Baseball · Issue No. 22
One Year Later: What NOT to Do at 10U, Revisited
Week of September 14, 2026
ONE YEAR LATER: A fresh batch of 10U parents means this list is worth running back — the same three mistakes still show up every season.
A coach at Gamer Baseball Academy, who's spent years working with players well before they reach the ages where recruiting becomes relevant, has a short, blunt list of what NOT to do with a 10-year-old baseball player — and it runs against a lot of well-intentioned instincts parents bring to the sport this early.
Don't build a social media presence for a 10-year-old. It's tempting, especially when a kid has a genuinely impressive swing or arm, to start documenting and sharing it the way a family might for any proud milestone. At this age, it does nothing for actual development and introduces pressure and outside attention a ten-year-old isn't equipped to process in a healthy way.
Don't fixate on early size. A big, physically mature ten-year-old will look like the best player on most fields at this age — and that's frequently a function of an early growth spurt, not a reliable signal of who the best player will be in six years. Building an identity, a training plan, or a set of expectations around current size is building on a foundation that's going to shift.
Don't overcoach. At this age, the priority is reps, joy, and general athletic development — not swing mechanics broken down to the degree a sixteen-year-old's would be. Overcoaching a ten-year-old's mechanics can create tension and self-consciousness around a skill that should still feel instinctive and fun.
What actually matters at 10U, in his experience: baseball IQ — reading the game, understanding situations — genuine reps, and base-running instincts built through repetition rather than lecture. These are the things that transfer forward as a player ages, while the size advantage, the highlight reel, and the over-refined swing mechanics of a ten-year-old often don't survive contact with an actual growth curve.
From an interview with a coach at Gamer Baseball Academy.
This piece ran in PPA Pro Issue No. 22, alongside a camp spotlight and trainer pick for every sport. Subscribe free.