There’s No Such Thing as an Elite 10-Year-Old

When it comes to youth sport, there’s a dangerous myth that creeps into conversations on playgrounds, WhatsApp groups, and sidelines: the belief that the earlier you push your child into competition, the faster they’ll become elite.

But here’s the truth — there’s no such thing as an elite 10-year-old.

Why Parents Feel the Pressure

Parents today are bombarded with messages about “falling behind.” The fear is that if a child isn’t training intensely, specializing, or winning medals by age 10, they’ll miss the boat. But research — and the wisdom of top coaches — consistently shows the opposite.

Pushing children too early into structured, high-pressure competition often leads to burnout, injuries, and most tragically, a loss of love for the game.

What the Experts Say

Australian coaches and sports leaders have long spoken out about this issue.

• Libby Trickett, Olympic swimming champion, has urged parents not to live vicariously through their kids or push them into early specialization. Her advice: “Let their passions develop naturally — your role is to support, not to pressure.”

• Abraham Shuken, a community basketball coach who was named Ford Aussie Hoops Coach of the Year, says: “My goal is to make children love the game. If they can smile and say, ‘Yeah, I want to do this more,’ then I’ve done my job.”

• The Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) reminds parents that sport at young ages should focus on fundamental movement skills: running, balancing, jumping, swimming — the building blocks of lifelong athletic ability.

• Author and youth sports advocate John O’Sullivan warns against the “race to nowhere”: “When sport becomes driven by adult fears rather than kids’ joy, we end up with burnout and dropout — not champions.”

The Risks of Early Specialization

Studies show that early specialization (focusing on one sport too soon):

• Increases the risk of overuse injuries.

• Leads to mental burnout and quitting altogether.

• Limits overall athletic development, because kids miss the benefits of trying multiple sports.

Interestingly, most elite athletes didn’t specialize until their mid-teens. Many played two or three sports before focusing, building broad skills that helped them succeed later.

What Parents Should Do Instead

Here’s how you can set your child up for long-term success and joy in sport:

• Prioritize fun over results. Ask: did they smile today, not did they win?

• Encourage unstructured play. Free play develops creativity, problem-solving, and resilience.

• Expose them to multiple sports. A variety of activities builds all-round athleticism and lowers injury risk.

• Be their cheerleader, not their coach. Support, encourage, and let trained coaches handle the technical feedback.

• Delay specialization. Let them naturally gravitate to what they love as they grow.

Let Kids Be Kids

At 10 years old, no child should feel like a professional athlete in miniature. There are no elite 10-year-olds — only children learning, laughing, and discovering the joy of sport.

The medals, the rankings, the “elite” labels — they can wait. What matters most now is building a lifelong love of movement, friendships, and confidence.

Because the child who smiles through sport at 10 is the one most likely to still be playing, thriving, and maybe even excelling at 20.

SailGuru Gyan 💡

In sailing, we often see parents wanting their 9- or 10-year-olds to train like seasoned athletes — expecting them to master race starts, fitness routines, and tactical decision-making at an age when they should simply be learning to enjoy the boat.

Here’s the truth from the water:

• A child who giggles while capsizing and climbing back in has learned more than one who dreads every session.

• The sailor who plays, experiments, and makes mistakes will grow into the one who races smart later.

• The greatest gift you can give your child is not medals, but a lifelong love for the wind and the water.

At 24Seven, we use competency-based training that grows in layers — like confidence, skills, and resilience — but always with fun at the core. Because no sailor becomes “elite” at 10. But every sailor can become joyful, confident, and hooked for life if the journey begins the right way.