From
the BBC in the UK:
Tim Howard's (pictured) World Cup
goalkeeping has been universally acclaimed. Might his Tourette's
syndrome explain some element of his superb reactions?
It was a remarkable display - 15 saves in a single World Cup match.
Although it wasn't enough to prevent his team losing to Belgium, USA
keeper Tim Howard's fine performance has been one of the highlights of
the tournament.
Previously, the Everton player has suggested that the fact he
lives with Tourette's syndrome - a condition characterized by multiple
motor tics, and at least one vocal tic - has made him a better athlete.
At the age of 18 or 19 "I realized I was faster than others when it came
to certain movements, and that these reflexes were linked to my
disorder", he told the German newspaper Spiegel in 2013. Is he correct?
He might be. Studies have shown
that individuals with Tourette's are "super-good at controlling their
voluntary movements", says Georgina Jackson, professor of cognitive
neuropsychology at the University of Nottingham. A hypothesis is that
people with the condition become highly conscious of their physical
actions as they learn to control their tics.
People with Tourette's commonly say that activities requiring
concentration - such as playing sport or a musical instrument - can
help to alleviate their symptoms. A recent study
in which Jackson participated suggested that physical exercise
significantly reduced tic rates among people with Tourette's. "This
control mechanism kicks in that allows them to perform," she says. "That
has benefits for your voluntary movements, whether it's goalkeeping or
at laboratory level." As Howard himself told Der Speigel: "As soon as
things get serious in front of the goal, I don't have any twitches; my
muscles obey me then."
Reducing tics at certain points in time should not be confused with a cure, says Jess Thom, co-founder of the website Touretteshero.
Nonetheless, she hopes Howard's extraordinary performance in Brazil
will have a positive impact beyond football. "Having role models is very
important - especially with a condition like Tourette's that is subject
to so much myth."
