Why does my child keep popping her jumps in competition but not practice?

This is so common, and it's actually a sign your daughter has good instincts—she's just second-guessing them under pressure.

A "pop" usually means she's initiating the jump but pulling back on the takeoff, often because her body senses something feels off or she's nervous about committing. In practice, she's relaxed and trusting her setup. In competition, that nervous energy makes her hyper-aware of every detail, and she'll unconsciously reduce her effort to feel "safer."

The tricky part is that this often happens in the milliseconds before she launches, so she might not even realize she's doing it. It becomes a confidence pattern rather than a technical one.

Here's what helps: during practice, occasionally ask her to treat a specific run-through like it's the real thing—full competition mindset, even if you're the only one watching. This builds her nervous system's trust in the jump. She needs her body to learn that the jump works even when she's scared. Start with lower-pressure moments in practice so she experiences success under intentional pressure, which gradually rewires that pop response.

Want to see this in your child's skating? SkateMarks analyzes every jump with per-second AI coaching notes.