The irony is, I say this in part due to the pressure that has been put on my son to win and achieve at this activity. Winning is VERY important to the adults in this activity.
How important is the activity to your son? How much does he care about winning?
I will also add some questions to Val's : How does your son respond to being under pressure? Does he realize that entering a high pressure competition is an "option"? Does he realize that it is "OK" to learn a skill and not be competitive?
Signed,
Mom who pulled her son out of the high pressure "competitive music" circuit
PS: I know that you said that this is the only way to do the activity, so your son may also understand that and be under more pressure because of that.
