Some coaches push too hard and some days you’re just done. Telling those apart is part of growing up.

Two different situations feel identical from the inside: a demand that is more than it should be, and a body that has had enough today. Both produce the same thought: you cannot do this. Sorting them out is slow work and one of the real skills of growing up, because one calls for pushing and the other calls for stopping.

Next time you hit that wall, check the simple things: sleep, food, water, whether you are ill. If those are fine, it is probably a hard day you can get through. If they are not, say so to the coach rather than quietly falling apart at the back.