November 6th, 2011
I remember when I first found my basketball hero. I was in middle school and picked up a book titled, Raise the Roof, which told the story of 1997-98 Tennessee Lady Volunteers. While the stories of the players were interesting, I became immediately intrigued by the person behind this miracle season – their coach.
As a lifelong basketball fan, and a long time player, I always knew that I would make a better coach than a player, and reading about Tennessee’s coach Pat Summitt was when I knew someday I wanted to have the opportunity to coach basketball. My inital impression of Summitt was her philosophy, “the harder you work, the harder it is to surrender.” For a player that wasn’t blessed with too much natural basketball ability, I knew the only way I would be able to succeed was to try to outwork everyone.
Reading Summitt’s basic philosophies inspired me not only on the basketball court, but off it as well. So much of the lessons you learn on the basketball court can be translated into life lessons. Throughout my life, I have gone back to various Pat Summitt sayings that I have written down to inspire me when life throws me some curve balls.
I know Pat Summitt is not just my hero, but many others look up to her as well. She is one of the few figures in women’s basketball that is a household name. She is known for her fierce glares along the sidelines, her intense persona in a huddle, and most her successes. Summitt was hired at the age of 22 to be the head coach of the University of Tennessee’s women’s basketball team. Since accepting this challenge, she has rose above every challenge in her professional career to become the winningest coach in Division I basketball.
Now, Summitt is facing a challenge that makes even her most difficult challenges coaching seem like a walk in the park. At the end of August, Summitt released a statement that she has been diagnosed with early onset dementia, Alzheimer’s type. She is only 59 years old.
In typical Pat style, she has vowed to continue coaching as long as she can and even with her recent diagnosis, she expects to win a championship.
When I heard the news, I was immediately shaken up. Pat is one of my heroes and our heroes aren’t supposed to get hurt, injured, or sick. Our heroes don’t have any weaknesses right? Pat’s diagnosis quickly reminded that our idols are humans and run into life’s challenges like we do.
Summitt recently shared her story on ABC’s 20/20 and her assistant coaches know that they have entered into unprecedented territory. No college or professional coach has continued to coach after being diagnosed with dementia. As Pat has preached in the past, basketball is a team effort and this season will show that as each person on the Lady Vols staff and team will have to step up their game a little bit more to relieve some pressure off of Summitt.
The next few years will become increasingly difficult for me to watch as Pat’s memory will begin to slip away and eventually she will get to a point where she can no longer coach. At some point she will no longer be able to inspire us with her persona on the court.
With her son by her side, Pat will continue to inspire us with her courage and perseverance even when she retires from coaches.
