The Lost Art of Grit

As a high school strength and conditioning coach, I am tasked with not only physically training kids but also mentally training them as well.

Through observation of hundreds of athletes over the years, it has become apparent to me that the art of what most people call “grit” has been lost.

What Is Grit?

Grit - often defined as “a combination of persistence and passion” is the common characteristic I have seen in athletes who have experienced success in their sport. This discipline is seen when athletes repeatedly choose to put themselves in uncomfortable situations in order to learn and grow from it.

It is not to be confused with the idea of hard work; rather, the differentiator between the two is the response to hardship and the characteristic of passion.

Hard Work vs. Grit

Hard work is not a new thing to the minds of young athletes, as they see it plastered on every sports billboard in their lives, which is a great thing for the youth of the United States.

Due to social media, hard work has become a flaunting ideal that athletes use to “show off” their dedication. Yet, when their hard work doesn’t pay off the way they want to, the response often isn’t to work harder; it’s a mental breakdown followed by forfeiting because “it’s not worth [their] time.”

Those athletes I see who have grit are the ones who see failure as a learning point, using it as an opportunity for growth and improvement.

Athletes with grit stand out to a coach because they always seem to “find a way.” When obstacles arise, their first instinct isn’t to shut down or wait for help, it’s to figure it out, driven by the belief that the solution is their responsibility, not someone else’s.

The Choice to Endure

Grit is a mental choice; it’s the choice to endure suffering with the goal of coming out better on the other side. To willingly do the one thing you don’t want to do, and continue to repeat that action. Neuroscientists like Andrew Huberman explain that this kind of mental endurance activates the same brain circuits linked to willpower and discipline.

So what does it take to have grit as an athlete or even as a non-athlete?

It takes one decision at a time to do the one thing you know you need but aren’t willing to do. Then the next decision, and the next, until it becomes a habit, and even potentially a passion.