Playing baseball allowed the TV star to channel her ADHD energy and anxiety into building her character – both on and off the screen.
Bex Taylor-Klaus firmly believes that if she hadn’t played baseball as a kid in Atlanta, she would not be playing Bullet on AMC’s murder-mystery drama "The Killing" today. “Without a doubt, sports got me where I am today,” said Bex, who has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and has been living in Los Angeles since she turned 18 about a year ago.
As a kid, she knew something was different about her. “I could never sit down and focus on things," she recalled. "I had to do things my own way.”
Her mother, Elaine Taylor-Klaus, who still lives in Atlanta, said her daughter was diagnosed with ADHDwhen she was 4 or 5 "but I knew it from the time she was a few weeks old because she was a very classic hyper kid, bouncing off the walls and easily distracted." Her mother described young Bex as "extremely bright, but having a hard time getting her work done, even in kindergarten.”
As a certified life coach, Bex's mom knew that sports could help with her daughter’s attention and anxiety. Exercise can be an effective alternative treatment for ADHD, because it helps kids in two ways. “One is the impact it has on the brain in terms of organization, planning, and structure," said Taylor-Klaus. "The other is in terms of self-esteem and development and finding something they can be good at.”
Like Taylor-Klaus, Jay P. Granat, PhD, a psychotherapist and licensed marriage and family counselor in River Edge, N.J., believes that participating in sports can build kids' self-esteem because it gives them an opportunity to shine. Also, he said, "they can take advantage of their energy on the playing field and use it in a positive way.”
ADHD and Exercise: The Power of Parents and Coaches
Taylor-Klaus enrolled Bex in all kinds of sports when she was little: karate, hockey, swimming. Nothing stuck. Then, at age 6, Bex found her sport when she started playing coed baseball. “She played it every year until she left Atlanta,” her mom said.
Bex started in the outfield, but that didn’t work for her because she didn’t see much action. “You could see her standing there, picking daisies,” Taylor-Klaus recalled.
But then her coach recognized she needed more action and put her behind the plate as catcher, and that made all the difference. “She just soared,” Taylor-Klaus said. “I love that man because he engaged her instead of counting her out and saying she can’t pay attention.”
Bex’s Solution: Baseball as ADHD Treatment
Bex played on the team every year spring and fall because she loved it so much. As catcher, she was able to hone her concentration skills in order to keep track of where the ball and players were. And because she was good at her infield position, it also helped boost Bex’s confidence, which allowed her to focus better on other tasks off the baseball diamond.
When Bex wasn’t playing baseball, Taylor-Klaus would encourage her to exercise and stay active.
Even now, “when I hear her starting to get low, the first thing I say is, ‘When was the last time you exercised?’” said Taylor-Klaus, who keeps in close touch with her daughter despite the nearly 2,000 miles between them.
Playing sports isn’t a cure for every kid with ADHD, Granat said, “but for many kids, it is. I have seen many kids with ADHD who, if they didn’t play sports, would have been set back.”
Finding Time to Exercise
Eventually Bex got into acting through summer camps, first in Atlanta and later in LA. She and her best friend and roommate both auditioned for the role of Bullet, a tough and scrappy yet big-hearted street kid. Bex knew the role was hers as soon as she saw the script because she could connect the fictional character’s life with her own.
Because she’s now so busy on the set, Bex doesn’t have as much time as she’d like for exercise, but she’s hoping to change that. “Exercising is one of the greatest releases or outlets that I have ever found,” she said. "Just not running — I’m not a big fan of running.”
Regardless of how busy her schedule is, however, Bex will always carry a love for the game that helped her gain control of her ADHD symptoms.
“Some people complain that baseball is like watching paint dry,” Bex said. “I totally disagree. There are so many subtle nuances to the whole game. You can’t get bored. It’s a game of skill and studies — like chess but cooler. When you’re playing, it is exhilarating.”
