Book Review: Soccer Tough 1 and 2 with Dan Abrahams

1. Understanding ADHD in Sport: A Strengths-Based Perspective

One of the biggest strengths of Perry’s work is her balanced approach: ADHD isn’t framed as a flaw or a disadvantage.  It’s a different way of thinking, processing, and performing. She highlights:

• Hyperfocus under pressure
• Creativity in solving tactical problems
• High energy and drive
• Persistence despite setbacks
• Risk-taking that can translate into courageous performances

For young adult athletes, this is refreshing. Many enter adulthood having been told for years that they must “fix” themselves. Instead, Perry encourages athletes to view ADHD as a performance variable not a limitation.

From a sport psychology point of view, this aligns with strengths-based CBT and acceptance approaches, where the goal is to understand how the mind works so you can work with it, not against it.

2. How ADHD Shows Up for Young Adult Old Athletes

Perry accurately describes how ADHD affects sporting performance, including:

Attention Variability

Athletes may:

• Struggle with concentration during slower parts of training
• Become overly focused in the wrong moments (e.g., obsessing over an error)
• Miss tactical cues under pressure

Emotional Reactivity

Many young adult athletes with ADHD report:

• Stronger frustration after mistakes
• Difficulties with emotional regulation
• Spirals of self-criticism
• A drop in confidence after negative feedback

Inconsistency

A common hallmark is the gap between:

• Potential (very high)
• Performance (variable)

Athletes often feel:
“I know I can do it… I just can’t do it every time.”

Perry normalises this with powerful explanations of dopamine, executive function, and processing speed. Understanding why these fluctuations occur is crucial. It removes blame and opens the door to strategy-building.

3. Strengthening Confidence and Emotional Regulation

For athletes in the 18–21+ range, confidence is fragile especially during transitions to senior squads, professional environments, or university sport. Perry focuses on creating helpful emotional and cognitive strategies, including:

CBT Thought Restructuring

She explains how to challenge:

• Catastrophic thinking
• Overgeneralisation (“I always mess up…”)
• Harsh self-talk
• Perfectionistic expectations

For athletes, this is essential. A moment of self-criticism can derail an entire performance.

Emotional Reset Tools

Perry introduces techniques such as:

• Pause routines
• Breathing resets
• Verbal cueing
• Anchoring strategies

These align with the work we do in sessions helping athletes move from emotional overload to calm, clear thinking in under 30 seconds.

4. Motivation, Dopamine & the ADHD Brain

Perry does an excellent job explaining why motivation fluctuates for ADHD athletes. Many assume they are lazy or inconsistent when, in reality, they need:

• novelty
• urgency
• purpose
• emotional engagement
• autonomy

Her model supports the Self-Determination Theory approach to motivation showing how athletes thrive when given:

• meaningful goals
• independence in decision-making
• environments that allow creativity and flexibility

This is especially relevant for young adult athletes balancing:

• university
• work or apprenticeships
• training
• social lives
• competing

Coaches can learn a lot here many unknowingly create environments that decrease motivation for ADHD athletes rather than increase it.

5. Strategies for Training: Making ADHD an Advantage

This book shines when it gets practical. Perry includes countless strategies that young adult athletes can implement immediately, including:

1. Training Structures That Work

• Shorter, high-intensity blocks
• Task-based sessions instead of long lectures
• Clear, simple instructions
• Visual cues rather than verbal overload

2. Organisation & Time Management Tools

Young adults often struggle with:

• lateness
• forgetting equipment
• juggling multiple commitments
• procrastination

Perry offers sports-specific tools such as:

• gear checklists
• digital reminders
• “micro-deadlines”
• warm-up routines with built-in structure

3. Coping with Mistakes

ADHD athletes often:

• react strongly to errors
• experience shame
• get stuck replaying mistakes
• lose emotional control

Perry’s strategies include:

• post-error reset routines
• external cueing
• grounding techniques
• reframing mistakes as data

These approaches match CBT models we use frequently with 18–21+ year-olds.

6. Competition Day Strategies for ADHD Athletes

Perry doesn’t just address training she guides athletes through competition days, where ADHD traits may intensify:

Common match-day challenges

• heightened anxiety
• overthinking
• impulsive decision-making
• emotional swings
• trouble sticking to tactical plans
• losing focus after a poor start

Effective Solutions

She outlines:

• personalised match-day routines
• scanning and attention cues
• role clarity (reducing cognitive load)
• self-talk systems
• breathing and pacing interventions
• ways to review performances constructively

These are incredibly useful for athletes transitioning into adult competition, where expectations are higher and environments can feel more pressured.

7. Advice for Parents of Young Adult Athletes

Parents of young adults often walk a tightrope not wanting to interfere, but wanting to help. Perry offers guidance on:

How to support without controlling

• Let the athlete take the lead
• Ask rather than instruct
• Avoid emotional “rescuing”
• Keep communication calm and objective

Understanding emotional sensitivity

Parents learn why criticism, even well-intended, can feel heavier for ADHD athletes.

Creating supportive home routines

She encourages parents to help with:

• planning
• organisation
• boundaries
• sleep
• nutrition
• emotional grounding

This chapter is invaluable for families navigating university sport, academy transitions, or early professional development.

8. Guidance for Coaches

Coaches are often the difference between an ADHD athlete thriving or disengaging from their sport. Perry provides clear coaching principles:

1. Be structured, not rigid

Predictability helps. Overstructure does not.

2. Keep communication simple

One instruction at a time.
Short sentences.
Clear expectations.

3. Build trust

Young athletes with ADHD thrive in environments where they feel respected and understood.

4. Celebrate strengths

Risk-taking, intensity, creativity, and energy can be game-changing assets.

5. Help regulate emotions

Coach reactions to mistakes matter enormously. Calmness is contagious.

For coaches of young adult athletes, these insights are game-changing.

9. Why This Book Is Essential Reading for Young Adult Athletes

The transition into adulthood is a huge psychological jump. ADHD adds another layer of complexity:

• Moving teams
• Increased responsibility
• More competitive environments
• Academic or work pressures
• Greater independence
• Social expectations

Perry’s book validates the challenges but also empowers athletes with the strategies and confidence to succeed.

As a sports psychologist, I find myself recommending it regularly. It is practical, grounded, and compassionate, an excellent combination for athletes trying to understand their minds and improve their performance.

Conclusion: A Must-Read for Athletes, Parents & Coaches

ADHD in Sport: Strategies for Success is one of the most valuable resources available for understanding how ADHD interacts with athletic performance.  Dr Josephine Perry succeeds in delivering:

• psychological insight
• practical tools
• relatable examples
• sport-specific strategies
• strength-based encouragement

For athletes in their late teens and early twenties, this book can be transformative. It empowers them to take ownership of their sport, work with their ADHD, and build consistency, confidence, and emotional control.

For parents and coaches, it provides a compassionate roadmap for supporting young adults as they navigate both sport and life.

It is highly recommended for anyone keen to understand ADHD through a sporting lens and essential reading for those wanting to help young adult athletes thrive.

>> Read: ADHD in Sport: Strategies for Success – Dr Josephine Perry

>> Read: Case Study: Supporting a Neurodivergent Young Footballer to Build Confidence, Emotional Control & Consistency

>> Listen: Football Coaches: How To Help Neurodivergent Players Thrive with Adam Batstone