Derby kisses: investigating the relationship between ADHD traits, concussion, and wellbeing in roller derby players

Roller derby (RD) is a high-risk contact sport with a high incidence of injury and anecdotal evidence indicating elevated prevalence of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) amongst athletes. There is a known risk and frequent occurrence of concussion within the sport, but minimal corresponding safeguarding, and a scarcity of research into the prevalence of ADHD traits and effects of head injury. This study investigated the impact of ADHD traits and concussions on executive functioning (EF), and wellbeing, using the WEMWBS, ADEXI and MiniMASQ in RD players (n = 202), compared to a non-skating control group (n = 241). Independent t-tests revealed a higher incidence of concussion and more concussions in RD players, alongside numerically greater severity of ADHD traits. A series of linear regressions revealed ADHD traits and EF, but not concussions predicted wellbeing in the RD group, whereas in the non-skating group, EF measures rendered ADHD traits a non-significant predictor. This suggests distinct profiles of the association of both neurodiverse traits and EF in RD players and provides an important and novel contribution to research into ADHD and concussion within the sport. Further investigation into how community support mechanisms and socio-cultural practices empower the wellbeing of neurodiverse individuals within the sport is needed.