ADHD awareness month: Cricketer Charis Pavely on her diagnosis & how it changed her life

To mark the start of ADHD awareness month, BBC Sport profiles cricketer Charis Pavely.

That was the reaction of close relatives when Charis Pavely’s mother revealed the England Under-19 World Cup runner-up was pursuing an attention hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosis.

Pavely says it is an attitude that “needs to go”.

The 18-year-old Central Sparks player is one of the estimated 20% of people in the UK who are neurodivergent. In other words, those whose brains function differently because they are autistic, dyslexic, dyspraxic or have ADHD.

Growing up, Pavely’s ADHD went undiagnosed owing to a lack of education and awareness surrounding neurological conditions.

That led to her feeling persistently misunderstood, and she dropped out of school soon after completing her GCSEs.

“At the time I had no idea,” she says. “I didn’t know enough about it to realise what was going on.

“My reports always said the same thing: can’t concentrate, distracts others, chats too much, doesn’t care about school.

“That was hard to take because I cared a lot about what people thought about me and wanted to impress. So when my grades didn’t reflect that, that was the hardest thing about school.

“It was hidden quite well at school because sport was my outlet. I was getting so angry and had this pent-up frustration that wouldn’t leave me alone.”

About that time, Pavely picked up cricket at a school lunchtime club and quickly climbed the ranks to regional academy cricket.

But unfortunately cricket too became increasingly challenging because of a lack of knowledge around neurodiversity.

“You can look back on replays with me bowling or batting and I’d be so visibly angry,” say Pavely. “I couldn’t control myself. I’d face three dot balls, then swing so hard and they would bowl me.

“I was getting angry at my team-mates. That was the biggest thing. With my ADHD, I give 100% or zero. There is no in between.

“I dive just to make sure that people know that I’ve put 100% in. When I saw people not doing the same for me and my bowling, that’s where the anger started.

“There are times where, both in cricket and in life, you get so angry that it’s not you and you don’t know what happens. Then the hardest bit is people are still mad at you, but you’ve forgotten all about it because you’re a goldfish and can’t remember anything.”

Thanks to Central Sparks, Pavely got the support she had been deprived of for so long just before she turned 17.

“Central Sparks diagnosed my ADHD and changed my life,” she says. “So many things make sense now – it was such a relief.

“I’ve worked with the Central Sparks coaches on how I want to be spoken to, like how we can get the same thing done but just the way of saying things can produce a completely different outcome.”

The diagnosis meant Pavely was finally able to understand herself fully and begin to feel understood by others in her life and on the cricket pitch.

“If I could just look in the mirror and compare what it would have been like without it to what it is now… I think now on medication and diagnosed, and learning how to deal with it and knowing more about myself, I see a massive difference in my cricket,” said Pavely.

And as she reflects further, Pavely says she believes the ability to “hyperfocus” has helped her progress with her cricket.

“I also think I have a better perspective on things because I can see things in many different ways so understand how people may be feeling in certain situations,” she adds.

The changes to improve her quality of life, such as taking medication, can only go so far, though.

In the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket report, 48% of disabled people disagree that everyone engaged in cricket feels they belong and can be themselves, regardless of disability.

Pavely believes more must be done to increase accommodations and reduce stigma and discrimination.

“From a cricket and coaching point of view, there needs to be more education,” she said. “It’s not a one-size-fits-all coaching method. Everyone is different.

“Everyone’s allowed an off day, but my off day might look very different to someone else’s, and I shouldn’t have to mask around a group of people that I feel secure with.

“ADHD or not, I am Charis. Before ADHD, I was still Charis. Just because I’m now diagnosed, I’m not any more or less of a person than I was before.”

For more support and information on ADHD, visit BBC Action Line here.