Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance

Some parents believe strict standards will make a child competent, while others believe unconditional love and support will do the same. Strict parents tend to be conservative, and supportive parents tend to be liberal.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Steve Young grew up with strict standards. In high school baseball Steve couldn’t get a hit and wanted to quit, but his dad wouldn’t let him. He practiced hard in the winter and, by his senior year, was team captain with a .384 batting average. As a freshman at Brigham Young University, Steve was the eighth quarterback; his job was simply to run plays for the defense. He wanted to go home, but again his dad wouldn’t let him. In the off season Steve threw 10,000 passes into a net; as a sophomore, he was the second quarterback; by his senior year, he was the starter and won the O’Brien Award for the nation’s outstanding quarterback.

At San Francisco, Steve spent four years on the bench while Joe Montana won Super Bowls. Steve didn’t bother to call home because he knew what his dad would say; he apprenticed himself to Joe, withstood the hard times, and finally helmed the 49ers to three Super Bowl victories.