In lacrosse, grit is the “X-factor.” I’ll explain what I mean.
It’s so important and I’ve written about this topic before, but wanted to circle back on exactly what it is and answer the question, can you teach grit?
What Is Grit in Playing Lacrosse?
In the sport of lacrosse, physical skills and tactical knowledge are essential, but grit is the quality that separates good from great.
“Grit is the quality that separates good from great.”
Grit is the relentless determination to keep pushing forward, no matter the obstacle. It’s about perseverance, passion, and toughness that fuels consistent effort, even when things get hard.
And in lacrosse, there is no doubt, things will get hard.
Grit Is Showing Up – Every Time.
Grit is the player who shows up early to practice, stays late to get in extra reps, and puts in the work even when no one is watching. It’s not about the “cool plays or moves,” it’s about consistency, effort, and being obsessed with improvement. Gritty players don’t need motivation; they have a fire inside.
Example: A defender who gets beat on a dodge doesn’t hang her head, she sprints back, recovers, and fights for a ground ball on the next play. She learns from the mistake and refuses to let one failure define her game.
Grit Is Playing Through Adversity.
Grit is battling through tough moments: whether it’s a losing streak, feeling fatigued, or preserving through tough coaching or trash talking teams. Gritty players don’t make excuses. They adapt, they grow, and they use adversity as fuel to get better.
Example: A midfielder who’s exhausted in the second half of a tied game still digs deep to sprint back on defense, then pushes the transition the other way. Her legs may be tired and burning, but her will to win is stronger than her fatigue.
Grit Is Doing “The Dirty Work.”
It’s easy to want to score goals or make highlight-reel plays. But gritty players win the hustle plays: the ground balls, the rides, the tough 1v1 match-ups. Grit is being fearless in the scrum for the ground ball, loving the physicality, and taking pride in the “blue-collar” parts of the game.
Example: An attacker who doesn’t score a single goal but creates turnovers on the ride, sets tough picks, and celebrates her teammates’ success just as much as her own – that’s a gritty player who impacts the game beyond the stat sheet.
Measuring Grit?
Grit can’t be measured by stats or highlight tapes. It shows up in how you train, how you respond to challenges, and how much heart you play with when things get tough. In lacrosse as in life – grit is an edge. It’s what turns potential into performance, and average effort into elite impact. Think about that.
“Grit is how much heart you play with when things get tough.”
Grit wins.
Why Grit Can’t Be Taught in Lacrosse
In lacrosse, coaches can teach you how to cradle, shoot, dodge, defend, etc. They can draw up plays, build your conditioning, and sharpen your lax IQ.
But there’s one thing no coach can truly “teach” you – grit.
Grit isn’t a drill. It’s not a play in your playbook. It’s not something you can fake or flip on when it’s convenient. Grit is internal. It’s a choice. And that’s exactly why it can’t be taught—it has to be owned.
Grit Comes From Within.
You cannot coach the fire inside someone. You can’t coach this.
But…
You can try to inspire it, challenge it, and fuel grit – but that drive, that refusal to quit, that willingness to suffer for greatness – that has to come from the athlete.
It’s sprinting after a loose ball even when you’re dead tired. It’s staying calm under pressure, getting back up after failure, and going again and again. Those moments? They’re driven by something deeper than Xs and Os.
It’s Built in the Dark.
Grit isn’t built on game day – it’s built in the shadows, when nobody’s watching. It’s the offseason lift sessions, the solo wall ball reps, the missed parties and early morning training or practice. Grit is choosing to be uncomfortable over and over again because your goals matter more than your excuses.
A coach can encourage that mentality, but they can’t force it. You either embrace that grind or you don’t.
Some Players Have It. Some Don’t.
This is the reality, two players can have the same skill level, same coaching, and same resources – yet only one will rise when things get tough.
Why?
Grit.
Some players are wired to compete with everything they’ve got, no matter the score, no matter the odds. Others shrink when things don’t go their way.
You can’t teach someone to love the fight. They have to find that hunger themselves.
What Coaches Can Do.
While grit can’t be taught directly, coaches can create environments that demand it. High standards. Hard, uptempo, challenging practices. Real accountability.
A culture where effort is non-negotiable and mental toughness is valued as much as physical talent and skill.
But in the end, players have to make the choice to lean in to this or check out.
WHY THIS MATTERS.
Grit is the most powerful separator in lacrosse, but it’s not something you can teach like a new dodge or step down shooting technique. It can’t be coached into someone who doesn’t want it. It lives in the hearts of the players who choose it every single day.
If you truly want to be a great player, find your grit.
Because no one else can do it for you.
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