The breaking point

By the third week of training, Logan Carter was running on fumes.

His legs felt like they were made of concrete, his swings were slower, and his reactions in the field were a half-step too late.

This wasn't just exhaustion.

This was the first time Logan felt doubt creeping in.

Monday – Hitting: The Slump

It started in the batting cage.

Coach Talbot stood behind the screen, watching as Marcus Lee fired pitch after pitch.

And Logan?

He kept missing.

Swing and miss.

Foul tip.

Roller to third base.

Drew, sitting nearby, raised an eyebrow. "Uh… Clutch? You good?"

Logan tightened his grip on the bat. "I'm fine."

Another pitch.

Another weak ground ball.

Coach Talbot sighed. "Carter."

Logan turned, jaw tight.

"What's wrong?"

Logan exhaled sharply. "I don't know. I just… feel slow."

Coach studied him. Then, he gestured for Drew to step in.

"Matthews, take a few swings."

Drew grabbed a bat and faced Marcus.

First pitch? CRACK.

Line drive up the middle.

Second pitch? CRACK.

Laser into right field.

Third pitch? CRACK.

A shot down the left-field line.

Drew stepped out, twirling the bat. "It's not the pitching, Clutch. You're off."

Logan groaned in frustration. "Yeah, no kidding."

Coach Talbot crossed his arms. "Alright, Carter. You've been going full-speed, no breaks, three weeks straight. You ever heard of burnout?"

Logan clenched his jaw. "I don't have time for burnout. Tryouts are coming."

Coach narrowed his eyes. "And if you keep pushing yourself like this, you won't make it to tryouts."

Logan stared at him.

Drew nodded. "He's right, man. You're running yourself into the ground."

Logan wanted to argue.

But deep down?

He knew they were right.

Tuesday – The Breaking Point

Practice the next day didn't go any better.

In the fielding drills, Logan bobbed three ground balls—plays he normally handled easily.

Jimmy, his double-play partner, jogged over. "Dude, what's going on?"

Logan shook his head. "I don't know."

Later, in a simulated game, a ball was hit to his right.

Logan reacted too late.

The ball rolled into the outfield.

Coach Talbot called timeout.

The entire team watched as he stormed toward second base.

Logan braced himself.

"Carter," Coach said, voice sharp. "You tell me what's happening right now."

Logan stared at the ground. "I'm just—off."

Coach didn't say anything for a moment.

Then:

"You're exhausted."

Logan clenched his fists. "I'm fine."

Coach shook his head. "You're not. And if you keep pushing like this, you're gonna crack."

Logan gritted his teeth. "Coach, I have to get better."

Coach stepped closer. "Getting better doesn't mean running yourself into the dirt. It means training smart."

Logan didn't answer.

He felt… frustrated. Embarrassed. Lost.

Coach Talbot sighed. "You're taking tomorrow off."

Logan's head snapped up. "Wait, what?"

"You're not practicing tomorrow," Coach said firmly. "You need a reset."

Logan stared at him.

A break?

He hadn't taken a single day off since training started.

"But—"

"No 'but,'" Coach cut him off. "That's an order."

Logan felt his stomach drop.

He wasn't supposed to stop.

Wednesday – The Reset

For the first time in weeks, Logan didn't go to practice.

Instead?

He sat in his room, staring at the ceiling, feeling like a failure.

Drew called him three times.

Big Mac texted:

"Enjoy the break, Clutch. Don't be stubborn."

But Logan couldn't shake the feeling that he was wasting time.

Later that night, his mom knocked on his door.

"You okay?" she asked.

Logan sighed. "Coach made me take the day off."

Emily raised an eyebrow. "And?"

Logan hesitated. "And… I feel like I should be working."

Emily sat on the bed next to him. "Logan, let me ask you something. When was the last time you actually enjoyed baseball?"

Logan froze.

Because he honestly didn't know.

"It's supposed to be fun," Emily continued. "But lately? You've been coming home exhausted, barely talking, just beating yourself up."

Logan looked down.

His mom sighed. "You've always been hard on yourself. Even when you were a kid. But Logan—you're already good. You don't have to prove anything to anyone."

Logan let out a slow breath. "I just… don't want to fail."

Emily smiled softly. "Failure isn't taking a day off. Failure is burning yourself out before you even get to tryouts."

Logan sat there, letting her words sink in.

Maybe… she was right.

Maybe he needed this break.

Thursday – Back to Work

When Logan returned to the field the next day, he felt different.

Not perfect. Not completely refreshed.

But… lighter.

Drew jogged up to him. "So, how'd the horrible, life-ending day off treat you?"

Logan rolled his eyes. "Shut up."

Big Mac grinned. "You needed it."

Logan exhaled. "Yeah… I think I did."

Coach Talbot watched from a distance, then nodded. "Good. Now let's get back to work."

And just like that—Logan was back.

Friday – A New Mindset

That day, Logan hit the ball harder than he had in weeks.

His throws to first? Crisp.

His baserunning? Sharp.

Drew fist-bumped him after a double-play drill. "There he is."

Even Coach Talbot smirked after Logan ripped a line drive up the middle.

"Now that's the Carter we need."

Logan grinned.

He still had a long way to go.

But now?

Now he knew he could get there.

One step at a time.

To Be Continued…

(Next Chapter: Logan gets an unexpected opportunity—one that could change everything.)