title: On-task distractors associated with totball baseball games: a preliminary study.
abstract: Two totball baseball leagues in southern Louisiana were monitored to judge what type of parental involvement yielded the highest on-task behaviors among participants. 39 children ages 3 to 5 years participated in 3- or 4-inning baseball games with parents on the field. In the Parent on Bases League, a parent stood on first, second, and third base only. In the Parent with Every Child League, a parent stood next to every child on the field. Children were observed on the field at three different dates at 1-min. intervals during the first two innings of one game in both leagues. On-task behaviors were defined as standing in the correct field position and watching the ball. Off-task behaviors consisted of sitting, rolling on the field, talking to a coach or parent, and not watching the ball. A statistically significant difference in the percent of time children spent on-task favored the Parents on Bases League (75.7) versus the other league (50.3). Having fewer parents on the field in these baseball games kept players on-task more effectively than having a parent with each child.
authors.affiliation: Department of Teacher Education, Nicholls State University, Thibodaux, LA 70310, USA.
authors.forename: Tim P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Mead
authors.forename: Carmen D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Broussard
authors.forename: Gary T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Rosenthal
authors.forename: Dwight L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Boudreaux
authors.forename: Amanda M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Cooley
authors.forename: Walt W
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Hammerli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000523:psychology; D001288:Attention; D001484:Baseball / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology