You won’t feel brave when you finally tell your coach you’re quitting the sport. You’ll just feel honest.

A moment like this is supposed to come with a feeling, something upright and clear, and mostly it does not arrive. What turns up instead is a plain, slightly flat honesty, plus relief that the pretending is finished. The absence of a brave feeling is not evidence you got it wrong. Hard things often feel like nothing much while you are doing them.

Say it in person, briefly, and thank them for something specific. Do not build a case; a reason is enough. Then give yourself a week before deciding how you feel about it.