Jaclyn Grisdale

Climbing the Ladder of Success

A burning desire to ascend higher and inspire younger competitors pushes this scholar-athlete to the top of all her games.

Athletic aptitude is in Jaclyn Grisdale’s DNA. The daughter of two successful college athletes who have become legendary coaches in their community, Jaclyn’s first trip out of her home was to a high school gym. She attended more than 100 high school basketball games before the age of two. She has grown up admiring and learning from the best of the best high school athletes. Now, she’s setting her own records, and she will be the first in her high school to graduate with 20 varsity letters, which she has earned by competing in six different sports.

Jaclyn has always visualized success as a ladder. And for her, it’s not just about five trips to States, an Elite 8 appearance, and a Junior League Softball World Series Championship. She works just as hard in the classroom and will graduate as valedictorian. She’s also committed to serving her peers as a student council representative and class officer. But what she is most proud of is the example she’s setting for the youth in her community. “There are kids watching me, thinking about the ladder, and making it a goal to climb even higher than I have,” she explains. “These young male and female student-athletes know me because of my achievements and will reach their own milestones in part because they are chasing mine.”

Jaclyn is not only leading by example, she’s leading with a hands-on commitment to her fellow athletes and students. She’s conducted a virtual athletics camp for the youth in her community. She has served as a “big sister” teammate. And she volunteers her time to give individual lessons. In all of the endeavors, Jaclyn is adamant about helping other aspiring superstars to embrace and learn from their mistakes: “Sports has taught me to think about the next play, not dwell on the past.” When her performance is less than perfect, her response is to ask, “When can we do this again?” She believes that welcoming imperfection, repetition, and listening to others who can help you improve is the key not only to bettering yourself athletically, but to collectively making our communities and the world better places, too.