to counsel children who were struggling in athletics. Many of these moms and dads were quite unaware of the real issues which were preventing their kids from doing well on the court, field or course.

In some instances, these youngsters appeared to be having difficulties in sports because they had a rather significant and undiagnosed learning disability or psychiatric disorder. A few of the kids who came to see me were clearly suffering from attention deficit disorder. Some were clinically depressed. Others had difficulty in controlling their rage. Several of the children had physical limitations which made it very hard for them to master some of the skills required to play a sport at a competitive level.

In some cases, the kids had processing problems which made it very hard for them to follow coaches' instructions and also made it hard for them to sort out where they should be and what they should be doing during the course of a fast paced game. Last year, I received a referral from another therapist. This case involved a young man who had difficulty controlling his rage on the football field and at home. He was a high school student. After talking to him for an hour, it was clear to me that he was suffering from bipolar disorder.

Once he got the right medication, he performed better in school and his sport and his overall mood improved greatly. When a child has these kinds psychological problems, they frequently manifest themselves in the classroom as well as in sports. The aforementioned conditions can also create an abundance of social problems for a youngster.