rotfangcon

I'm a 7th gup in SBD. I was told during class over the past few weeks that I had two choices if I made a mistake - I could continue and take an automatic .5 deduction, or I could acknowledge my mistake and get the chance to start over without penalty. I have been to tournaments before as an observer - my daughters had competed in 2 before this one - so I knew what to expect, and we rehearsed the protcals in class, but I was really taken aback by the severity of my nerves. I'm not sure how to rehearse that other than through just trying again at the next tournament and being prepared for it.

I competed in my first tournament today, and I really let my nerves get the best of me during the forms competition. I ended up making an error two steps in and bowed out and was allowed to start again. It was definitely not my best demonstration! I'm planning to compete again at another tournament at the end of the summer, and I'm sure that my nerves are bound to crop up no matter how much I prepare. So, I'm curious to know how do you handle your nervousness. Any advice would be appreciated.