Pat Summitt's Sum It Up

Intro: “Here’s how I’m going to beat you. I’m going to outwork you. That’s it. That’s all there is to it. Pat Summitt was a legendary head coach for Tennessee from 1974-2012. Upon her retirement she had amassed 1,098 career wins which at the time of her departure was the highest total in college basketball history for both male and female competition. In August 2011 it became public that she had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's, which ended her coaching career. Through her 38 years of coaching and many years of playing the game herself, she has had great amounts of success on and off the court. It is evident in her book, Sum It Up, that she would not be where she was without the lessons she learned as a child, a player, and a coach. Her purpose for writing this book was to show how these lessons have helped her be successful in basketball and in life. …show more content…
Their father was the most strict man in town. He made sure every chore his children did was done properly. They weren’t allowed to practice basketball in the hayloft of their farm until everything was done and done to his standards. As she grew older, she worked harder, and harder to please her father. Receiving a scholarship to play college basketball sure pleased him.

Main Idea 2: As a player, Pat wasn’t the most athletic or even most talented person in the country. She wasn’t the fastest or the best shooter. Her reputation was her hard work. If there was a rebound or a loose ball, Pat was the one that ended up grabbing it. Her relentless play and drive to outwork everyone earned her a spot on not one but two USA national teams. Her hard work and determination helped her accomplish her dream of playing in the Olympics. Without her relentless work ethic she would not have reached her goal. Her playing career provided a glimpse of what her future as a coach would be,