GRIT /ɡrit/ n. courage and resolve; strength of character. 

Grit is a central part of the identity of Rutgers Athletics. One of the department's core values along with excellence, integrity, respect and accountability, Grit has been a defining characteristic of what it means to be a Scarlet Knight. 

At the annual RAwards where all 24 Rutgers Athletics teams come together to celebrate the past season's accomplishments and triumphs, Grit is at the forefront of one of the night's top honors.

The True Grit Award is given to those who have endured adversity over a period of time and continues to push through. Recipients have embodied the spirit of resilience, perseverance, persistence and hard work while keeping a positive attitude. 

Past recipients have included staff members and student-athletes, all loyal sons and daughters of Rutgers, who have overcome injuries to compete on the national stage, beaten cancer with unwavering grace and strength, and persevered through chronic illness to continue to mentor countless Scarlet Knights. 

With everything the world has faced the past year and a half, there was no doubt when it came to who would be bestowed this year's honor. 

The 2021 True Grit Award was presented to Rutgers' health care providers – the doctors, nurses, athletic trainers and physical therapists – who stayed positive all while doing what they could to keep Scarlet Knights testing negative during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

"You were there for us every day," said SAAC member and field hockey All-American Gianna Glatz when presenting the award virtually back on June 17. "You showed up with an attitude that was inspiring." 

"I don't think anyone on my team really thought about what we were doing in a way that would be recognized with an award like that," said Dr. Josh Bershad, Rutgers Athletics Chief Medical Officer, of the honor. "It's a tremendous honor recognizing all the hard work and how much we contributed to the teams." 

When the decision was made to compete, Dr. Bershad and his staff were tasked with keeping student-athletes safe all while navigating the unknown. From conception to integration, the Rutgers medical staff put the resources together to make practice, training and competition a reality in 2021. The staff enacted plans for testing and contact tracing and procured supplies to make sure they could do all they could in supporting the student-athletes in playing at the highest level. 

"The amazing part about it was the staff didn't just embrace the challenge, they executed on it well," Dr. Bershad mentioned. "There was a tremendous amount of professional satisfaction that came from the camaraderie in working together for a very clear and common purpose during a crisis. We learned a tremendous amount of lessons and that is really a positive. Our ability to help our student-athletes going forward will have benefited tremendously from the efforts during COVID." 

Thanks to the "True Grit" of the Rutgers Athletics medical team, the Scarlet Knights were able to enjoy perhaps its best year yet in the Big Ten all during challenging times. 
 

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