Today I ask you to have attention and concentration throughout the reading of the article!
It should take you about 3 minutes and 54 seconds to read at an average speed that allows good attention!
Here... I can already imagine the difference in the reaction of those who read us.
Who will have changed position to a more comfortable and suitable position to feel attention; who will have sighed internally and externally; who will have stopped reading and who will have said: "but what do they want"?
Because this is a fundamental point:
what do we really want when we ask for attention and concentration?
Do we want our children to perform the exercise in question with attention and concentration? And if they make mistakes, what do we attribute the error to? We want our children to listen attentively and carefully to the speaker, but if they yawn, what happens? Do they yawn because they are not attentive or concentrated or something else?
Before continuing with the reasoning, let's now begin with a more technical part where we will explain many aspects of attention and concentration, related to life and sport.
Now the most correct question that comes to mind is: are we aware of whether what we ask for is feasible or not at the moment we ask for it?
What are the personal signals that indicate you are activated and concentrated as you wish?
What is attention for adults?
We must always remember that, technically, activation is a complex cognitive process that allows you to separate and focus on specific stimuli, ignoring distractions.
It is a fundamental skill that consists of processing relevant information for perception, learning, memory and problem solving.
It would be good to always keep in mind the stages of development, so let's go with a brief summary:
- First months: If there is shared attention with the adult, they initially follow an object and advance towards more complete behaviors.
- 18-24 months: It begins by increasing the duration of treatment, making children less distracted and able to concentrate on their complete activity in a short period.
- 3-6 years: Children begin to respond to activation and develop a rudimentary understanding of the concept. They have a limited capacity to concentrate and are easily influenced by external stimuli.
- 6-7 years: With the start of primary school, sustained attention can last between 15 and 20 minutes. Selective and focused attention then develops, approaching adult capabilities. It is important to advance rest during school activities.
- 7-11 years: The prefrontal cortex matures, producing a significant migration of concentration, selectivity (i.e., the ability to ignore distractions) and prolonged attitude. Attention time can be about 25-35 minutes.
- Adolescence: Continuous attention to migration, with an increase in the duration of continuous concentration, can be 30 to 45 minutes in a 15 to 16-year-old adolescent.
Concentration refers to the ability to voluntarily dedicate mental energy to a single activity, thought or goal.
What distinguishes it from attention?
Attention is usually considered a passive and distinctive process, while concentration is a voluntary and active act.
- Importance: Improving concentration can increase productivity and efficiency in various aspects of daily life, such as studying, work or achieving personal goals.
And in sport?
In children's sport, the progressive development of different types of attention conditions the way children perceive, decide and execute their movements.
For example, the ability to alternate attentional focus is still limited in young children, which explains why tasks that require attending to several stimuli at once (ball, teammates, opponents) are especially complex at early ages.
During the first years of life, attention is characterized by being predominantly involuntary, that is, dependent on novel or striking stimuli.
Between 5 and 7 years old, voluntary attention begins to consolidate, which allows maintaining focus more stably and directed towards concrete objectives.
Although there are individual variations, it is estimated that the average duration of sustained attention in structured or playful activities is around:
- 5 to 10 minutes between 3 and 4 years,
- 10 to 15 minutes between 5 and 6 years,
- 15 to 20 minutes between 7 and 9 years,
- 20 to 30 minutes around 10 to 12 years (Ruff & Rothbart, 1996; Best & Miller, 2010).
From adolescence, the ability to concentrate can extend to 30–45 minutes or more, depending on motivation, interest and practice.
Children's attentional performance depends on multiple variables, which can be grouped into three large dimensions: internal, external and relational.
1. Internal variables: Include neurological maturation, sleep and rest states, nutrition and intrinsic motivation. For example, insufficient sleep or poor quality rest negatively affect sustained attention and working memory (Kostyun et al., 2019). Additionally, emotional state is determining: anxiety and frustration reduce attentional effectiveness, while calm and enjoyment enhance it (Diamond, 2013).
2. External variables: They refer to the environment and task conditions. Factors such as noise, temperature or the presence of visual distractions can hinder attention. It is important to note that the structure of the training session directly influences: children maintain concentration better when tasks are brief, varied and playful (Contreras-Osorio et al., 2021).
In this sense, "open" sports, which require constant decision-making and adaptation (such as football or basketball), favor the development of attentional flexibility more than repetitive or closed-pattern activities.
Another key element is coach feedback. Research on attentional focus (Wulf, 2013; Miles et al., 2017) demonstrates that instructions focused on the effect of movement (external focus) improve both performance and motor learning, compared to instructions focused on the body or technique (internal focus). For example, saying "throw so the ball touches the corner" is more effective than "move your arm faster."
3. Relational variables: The bond between the child and the adult —coach or parent— influences attentional disposition. A climate of trust and emotional security allows the child to concentrate better and persist in the face of difficulty. Likewise, a positive and cohesive group environment reduces distractions and promotes task involvement (Baumeister & Vohs, 2018).
Next, we will expose factors that can interfere with attention applied to sport:
🧠 Category: Biological / Physiological
Interfering factor | Effect on attention | Examples or manifestations | References |
Sleep deprivation | Decreases sustained attention and reaction speed | Distracted children or with simple errors | Kostyun et al., 2019 |
Physical or mental fatigue | Reduces the ability to inhibit distractions | Loss of focus in long sessions | Diamond, 2013 |
Dehydration or poor nutrition | Deteriorates cognitive processing | Irritability, lack of concentration | Best & Miller, 2010 |
Neurodevelopmental disorders (ADHD, dyslexia) | Hinder sustained and selective attention | Difficulty following instructions or maintaining focus | Li et al., 2023 |
❤️ Category: Emotional / Psychological
Interfering factor | Effect on attention | Examples or manifestations | References |
Anxiety or competitive pressure | Increases "mental noise" and disperses attention | Tense children or with anticipatory thoughts | Baumeister & Vohs, 2018 |
Low motivation or boredom | Decreases cognitive involvement and persistence | Lack of interest or passive participation | Ryan & Deci, 2017 |
Low self-confidence | Reduces concentration due to insecurity | Avoidance of challenges, fear of error | Bandura, 1997 |
🌍 Category: Environmental / Contextual
Interfering factor | Effect on attention | Examples or manifestations | References |
Noise or visual overstimulation | Saturate attentional resources | Distraction by shouts or excessive movement | Ruff & Rothbart, 1996 |
Long or monotonous sessions | Cause cognitive fatigue and loss of focus | Progressive disconnection in practice | Contreras-Osorio et al., 2021 |
Excessive screen exposure | Reduces tolerance to sustained attention | Difficulty maintaining prolonged focus | Lillard et al., 2015; Christakis et al., 2018 |
Extensive or confusing instructions | Hinder understanding and focus | Mixing or forgetting instructions | Wulf, 2013 |
Excessive competitive climate | Generates anxiety and attentional dispersion | Focus on result rather than process | Baumeister & Vohs, 2018 |
👥 Category: Social / Relational
Interfering factor | Effect on attention | Examples or manifestations | References |
Tense relationship with coach | Decreases confidence and commitment | Demotivation, defensive attitudes | Baumeister & Vohs, 2018 |
Conflicts with peers | Cause emotional distraction | Teasing, conflicts, loss of cooperation | Ruff & Rothbart, 1996 |
Family pressure or expectations | Increases anxiety and fear of error | Nervousness, blockage or excessive self-demand | Ryan & Deci, 2017 |
As we mentioned earlier, motivation and enjoyment are essential engines of children's attention.
According to self-determination theories, concentration increases when the activity responds to three basic psychological needs: competence, autonomy and relatedness (Ryan & Deci, 2017). When the child perceives that they are progressing, has some control over the task and feels connected to the group, their attention is sustained naturally.
In contrast, excessively controlling environments or those focused on error tend to disperse it.
Understanding how attention works in childhood allows adjusting teaching and sports training to children's real capacities.
Recent research on quiet eye (Miles et al., 2017) and attentional focus (Wulf, 2013) shows that attention can be trained specifically. Exercises that involve visual control, rapid decision-making and stimulus changes help strengthen attentional networks and cognitive self-regulation.
In practice, this involves designing sessions with brief tasks, clear objectives and simple instructions, alternating moments of high demand with short attentional recovery pauses. Likewise, the incorporation of breathing routines or brief mindfulness before important actions can improve focus and reduce anxiety (Brenner et al., 2022). Always, as in previous articles, we must remember that we seek the development of critical thinking. The key is to understand that the state you are in is appropriate for the child's time and adapt it if necessary, strengthen it or begin to diversify it.
Growing is a constant practice, which requires commitment and practice every day, at all ages and for all people, and it would expand more if we all paid more ATTENTION.
References Baumeister, R. F., & Vohs, K. D. (2018). Handbook of self-regulation: Research, theory, and applications (3rd ed.). Guilford Press. Best, J. R., & Miller, P. H. (2010). A developmental perspective on executive function. Child Development, 81(6), 1641–1660. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2010.01499.x Brenner, R., Kittler, J., & Schaffran, T. (2022). Mindfulness-based programs for youth athletes: A systematic review. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 59, 102121. Contreras-Osorio, F., Martínez-Salazar, C., & Montero-Carretero, C. (2021). Effects of sport-based interventions on children's executive function: A systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(21), 11161. Diamond, A. (2013). Executive functions. Annual Review of Psychology, 64, 135–168. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-113011-143750 Kostyun, R. O., Milewski, M. D., & Hafeez, I. (2019). Sleep and cognition in youth athletes. Sports Health, 11(3), 212–217. Miles, C. A. L., Wood, G., Vine, S. J., & Wilson, M. R. (2017). Quiet eye training aids the long-term learning of throwing and catching in children. European Journal of Sport Science, 17(2), 153–160. Posner, M. I., & Petersen, S. E. (1990). The attention system of the human brain. Annual Review of Neuroscience, 13, 25–42. Ruff, H. A., & Rothbart, M. K. (1996). Attention in early development: Themes and variations. Oxford University Press. Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2017). Self-determination theory: Basic psychological needs in motivation, development, and wellness. Guilford Press. Wulf, G. (2013). Attentional focus and motor learning: A review of 15 years. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 6(1), 77–104.
