From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishstart youngstart youngYOUNGto begin doing something when you are young, especially when it is unusual to do it Woods started young, and was coached by his father. → start
Examples from the Corpus
start young• Awareness of personal attitudes to ageing has to start young.• But protest comes from awareness and today awareness starts young.• With many sexually active before their sixteenth birthday and with drug taking on the increase, education needs to start young.• But they say the best pilots start young and David Leech will have to wait till August for his first solo.• You have to start young if you want to be a great musician. 