U of A researchers studied grittiness in sports. Here’s what they learned

A researcher from the University of Alberta has a new study on grit in sports. It found that a mix of wins and setbacks is crucial for developing grit.

What gives elite athletes that grit to overcome injury and adversity to pursue their dreams? Researcher with the U of A, Danielle Cormier, joined CTV Morning Live’s Kent Morrison to discuss her new study on the concept of grittiness.

This transcript has been edited for length and clarity.

Kent Morrison: It’s a fascinating topic, grittiness. How do you define that?

Danielle Cormier: I think grittiness can be best defined as passion and perseverance over long terms. In the case of these athletes, it’s something that keeps them going throughout their entire careers.

Kent: As you study grit, what did you learn?

Danielle: We interviewed under 30 high performance athletes and their coaches over several instances to find out what were the ingredients, or the playbook if you will, to create grit in sport, as well as what was the outcome of being a gritty athlete.

Kent: What did you find?

Danielle: We found a couple of things. In terms of those ingredients of being gritty, we found that it was really important to have a mix of wins in sport because that’s what keeps us loving the sport and keeps us coming back, but also some setbacks too. It’s really important to grow the muscle that is our ability to persevere. Especially when the stakes are lower, when we’re playing in grassroots or developmental sports.

Kent: This has a lot of applications for kids growing up in sports, but also people in everyday life becoming a little bit more grittier. How can people at home apply this?

Danielle: Absolutely. I think what led to creating that grit, through those positive experiences and setbacks, is growing a winning mindset. Thinking of successes as something that we created through our own effort, not just a metal around our neck or a trophy in the cabinet, but the other wins that we experience throughout our life. Maybe we finish a really big report that took us a long time, or maybe we get to travel for our jobs. But also seeing the setbacks and those losses in the real world as opportunities to grow, to get better, and as opportunities to move forward in a way that we’re stronger.

Kent: There’s an element of happiness that comes from overcoming those losses, isn’t there?

Danielle: Absolutely. In the broader, well-being research, happiness is a really big key. But when we get through a setback or a loss, and we feel like we come out better on the other side, I think we get closer to becoming the best version of ourselves, which is an important part of well-being as well.

Kent: Is there a downside of chasing grittiness?

Danielle: What we found was grit in sport did lead to overall perceptions of success, but we found when athletes were really hyper focused on their goals, almost obsessive, that those individuals tended to burn out more frequently, experience more injuries and be more isolated from other people because they had their eyes on the prize so much.

Kent: So diversifying can also help in the pursuit of all this?

Danielle: A well-rounded sense of self-identity is really key to striking that balance. Not only seeing yourself as an athlete or a worker, but also seeing yourself, perhaps as a son or a daughter, or as a great partner or as a hobbyist. Having a really well-rounded sense of self was key to getting some more of the positive aspects of grit.