Exercise of any kind—especially team sports—can be great for kids’ mental health. While little ones run around outside, they’re also learning to be part of a team, overcome challenges, and accept losses.
But for kids who are neurodivergent or have mental health challenges, recreational leagues or team sports at school can feel overwhelming. That’s where a new program comes in.
San Diego Behavior Solutions, which provides in-home behavioral health services for kids navigating challenges like autism spectrum disorder and ADHD, has teamed up with the nonprofit House Of Pancakes to offer an all-inclusive, six-week sports program. It allows kids with ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, anxiety, behavioral challenges, social skill difficulties, or emotional regulation issues a chance to be part of a sports league. The program focuses on social and emotional growth, teamwork, and personal development through sports.
San Diego Behavior Solutions co-founders (L-R) Deborah Pontillo and Anna Williams
It started with an idea from Anna Williams, a licensed marriage and family therapist who has been working with kids for 20 years. “I have a 9-year-old son who plays sports, and [I had heard from] parents of my patients that [their kids] just didn’t fit in a neurotypical sports program,” she says.
“A lot of these parents were complaining that their kids were not only unsuccessful in these programs, but they were being asked to leave or had to pull their child out because of certain behaviors, like stomping off when their team got behind or shouting at teammates,” adds Williams’ business partner Deborah Pontillo. “A lot of these well-intentioned sports programs just aren’t equipped to handle these kinds of behaviors when they occur.”
“And then, [after] attending many sports activities with my son and talking to the parents and just hearing that there was a need for this, I put two and two together, and that’s how it was born,” Williams concludes.
Williams and Pontillo already host social skills groups at their clinic to teach kids how to regulate their emotions and work with others. So, they tapped in House of Pancakes, a youth sports organization run by former Chargers star Corey Liuget and Jonte Berry.
“Jonte will go through a lot of his exercises and activities that are designed to help kids with agility and leadership and collaboration and some actual mechanics of sports he’s teaching, as well,” Pontillo says. “And Anna is providing clinical training to him and to his staff on how to then add the template that we use in our social skills programs to the sports programs.”
As a result, the coaches know what to do to support children who struggle when they lose a game or when things feel unfair. “And because Anna has trained Jonte, he’s going to be able to adapt and teach and manage and direct and help kids get better, so that hopefully by the end of the program, they know what to expect and they know how to function well in a sports setting,” Pontillo says.
Because, Williams adds, kids with these challenges can learn a lot from the experience.
“Sports provide team building, teamwork, and collaboration. You have to have some emotional regulation on a sports field and working with a team,” she says. “These kids might typically get very frustrated if they attempt something and they can’t do it immediately. In this setting, they’ll be taught how to manage those emotions and regulate themselves for the betterment of the team. [They gain a lot of] social skills in general: how to get along with your teammates; how to respect authority, which is your coach; and how to listen and follow directions appropriately.”
The academy is, as far as Williams and Pontillo know, the first sports program of its kind in the county.
To sign up for the six-week program, families can reach out to [email protected] or 858-692-4187.
