Sports clubs - is there a requirement to disclose my son's disability?

RedBern

This club has 2 squads - girls and boys, the clubs they run (coaches are young teenagers) bring in the income for the squads and they pick out the kids that show potential. I asked if my son could have a trial for the squad and I was told 'applications were finished' when their website said that they had not and they had a shortage of boys and needed boys to trial for the squad. And then new boys were starting after I had asked.

I'd write to the Chair of the club, asking whether the squad applications are closed, and when they might be open again. I'd also ask for a copy of their disability policy, and mention that your son has ADHD but that he and you are able to manage it. If you then get the response that applications are closed, you should have a date by which time they'll be open again. If the club receives any funding from public bodies, such as the local authority or sports council, you should then write pointing out the discriminatory nature of the club and asking funding be withheld.

Good luck

undaunted

**Patty** wrote: »

Speaking as a parent who's child has progressed well enough in their chosen sport to be looking at national squads (no its not gymnastics)......i have to say.....an hour's drive is nothing.

My daughter's coaching sessions are a 2 hour drive each way from where we live. If gymnastics is worth persuing for your son, then you're going to have to look outside of the immediate area.

Good coaching is worth the drive imo.

Oh & get used to it being repetitive. After 3 years of international competetion, she still does basic drills now

I'd agree with you if this child ever shows that level of ability / potential but surely at the moment it's not unreasonable to expect a local club to give him a start / "trial" at the sport?

mrs_sparrow

thegirlintheattic wrote: »

Maybe word has gotten around about his meltdowns. In our area a child has had outbursts that results in him kicking furniture and throwing things, as soon as it got around that he had these outbursts no one wanted anything to do with him.

Perhaps instead of giving them just his 'labels' explain the actual problem. You are still going to have the problem that sports training is repeatative and if you want your son to progress to higher levels, no outbursts or such will be tolerated.

Here we go again with the assumption that son is aggressive and has behaviour problems. My son does not throw or kick furniture, he runs away and hides if he cannot cope with things. These are what we call our meltdowns - every child with a disability is different. Of course they don't know this because no-one actually bothers to call me back to ask. Like you they assume that all children with ADHD have 'behavioural issues'.

I do completely understand but my son cannot progress anywhere as the big clubs will not have him to help him progress.

Boredom is not going to help him progress it is going to put him off the sport altogether - it is not about repetition at all, you misunderstand. It is about reaching a level and then progressing onto a higher level, surely?? Would you pay for your son to learn how to kick a ball but never send him to a club that will let him a play a football match?? And what if your child really good at kicking a ball but was constantly being turned down by club after club??

My son (because of his ASD) is a perfectionist and will carry on doing something until he gets it right - when he gets it right over and over though there is nothing else to move onto as the bigger clubs have the proper equipment. My son is at the highest level he can be at this club he is at now - he needs to progress, but where to.....?

They also have lots of different levels at gymnastics clubs - the one he goes to has one level - everybody's.

Disabled children should have the same right as anyone else to be able to go to out of school clubs.

mrs_sparrow

Sorry, I am a bit behind. I am reading, honest.

mrs_sparrow

rpc wrote: »

I would report the sports clubs to the council and, if they have one, their governing body. This is a time when participation in sport should be encouraged!

Thank you, that is a good idea and something I never thought of before.

mrs_sparrow

NAR and Fire Fox - not as far as I am aware, if I go to the council they will give me details of these clubs in Gymnastics. But, to be honest, I never thought of reporting them before.

mrs_sparrow

CH27 wrote: »

My niece goes to disabled gymnastics & has flourished. They have the staff ratios right & understand the children.
If I were you i'd do the drive to get your son the coaching & support he needs. My niece has to travel & her mum says it's more than worth it.

Yes I agre - as I say this information was not there before. I did call British Gymnastics but they fobbed me off. I checked on their site again when I went to get the wording but they now give a list of the clubs that offer the support - they've obviously had a shake up since the Olympics.

I am going to go to the club but the problem then comes from this - if he has to do more training then I am not going to be able to fit this in with school. My friends son is in the squad and has to do 25 hours of training a week at the club - 2-3 of these nights will be after school, and that hour each way will turn into about 2 hours each way because of the traffic from one town to the other. it is not going to be possible during the week which them limits his training.

There is a club 1 mile up the road, why should we have to drive 2-4 hours when they should not be discriminating anyway.

Fire_Fox

Maybe you should approach this a different way, try to find coaches that are qualified/ experienced with working with disabilities and special needs? You might ask the local council sports development team, physical education teachers at any schools in the area, coaching/ fitness registration bodies, perhaps even people involved in the Special Olympics?

I can see how you could get away with not telling clubs your son has ADHD if he is well medicated, but if you don't say he has ASD you could look like an overbearing mother with a spoiled child if you insist on staying and you 'interfere' when he has a meltdown. You might also consider different terminology, meltdown has some very negative connotations.

Letters are more difficult to ignore than telephone calls.

mrs_sparrow

ceb1975 wrote: »

I've been reading this forum for years but until now have never bothered to register to post.
Your post makes me sad but also very cross. I was lucky enough to be in the arena last week when Louis Smith got his bronze with the team and Silver for Pommels. Louis is one of the best Pommel Horse workers of the modern gymnastics era and a fantastic ambassador for sport in this country.....and he also has ADHD. If Paul Hall and the rest of the team at Huntingdon had taken the same approach as your son's club many years ago then Team GB would have missed out on a superb champion.
Your son is a gymnast who should be coached on his merits, the ADHD and Autism are just part of who your little boy is. If you can send me a private message with your location then I can offer you some further assistance in getting your son into the correct coaching environment to nurture his talent.

Ceb, Huntingdon is about an hour away from me. Can you reply to PM's if you are new? Can someone let me know please before I reply to ceb. I'd rather travel E/N/W from where we live as we will otherwise have to travel towards London and this is why it'll take so long to get there and back.

And thank you so much for understand. Your post made me cry because I did not know any of this but just to know someone realises that even ADHD kids have potential.

Besides, they never get tired and can keep on going, and going, and going.....

balletshoes

I don't know if this is an option for you OP, but instead of phoning the club up the road, could you go into the club and ask to speak to the person in charge of the squads face to face? Explain how the squad training might help your son, explain how his existing club has helped him with the egg timer etc, and how you will deal with any meltdowns.