Back on what was being said earlier about playing as a kid:
Today, someone told me that R’ Chaim Kanievsky said about himself that he didn’t learn well until the age of 17 and that if it weren’t for his connection (Steipler/Chazon Ish), he would have been thrown out of yeshiva as a child.
Please verify this story if possible. But even if it goes unverified, the point is still there.