Jeremy says, "I'm excited to play in the game on Saturday, but I'm also scared I might strike out." How old is Jeremy likely to be?

• A. 11 years
• B. 9 years
• C. 13 years
• D. 7 years

Answer: (A)

Understanding how children talk about competing and feeling unsure about outcomes helps you infer their age from their words. The statement shows a mix of excitement and worry about a specific sports outcome—striking out. That combination signals a level of self-awareness about performance and consequences that tends to appear when kids are in late elementary school, around 11 years old. They can anticipate what might happen in a game and still want to participate because playing is fun, even if they fear a negative result.

Seven-year-olds are often more focused on immediate feelings and simple tasks and might not connect to a specific outcome like striking out. Nine-year-olds understand game rules but may not express the same nuanced mix of excitement and fear about a particular outcome. Thirteen-year-olds have more developed social and emotional reasoning and might discuss competition in different terms, not necessarily in this simple mix of thrill and fear about a single outcome.

So, the emotional depth and game-related worry described align best with an age around 11.