Concentration span of 7 and 8 year olds

Question
I am a parent of an 8 year old. I notice the boys do well in the early innings of baseball games(about 3innings). After the third inning there is a deterioration in their ability to concentrate. I have noticed coaches and parents being critical of children who appear to be merely having difficulty maintaining their concentration. Do you agree with this assessment? What can a parent and a coach do to help the child continue to continue to concentrate and have fun as the game progresses.

Answer
Tom,

If I could package an answer to your question, I think I'd have a sure money-maker.

The ability of youngsters to stay on task certainly varies from individual to individual.  There are many 12 and 13 year old players that can't seem to pay attention very well.

I think you might do well to approach local elementary school teachers and seek their input--I am sure they have a similar situation when it comes to classroom activities.

I suppose rewarding their concentration in some way would help.  Tell them that you will ask them questions about the game while it is going on ( pop quizzes, if you will ) and if the boy you ask has the right answer, give him a piece of gum or some other prize.  Some questions could be:

How many outs are there?

What will you do if a grounder is hit to you?

How many strikes does the batter have now?

The only other response I have relates to knowledge of the game.  I know of 8 year olds who have a fairly strong understanding of the game and the rules.  They are the ones that tend to stay focused the best.

Good luck with your team!