The Power of Grit: How Perseverance and Passion Drive On-Field Success

Our conversation today is going to revolve around the word grit. So, does anybody feel brave enough to go ahead and tell me what grit means? I see some of you are like, "What the heck are we talking about?" 

What do you think grit is? Determination? Okay, anybody else? Grit, yeah. Perseverance? All right. Playing hard? All right. So, all three of you, I'm not going to say you're wrong, but you're kind of wrong.

If you look up in the Oxford dictionary, what grit is, it is a small loose particle of stone or sand, okay? Now, we'll come back to that.

Tonight, we're going to talk about clams, we're going to talk about oysters, and you're like, "Where is he going with this?"

Well, make no mistake, the term grit is what many of you just alluded to: determination, grit, playing hard. All right.

There's a psychologist by the name of Angela Duckworth that writes about grit. Like, that is her life's work — how do you define gritty people, right? And not as in the dance, the gritty, but gritty people nonetheless.

10 Traits of Gritty People

Here's what she kind of has laid out as a plan for what makes gritty people.

1. If they have a dream, they go chase it, because it's not coming your way without effort.
2. You cannot look forward if you are stuck and focused on the past.
3. Be so busy improving themselves that they don't have time to pay attention to anyone that may distract you.
4. They don't use their energy to worry. They use it to believe, to trust, and to grow.
5. Most times they have to go through something that is extremely difficult so that they can figure out who they really are at their core.
6. Gritty people speak less and observe more. They're not into overreacting.
7. Never be embarrassed to struggle. There is no shame to hit a hurdle as long as you finish the race.
8. Choose your circle of influence carefully.
9. Work on things that people cannot take away from you, like your mindset, your character, and your personality.
10. Struggle is temporary. Your sacrifices are your investments. Give up short-term comfort for long-term gain. Stay focused and stay patient.

We're not playing at full strength

Now, the reason I tell you that is because whether you know this or not, we have not played a game yet this year at full strength. You live it, you see it every day, but you may not have realized this: we have not played a game at full strength and we will not play a game at full strength again this year.

Because of injuries, because of things that happen — I mean, you know what we've gone through the last two weeks, whether it be injuries, whether it be people getting sick — but here is what grit boils down to.

You have found a way to go 2-1 and very nearly be 3-0. That's what gritty teams do. That's what gritty people do.

Back to the "definition" of grit

So, coming full circle to that, a loose particle of sand or dirt — make no mistake, that is what grit is. And when a loose particle of sand or dirt gets into a clam or an oyster and over several months, if not years, what's the result?

A pearl, which is priceless.

So, make no mistake, it is not going to be the easy road for us. It hasn't been thus far; why would it change?

Some of you are going to be in positions tomorrow night that you have not been in. Some are going to be called upon to play that haven't played a varsity game yet. That's just what great teams do. They turn that particle into a pearl.

That's what grit boils down to for this team.

And I know, say what you want to say about Coach Prime and his buffs, but one quote that I can really say I agree with, with Coach Prime as it relates to our program is this:

What if you were afforded an opportunity or a chance? Are you prepared? Are you ready? Can you handle the pressure, the moment, the expectations, the seriousness? Are you built for this? Can you handle the scrutiny of your position? Evaluate you because your time is coming and you may only get one shot.

Tomorrow we will have to be a gritty football team

We will have to be what Angela Duckworth and one of you hit on.

The secret equation to grit is PASSION + PERSEVERANCE.

And that's exactly where we have to be tomorrow night.

We have to be passionate and we have to persevere.

On Wednesday night I told you, Michigan City is a team that loves momentum. And if the momentum is on their side, it's going to be a very long evening.

But if you stay with it, if you stay gritty, if you do those ten things throughout your life, there's not going to be any hurdle that's going to keep you from finishing that.

Beat the Wolves!