Midway through my sophomore year in college, my roommate at the time chose to drop out of school. His unexpected departure left me in a bit of a bind. Without his help, I was unable to cover both of our halves of the rent for our off-campus apartment.

I suddenly found myself in search of either a new roommate or a new place to stay. With it being so late in the semester, finding either one of those was going to be a challenge.

Luckily, I happened to see a flyer a few days later posted on a bulletin board at the college that read: “I need a roommate.” The flyer listed a phone number and was signed, Dave.

I called and arranged to meet Dave, and I ultimately moved out of my former apartment and into his.

Dave turned out to be a great roommate and a rather interesting character. For starters, he was older than most of the other undergraduates at the college. He was 37—which seemed “sooooo old” to me back then. I obviously now laugh at that notion.

I came to discover a number of other interesting things about Dave over the ensuing weeks. His father was a retired CIA spy. His grandmother was on the Titanic. (Before you become too skeptical, I assure you I saw proof of both of those facts.)

Perhaps the most interesting thing about Dave, however, was the story of how he came to be in college, or possibly better stated, why he came to be in college.

Several years prior, Dave had been working as a bartender at a beach resort. One evening, a group of people came into the club where he worked who were all trying out to be lifeguards. They half-mockingly invited Dave to join them the next morning to take the lifeguard exam.

Maybe it was their insulting tone, as if someone like him could ever pass the lifeguard’s physically rigorous swimming exam. Or, maybe it was just a matter of his dissatisfaction with his present life. For whatever reasons, when Dave got off work at 4 o’clock that morning, he decided to head to the lifeguard training center and “give it a go.”

Two hours later, Dave was in a pool with a couple dozen in-shape, skilled swimmers. None of whom, other than him, were already exhausted from having been up all night working.

To say that Dave was the weakest swimmer in the pool would be a tremendous understatement.

Dave finished last in every drill the instructors arranged—but he always finished. As the drills became more difficult, other more accomplished swimmers started to quit.

Despite the instructors repeated urging for him to just give up and get out of the pool, Dave kept going.

Finally, the lead instructor stopped the test and called Dave to the side of the pool. The instructor leaned down and informed Dave it was time to get out of the pool.

Dave looked the instructor in the eye, and said very matter-of-factly, “You can drag me out, but I’m not going quit.”

Unfortunately, my retelling of the story doesn’t nearly do justice to Dave’s considerably more dramatic version.

He would go on to pass the exam and become a lifeguard.

The instructors chose Dave for the program because of his determination. He had tenacity. He had resolve. He had grit—the single most powerful determinant for success in life.

Being a lifeguard at the ocean is far more about having grit than it is about technique. Lives are often saved simply because the lifeguard refuses to give up on the drowning victim.

Dave would eventually get promoted to the rank of lifeguard captain. But further advancement in career required a college degree. And that’s why he was back in college. lifeguard captain. But further advancement in career required a college degree. And that’s why he was back in college.

Dave’s story illustrates one of the more admirable qualities shared by all good teammates: They don’t give up, and they don’t give in.

Good teammates have grit.

It is not skill set, it’s a mindset.

As always…Good teammates care. Good teammates share. Good teammates listen. Go be a good teammate.

Lance Loya is the world’s preeminent authority on the good teammate mindset. He is a college basketball coach turned author, blogger, and professional speaker, who inspires TEAMBUSTERS to become TEAMMATES. You can follow him on Twitter, Facebook, or through his weekly Good Teammate blog.