As a coach, it's thrilling to see an athlete work hard, apply what they learn, and quickly see improvements in speed, strength or power.

Some individuals gain 3" on their vertical jump, run 1 MPH faster, or double the weight they use on strength drills in 30 days or less.

It'd be cool if this were always the case, but the reality is progress usually takes much more time than we wish.

Training is a grind, a sacrifice which demands incredible effort and dedication, but guarantees nothing in return.

Maybe you'll get better today, or maybe you'll have to wait a little longer to see that next small step forward.

Which makes it a lot like the stock market, where you may or may not see success in the short term.

But if you hang in the market long enough, it's a near certainty you'll see an excellent return on your financial investment.

In both athletic development and finance, there is often a strong temptation to step out of the game when progress doesn't accumulate quickly.

Causing those who give up to miss out the rewards which were waiting for them, just beyond the horizon.

Recently, we've seen two major success stories very much along these lines.

The first is a middle school athlete who has been in our program for about a year now.

During the first six months, his progress wasn't particularly notable.

But he kept showing up, kept grinding, and then one day he started making rapid progress.

Handling noticeably heavier weights on every exercise.

His top speed increasing by 2 miles per hour within weeks.

As you can imagine, our coaching staff is extremely excited to see this young man's progress.

The second notable achiever is a female high school athlete.

She made excellent progress during the summer of 2025, but fall and winter sports seasons only allowed for enough training time to maintain her progress.

Six months of consistent hard work, training in a perpetually fatigued state, with no noticeable improvements to speak of.

Then spring season arrived, and she decided to more fully dedicate her time to physical development.

Three months later, after all those workouts where nothing changed, her speed gains spiked, increasing by 1.5 MPH in 90 days.

For both of these athletes, and all the others like them worldwide, the frustration of all those weeks without improvement can be overwhelming.

You feel like you're doing everything right, see those around you improve, while you remain the same.

But isn't this what athletics is all about?

How well do you hang in when things don't go your way, when it feels like you're never going to be any better than you are now?

Grit is defined as having the perseverance, passion and mental toughness to continue pursuing your long-term goals, despite failures and setbacks.

In fact, recent research shows grit is the greatest predictor of future athletic success, higher even than raw talent.

We revere athletes who make the fastest progress, holding them up on a pedestal as examples of how to do things right.

But you know who's even more worthy of the spotlight?

The kid with grit, who works just as hard, without receiving immediate gratification, and doesn't give up.

Because they're the ones on the most positive long-term trajectory.