Throwing and catching.

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Just curious about how widespread is the difficulty in throwing and catching. If we have a quiet time at work one of the lads will get a rugby ball out and we have a chuckabout. They can all throw and pass really well but I seem to miss the ball or drop it more often than catch it. Some of the guys have gotten a bit peeved off with me cos of it...so I`m wondering is this an aspie thing or am I just crap at sports? I don't rememebr ever being any good at ball sports, with baseball for example I can't hit the ball with a bat, nor with golf, and football is a waste of time as I can't kick the ball.

My parents (my dad particularly) were endlessly frustrated attempting to teach me the basic skills of Little League Baseball. In the two seasons they forced me to play, the only times I ever got on base was when the ball hit me. Got Lucy position in left field so the team wouldn't have to depend on my catching ability very often.

In junior high, my only friend talked me into going out for the football team, so he would'nt be joining alone and I got on only because of my size. The next several months were an endless stream of verbal abuse from my coach and physical pummeling on the field because I had no idea what was going on (jocks assume if you're on the field, you know the game). From that point on, you couldn't get me near anything resembling a sport or athletic event.
I was okay with the shotput, however and discovered weight training in my 30s and love that - both solitary activities requiring little grace, dexterity or social interaction.

Since one of the symptoms of AS is clumsiness, I would guess you won't encounter too many professional Aspie athletes. Perhaps a body builder or two.

FWIW, this has always been my experience. I can distance run and do archery very well. I even used to do triathlons, but can't catch or throw to save my life. It's not a depth perception thing. I had a lot of pressure during my last job to be on a softball team, but that would just have been humiliating. I told them I was "terminally afraid of the ball", which was partially correct.

Anna

Interesting posts guys. I quite enjoy doing weights and things like that, and my job is quite physical, Im a linesman, so have to climb electricity poles and work on them which I can do fine. Im also a easonable mechanic when working on engines etc. It seems my problem is to do with catching a fast moving object. Interestingly I don't have much depth perception, for me being many meters up in the air up a pole doesn't feel too much different to being on the ground. :s

Well I rarely throw or catch anything, but when swatting mosquitos, especially in the air, I usually miss.
I hate mosquitos.

Mixed bag with me. I was cut from little league, while all my friends made the team. Made for a lonely summer. I couldnt make consistent contact with the bat or catch the ball. Similarly, my shooting in basketball has always been mediocre.

I was faster than most of the kids my age. I excelled at football for a time and even had fairly good hands at catching the ball. I was also somewhat of a natural at wrestling. I think I am a good athlete, but have poor hand-eye coordination.

I throw like a girl.

My catchin isn't 2 bad my throwin is quite good n kickin a football is not a problem as i know where da goal is.

I can wildly fling something-but have no ability to aim. Have good "up-close" hand/eye coordination, but that's completely different function/activity. Can't juggle (too many rapidly moving parts)-but I can thread a needle (only one or two slowly moving parts)-that's what I mean, in describing my selective coordination ability.

Also, am terrified of fast-moving soild (weighted) objects heading towards me, so that trumps any command that I catch/intercept the hurtling projectile. My number one priority is to get the heck out of the way/path of the thing before it lands on me. Loathed mandatory team sports in elementary school. Can't aim/catch frisbee or kick soccer ball reliably, either.

Fortunately, I don't mind being bad at these skills, since I don't enjoy doing them anyway-thank goodness I'm old (out of school) now & am no longer confronted with the issue.

I understand the fear of an incoming object...I think that occurs with me also, I always worry about getitng hit in the face with a ball and tend to sheild my face rather than actually try to catch whatever it is.