Friday Fuel - 29 May

💭 What’s the #1 predictor of success in school, sport, and life?

It’s not IQ.
It’s not physical talent.
It’s not even access to elite coaching.

👉 It’s GRIT—the unstoppable combo of passion and perseverance over time.

Psychologist Angela Duckworth’s groundbreaking research at West Point with elite performers showed one clear thing: grit outperforms raw talent when it comes to long-term achievement (Duckworth et al., 2007).

And that’s exactly what we’re diving into this week.

We’ll explore what grit really is, how world-class coaches and athletes define it, and—most importantly—how you, as a parent, can help your child build it.

If you want your young athlete to bounce back from failure, stay motivated when the work gets hard, and keep showing up—even when no one’s watching—this one’s for you.

Let's raise gritty kids, not just gifted ones. 💥

🏆 Quotes We Love

I wanted to pick one great quote this week but I ran into a problem; there were simply too many that made too much sense. So I took the easy route and threw in a bucket load of my faves that all have great meaning. If I could turn these into fridge magnets to read every day, I would.

🏅 Real Sporting Stories of Grit

Stories of grit within sport are everywhere. Here are a few great ones though. 

Bethany Hamilton – Returned to surfing professionally within months of losing her arm to a shark at 13. Her refusal to quit—and compete at the highest level—became a global symbol of grit.

Stephen Curry – Overlooked by top programs for being too small. Built his game through obsession-level practice. Became a two-time MVP and changed basketball forever.

Simone Biles – Overcame personal trauma and foster care to become the most decorated gymnast in history. She continues to advocate for athlete mental health with courage and class.

Tom Brady – Drafted 199th overall. Not the fastest, strongest, or flashiest—but possibly the grittiest. His relentless work ethic and belief in himself fueled a 7-ring legacy.

Naomi Osaka – Faced criticism and pressure but prioritized her mental health while continuing to train and return to top-level competition.

Michael Phelps – Battled depression and burnout but built discipline through daily routine and showed up even on the hardest days—his key to becoming the most decorated Olympian ever.

🧠 Coaches Who Believe in Grit

These coaches value perseverance, self-discipline, and character over flash and raw athleticism.

• Pete Carroll (Seattle Seahawks) co-created a program with Angela Duckworth that emphasizes grit as foundational to player development and team culture.

  “As you go through challenges, remember that grit is real. It’s about competing, it’s about pushing yourself, it’s about striving to be your best. The thing that’s great about grit is that no one else controls it but you.”

• Tara VanDerveer (Stanford Women's Basketball) believes grit, not talent, is what leads players to greatness.

  “Every disappointment is a blessing... just to learn from your mistakes and to get better and just have that grit and resilience.”

• Greg Popovich (San Antonio Spurs) is known for coaching "gritty" players and building resilience through personal responsibility and team discipline.

💡 Yeah, But What Is Grit in Youth Sport?

Grit is the combination of sustained effort and deep passion over time—especially when things get tough. In youth sport, it’s the ability to:

✅Bounce back from losses
✅Stick with training even when it’s boring or hard
✅Keep showing up after setbacks or injuries
✅Play the long game when others quit

Angela Duckworth, a psychologist and author of the bestselling book Grit, found that talent alone doesn’t predict success. Instead, those who achieve long-term excellence have a mix of passion and perseverance that drives them even when rewards are delayed or failure seems inevitable.

According to Duckworth, gritty people aren’t necessarily the smartest or strongest—but they are the most committed. She outlines four components to develop grit:

1. Interest – Start with a spark of curiosity or passion. Enjoyment fuels persistence.
   

2. Practice – Embrace deliberate, goal-oriented practice that improves skill over time.
   

3. Purpose – Connect your work to something larger than yourself—like helping your team.
   

4. Hope – Maintain optimism that effort will lead to progress, even in hard times.
   

She emphasizes that grit can be developed, not just inherited. It’s a muscle that grows stronger through challenge, repetition, and reflection.

💪 📏 How Can You Measure Grit?

Everyone needs a baseline to start from before developing further. To identify how gritty one is, scientists developed the Grit Scale.

Want to know if you or your child is gritty?

We’ve attached the Grit Scale below to downoad. Instructions are inside and it takes only a minute or two to gain a whole lot if insight!

🧱 How Do Youth Athletes Build Grit?

Grit is built, not born. Here’s how young athletes can strengthen theirs:

• ⤴️ Fail forward: Encourage a mindset where setbacks are part of learning and that the person you want to be always picks themselves up and keeps moving.
  

• ✨ Stick to the process: Teach that mastery takes time—and that shortcuts don’t last. The idea that life is marathon not a sprint is the idea to use here.
  

• 🧠 Reframe challenges: Help athletes see adversity as fuel, not a wall. Every obstacle you overcome is more fuel on your fire.
  

• 🤗 Embrace repetition: Excellence is boring sometimes. Keep showing up anyway.

• 🖊️ Track progress: Celebrate effort, consistency, and growth. But write it down - the power of journaling commits the growth to paper and allows it to be revisited and seen instead of forgotten.

👪 What Can Parents Do to Help Them Build More Grit?

Right, got your coffee? Let’s go.

You are your child’s first coach and biggest influence until about 16 or 17 when they need to hear from someone else. Before then, here’s what helps:

1. Model Grit in Your Own Life
This is the biggest one for me and the one I believe has the most profound effect on your own children. Let them see you work hard, pursue what you love, and bounce back from setbacks. When you face failure, be open about what you’ve learned. Show them that resilience is a lifelong skill, because they will always learn more from watching you than listening to you. Read here what Steph Curry said about learning grit from his mum.

2. Encourage Ownership
Give them responsibility for their routines, preparation, and effort. The more they take charge, the more grit they’ll develop.

3. Talk About Effort—Not Talent
Remind them that success is the result of hard work and persistence, not just natural ability. Grit thrives when kids believe their effort matters.

4. Celebrate It When You See It
Catch them in the act of being gritty:
🗣 “Your consistency at practice this term shows real dedication—especially when it wasn’t easy.”
🗣 “I love how into this you are. That kind of passion is powerful!”

5. Don’t Rescue Them Too Soon
Let your child pack their own gear, face the natural consequences of forgetfulness, and learn to problem-solve. Grit comes from struggle—not being saved from it.

6. Praise Persistence Over Perfection
Celebrate commitment and follow-through—not just results. Grit is built in the day-to-day effort, not just the highlight reel.

7. Enable Grit Through Support
Here’s the paradox: gritty kids aren’t tough on their own. Their determination is often shaped by the warm encouragement of parents, coaches, and mentors. Support them through the rough patches, remind them not to quit on a bad day, and give them the freedom to explore different interests before they specialize.

Remember: the child who forgets their shoes and then has to be gritty in poor footwear and suffers through a session learns far more than the one who’s always rescued at the last minute.

🥗 Nutrition Hack: Fueling Grit

Being gritty is tied to physical fuel. It’s super hard to be gritty when you are hangry! As a parent, one of our biggest jobs is nutrition - not just providing it, but helping them to understand how and what to prepare themselves.

Sports teach grittiness but athletes taking care of their own nutrition plays a huge role in developing these traits too! Help them build grit through:

✅ Discipline – Sticking to a fueling plan, even when it’s tempting to skip meals 🍎

✅ Time Management – Prepping snacks and meals to stay energized on busy days ⏳🥪

✅ Self-Awareness – Noticing how different foods affect energy and performance ⚡🍚

✅ Resilience – Bouncing back after tough races/games with proper recovery nutrition 💪🍫

Good nutrition isn’t just about performance—A nourished brain is better equipped to persevere through stress and stay mentally focused., and it’s a life skill that helps athletes stay gritty on and off the field! 🏆🥗

📚 Resources of the Week

🎓 Grit by Angela Duckworth

Duckworth’s research reshapes how we think about success. Grit isn’t glamorous—it’s gritty. This book offers real-life stories, science-backed strategies, and tips for building resilience in kids, athletes, and professionals alike.

Her website below is fantastic and also links to the Grit Scale Test and The Character Lab

🎧 Want to go even deeper on Grit?

Below is a link to the Character Lab page on Grit. Check out the other elements of character here too. This is a great resource that gives you science backed advice and tools on all elements of character.

Here is Angela Duckworth’s Ted Talk on Grit.

A motivational one for the athletes in your life who prefer to hear from actual athletes while an epic score plays:

And a truly heartwarming story about a 4 foot 8 inch girl playing linebacker in High School American Football against boys. ,

SAY WHAT?

Yip, you have to watch this one!

💬 Have you seen grit built in your athlete through small everyday moments?

Or seen it dented by negative environments?

We’d love to hear about it. Just hit REPLY and let us know what happening out there.

💥 Here’s to raising gritty kids—on and off the field.

Billinda + Ben  

🎙️ The Game Changer | FYA (Fueling Youth Athletes)