We list the fears that are most often encountered at judo competitions. Fear of a strong opponent, fear of “first” place, fear of disgrace, fear of authorities, fear and/or reluctance to strain, go to extreme loads and condition. Fear of a strong opponent. It may indicate real danger. When the child’s preparation is currently weaker than that of his opponent. The opponent is accelerated, better physically and tactically and technically prepared. And then the child feels it and is rightly afraid. What can be done is to enter a child into feasible competitions, where the level is feasible for him and the optimal number of people in the weight range. Try to take your child to competitions where he will meet athletes he knows in order to reduce the degree of uncertainty. And prepare for those you know. I’m writing right away that this is not forever, but so that sports and competitive tasks gradually become more difficult and the child, and then the teenager, has time to adapt and prepare for them. Protective fear. If you still had to fight at those where the level is higher, it is correct to set tasks for the child. Not "Win at any cost!" , and, for example, to defend; try not to give the upper grip, and work on the counterattack; leave the line of attack and transfer to the ground; etc. It depends on what experience the coach has in fighting against superior forces. Praise the child for everything he has accomplished, for all his attempts, and even just for the courage to stand up against such a colossus. Hug. Say he's great. And when he trains and learns this and that, he will definitely win. And don’t scold him if he didn’t fight, but “fell off like a sack.” Perhaps his body decided to preserve itself in the face of a stronger or psychologically stronger opponent. It is better to support the child in his feelings. To name them without being afraid is fear, confusion, depression. To say that it is normal to feel this way in moments of danger. But he will definitely learn to overcome these feelings and find the right solutions. It takes time and developing paths for this. Fear of authorities. There are also “unreal” fears. As I call them - before titles, belts, belonging to some club. Well, for example - “He has a blue belt, he will defeat me, I only have a yellow one.” Or “He is from Sambo -70 , they are all monsters there." Or “He has his first youth year, and I have the second.” Etc. A lot depends on the environment, on the coach, on the parents. Here you need to figure out how to deal with this. Devaluing the enemy does not help. They say, “He’s a loser, you’re stronger, you’re the one with your left hand,” this doesn’t work. The child inside knows that this is not true. Here we need calm support, watch the video, look at the weak points, and see who is losing. assess the level and what will happen. Learn to fight in a state of uncertainty. We’ll talk about other types of fears another time. I help you figure out what to do and how to help your child if he is afraid of competitions and refuses to compete. I work in person in Moscow or online on Skype or. whatsapp tel +7-916-390-84-10