Summitt's legacy so much more than basketball
Today, the basketball world mourns the loss of an icon. The Lady Vol family says goodbye to their creator and, more importantly, their heart and soul forever. And for anyone who crossed paths with Pat Summit, we have lost an amazing influence and presence. This was an all-time great Tennessean, a true legend that walked among us.
Over the next few days, there will be many fantastic tributes written about one of the greatest basketball coaches who ever lived. There will be first-hand accounts from former players and coaches who Summit paved the way for, giving them opportunities to be more successful in the sport than they could ever imagine.
But for me the legacy of Pat Summit goes far beyond the sport of basketball. And her secret wasn't about dribbling or passing or shooting. Summit knew how to build relationships with people.
I was a young reporter in the early to mid-90's who covered many Lady Vol games. At one point in my college career, I directed the jumbotron in Thompson-Boling Arena for Lady Vol games. I didn't attend every practice, but I did interact with Summit. She always made time. She always had a kind word. For a season, I hosted the Lady Vols pre-game show and she treated me the same as any network personality coming in to broadcast her games. Even after I left SportsTalk to start Volquest, she always had time despite the fact I wasn't around her program very much. I would see her in the arena or on campus and she always had time to speak and always said hello.
If I needed her for a story, she always took my phone call even though I didn't regularly attend games.
There was never what's in it for me with Summit. It was simply her – courteous and kind.
In my office a note hangs. It's not from Phillip Fulmer, Peyton Manning, Butch Jones or anyone else I have covered daily. Instead, it's a note from Summit that I received in the spring of 1997. She had just won her fifth national title in a year where her team finished fifth in the SEC. They lost 10 games that season. The next year they wouldn't lose a game. The previous five years they lost 15 games total. But that 1996-97 team dealt with injuries and adversity. Yet in April, they cut down the nets.
Following that championship, I wrote Summit a letter congratulating her on the title. I showed it to no one, which I am sure meant it had mistakes. Just a couple of weeks later, I received mail from the Lady Vol basketball office. Fully expecting a form letter of thanks, I nearly threw it away.
But instead, I opened and to my surprise I found a hand written note from Summit thanking me for taking the time to write and noting how special that team was.
Today, that simple piece of paper hangs as a reminder of how important a note can be. A reminder of you are never to busy to take the time to reply, a reminder of how you treat people.
I fall short of those standards way too much, but it's the standard that I strive to reach. And today as I remember and reflect on the legacy of Pat Summit, it's that standard that set her apart.
It's not a legacy of basketball lore. It's not a legacy of 1098 wins, 8 NCAA titles, 16 regular season conference titles and 16 SEC tournament titles. It's a legacy of respect.
Respect for your school, your sport, but most importantly, respect for others shown by how you treat them. A reminder that hangs in the office of a sportswriter that like everyone else, Pat Summit had time for.