The tips from Carola’s dad to get your kids to fall in love with BJJ

Marlon and Carola celebrating another gold medal. Marlon Garrido

Do you want your children to wow the world through BJJ? Then check out the tips by Marlon Garrido, dad and coach to the eight-year-old Carolina Garrido.

“Carola” has won multiple gold medals already, as well as getting an early start on building a healthy life for herself. Here are Marlon’s thoughts on how you can go about facilitating this for your offspring.

1. Stimulate your kids to learn the history and trials of the great champions of the sport. Show them good examples and inspiring moments.

2. Take your kids to train with joy. Show your satisfaction to see them train. Converse a lot to understand how they’re feeling in their training. Always leave open this channel for the exchange of ideas.

3. Only take them to compete when they feel secure. Respect their pace. Each kid responds in their own way. Don’t put your kid in a stressful situation; this may cause a block and hinder the development of a great champion.

4. Show them that commitment and dedication in training reflect directly on their results and their life. The child needs to realize that the training, while fun, is a time for learning.

5. Watch your kids’ nutrition. Bad nutrition reflects directly on the quality on their training. Many kids feel lazy due to bad nutrition and lack of energy — somnolence being one common manifestation. Set the example and eat well too.

6. Teach your kids to win, but also to lose in competition. Always extract the best from every experience. Celebrate all results, positive or not. Show your satisfaction just to see them compete. It’s that simple.