The Grit Leadership Story

Hear from our founder, Kevin Broene, on how he used his decades of experience as an Athletic Director and Coach to build the tool that allowed him, and now so many others, to help transform coaches into experts and kids into grittier, more resilient young men and women.

Grit Leadership exists to equip and empower leaders to build a grittier and more resilient generation.

Our Founder

Kevin began his educational career in the Chicago suburbs nearly more than 17 years ago. Currently a middle school Athletic Director and high school Assistant Athletic Director at Grand Rapids Christian High School (Michigan), Kevin has a variety of educational leadership experience. He has been a classroom teacher, a physical education teacher, admissions counselor, and an athletic director during his time in education. He has coached a myriad of educational athletics from the middle school level up head coach of high school varsity athletics.

Kevin earned a Master’s Degree in Educational Administration in 2010 while working in the Chicagoland area. Six years later, he earned his Certified Athletic Administrator (CAA) designation from the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrator Association (NIAAA) in 2016. In 2018, he was named Athletic Director of the Year by the Michigan Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (MIAAA) in part for his work in the development of the Grit Leadership program.

Firsthand Experience & Perspective

Currently, Kevin is uniquely positioned “in the trenches” with athletic directors, coaches (current Varsity Golf Coach, Regional Coach of the Year 2021), and parents (currently has kids participating in youth athletics). He is a Teaching Fellow at Baylor University’s Center for School Leadership program as an advisor to schools around the country for Excellence in Educational Athletics. His work has touched more than 100 schools. Kevin’s evaluation software, training programs, and practical experiences are directly impacting schools in 12 states, almost 48 school systems, and counting.

Kevin has been married since 2005 to his wife Stephanie. He loves being a husband to Stephanie and a father to his son Jacob and twin daughters Abigail and Sophia.

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School Testimonials

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"We just did our mid-season survey for our head football coach and it was amazing. Yes, the feedback was great and positive, but the vehicle that we used to get there (Grit Leadership) is absolutely incredible. I can't wait to use this with all of our coaches moving forward. Well done! Your product is outstanding!"

Jason Buckley

Athletic Director, West Aurora High School (Aurora, IL)

"Coaches are in the business of feedback as we constantly give feedback to our players about how they play and how they practice. But a great coach also desires feedback from his players to better assess his ability to teach his sport and reach his players. GRIT Leadership helps our coaches receive meaningful feedback and grow."

Justin Harden

Student Life Director & Varsity Boys Basketball Coach, The Rock School (Gainesville, FL)

“By using this tool, I can ensure that our coaching staff is developing the necessary skills to lead with confidence and foster a positive environment for growth and success. With the information, we are able to have authentic conversations with coaches. Grit Leadership has been a game changer for our athletic department.”

Jason Malloy

Athletic Director, John Glenn High School (Westland, MI)

“Before Grit Leadership, I struggled to find an objective performance assessment tool. Evaluations can be subjective and perceived as negative when minimal evidence is gathered and used to make decisions. Grit Leadership has allowed me to collect feedback from the school community and coaches for analysis, planning, and growth purposes.”

Kristen Farkas

Athletic Director, Trenton High School (Trenton, MI)