HELP!!
DD is stressing herself way way way out over her first meet. it's this Friday. She's L3. She picked up gymnastics earlier this year as something to do in soccer's offseason, decided to try out for the team, made it, and started team practice in June. The other girls in her group have at least a year of competing already, so they don't seem to be as stressed as her.
Her coach is aware of this and is really positive with her, telling her she'll do fine and not to worry. DD practiced with the other L3 group at our gym last week and I thought that might boost her confidence, but she's still spazzed out.
I've told her she absolutely does not have to compete if she doesn't want to, but she says she does.
Any suggestions on getting her to calm down and RELAX? The meet is low-key, a good "get your feet wet" kinda thing. We've talked about it being FUN, about how competing at this level is really more to get used to the whole format, get comfortable, etc, in order to move up like the big girls.
When I ask what's stressing her, she tells me she's afraid of falling, of people laughing at her, and of not getting a blue ribbon. We've addressed that EVERYONE falls sometimes, nobody will laugh, and it's not about a blue ribbon - it's about having fun, but she's still stressing and I don't know what to do about it.
Any suggestions?? I think once she gets this meet under her belt and realizes that yes, she CAN do her routines and she can do them well she will be okay, but in the meantime, Friday is still three days away.....
Thanks in advance!
DD is stressing herself way way way out over her first meet. it's this Friday. She's L3. She picked up gymnastics earlier this year as something to do in soccer's offseason, decided to try out for the team, made it, and started team practice in June. The other girls in her group have at least a year of competing already, so they don't seem to be as stressed as her.
Her coach is aware of this and is really positive with her, telling her she'll do fine and not to worry. DD practiced with the other L3 group at our gym last week and I thought that might boost her confidence, but she's still spazzed out.
I've told her she absolutely does not have to compete if she doesn't want to, but she says she does.
Any suggestions on getting her to calm down and RELAX? The meet is low-key, a good "get your feet wet" kinda thing. We've talked about it being FUN, about how competing at this level is really more to get used to the whole format, get comfortable, etc, in order to move up like the big girls.
When I ask what's stressing her, she tells me she's afraid of falling, of people laughing at her, and of not getting a blue ribbon. We've addressed that EVERYONE falls sometimes, nobody will laugh, and it's not about a blue ribbon - it's about having fun, but she's still stressing and I don't know what to do about it.
Any suggestions?? I think once she gets this meet under her belt and realizes that yes, she CAN do her routines and she can do them well she will be okay, but in the meantime, Friday is still three days away.....
Thanks in advance!