I’m a junior and a team leader and I’m so burned out but I’m scared to quit (please help me)

I’m a junior in high school and I’ve been on a competitive school team since freshman year. This year I’m in a leadership position, and honestly I feel completely exhausted. Freshman year I loved it. I tried so hard, I was excited to be there, and even though it wasn’t perfect, I actually enjoyed it. Sophomore year was kind of frustrating because there was a lot of favoritism from leadership, but I still made good friends and pushed through it. This year is just different. I feel like a lot of people on the team don’t try, and when I give corrections they get defensive or make faces. It makes me feel stupid for even trying to help. Our coach has also been really harsh lately. There’s a lot of yelling and tension at practice, and it makes me anxious before I even get there. I’ve literally woken up crying because I know practice is going to be stressful. We’re in competition season and our routines still look messy, and now everyone is panicking. I feel like I care more than some of the people around me, and it’s draining. On top of that, I’m taking multiple advanced classes and dealing with personal stuff outside of school. I also got injured recently and didn’t really feel supported when it happened, which honestly hurt. The thing is, I still love performing. I love the feeling of being on stage and the recognition that comes with it. I’ve always pictured myself finishing senior year strong. I’m just so tired right now. I feel burned out and kind of resentful, but I’m scared to quit because this has been such a big part of my high school life. Most of my friends are from this team and it’s basically my whole routine.

Has anyone else loved something but hated the environment? How did you figure out if it was worth staying or if it was time to walk away?

Posted Feb 18, 2026, 2:29 AM UTC

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