Coach Pat Summitt: Values in Action

written by Heather Van Mullem, PhD, Lewis-Clark State College

Several weeks ago, the University of Tennessee dedicated Pat Summitt Plaza to honor the winningest coach in college basketball history, Pat Summitt. With over 1,000 wins, 8 national titles and 18 final four appearances (Associated Press, 2013), Coach Summitt is a legendary figure in sports. Sadly, her coaching career was recently cut short because of early onset Alzheimer's Disease. But while she no longer roams the sidelines with her trademark stare, her legacy lives on forever in the lives of the young people she coached.

As the head coach at the University of Tennessee from 1974-2012 (Associated Press, 2013), Coach Summitt molded the lives of the young women she coached for over three decades. She was a trailblazer in women's athletics and a leader in the truest sense. "Leadership comes in many different varieties, but 'good' leadership is directed toward a mission of excellence in which all individuals involved are better human beings for the experience" (Lumpkin, Stoll, & Beller, 2012, p. 22).  

Unapologetically challenging, Coach Summitt was the first to admit not everybody could be a Lady Vol (Summitt, 2013). However, her commitment to her student-athletes' growth as people and athletes was plain to see. Trish Roberts, a former Lady Vol, shared, "Pat pushed me and saw something in me I didn't see in myself. When she believes strongly in something, then she is going to hound you and hound you, until you see it. Eventually" (Summitt, 2013, p. 125). Coach Summitt cared deeply about her athletes and their growth once commenting, "The better I got to know our players, the more I was able to search out their competitive personalities, find their insecurities, and shore them up" (Summitt, 2013, p. 150).

This dedication to her athletes also extended to their success in the classroom. Every athlete who played through their eligibility graduated from the University of Tennessee (Associated Press, 2013). Coach Summitt valued individual growth and achievement. She pushed her student-athletes to accomplish more than they thought they were capable of achieving. She invested in their growth and spurred them to invest in their futures as well. She valued her athletes not just for their sport prowess, but also as individuals with lives and careers ahead of them. Coach Summitt recognized that the student-athletes who played for her were young people who needed support during an important transitionary time in their lives. In an effort to remind them they were a part of a family, she would often handwrite notes of encouragement. A former Lady Vol, Daedra Charles, shared, "Certain letters were uplifting, and when I got sad, I would go read those letters and it would help me. They were handwritten. Not typed, and they were personal" (Summitt, 2013, p. 213).

There's a lot for coaches to learn from Coach Pat Summit. Clearly she valued much more than just winning games. At the core of her coaching philosophy was a deep-rooted concern for her athletes as individuals. She did her best to balance her desire to win with a commitment to see her young athletes develop positively as people. By all reports Coach Summit's actions as a leader also matched these values: Something that isn't always easy to do. Every day the culture of competitive sport challenges coaches is to stay true to their values. Pursuing success can influence choice and action (Reilly, 2013). In addition, race, gender, and/or social class can influence perceptions and social expectations (Bryant, 2013). If you coach you might wonder, how impactful these things have been on your actions?

Coach Summitt began her career shortly after Title IX became law. In addition to imploring her teams to battle for rebounds, secure loose balls, and get defensive stops, she battled for equity in opportunity and support during the early stages of her career. While pushing her athletes to become stronger, faster, and better basketball players, she taught others about the value of equity (Summitt, 2013). Coach Summitt shared,

"I remember teaching a clinic to other coaches and opening the floor for questions and a guy raised his hand and asked if I had any advice when it came to 'coaching women.' I remember leveling him with a death ray stare and then relaxing and curling up the corner of my mouth and saying, 'Don't worry about coaching 'women.' Just go home and coach 'basketball'" (Summitt, 2013, p. 7).

As a trailblazer in women's athletics, she challenged the status quo that questioned and frequently resisted girls' and women's participation in a traditionally masculine environment. She showed a unique ability to work within a system designed to exclude rather than include females coaches and athletes. It is due to the efforts of individuals like Coach Summitt, that women like me who were born after Title IX became law, have had the opportunities to play and to participate in a more equitable sports environment.

When you reflect on why you teach, coach or lead young people, I urge you to think about your values. Ask yourself the tough question, "Do my actions support my values?" The role of a coach is multi-faceted and diverse. The power of a coach is significant. And it's not just about winning games. Like Coach Pat Summitt, I encourage you to embrace all available possibilities to enact positive change and spur growth in each one of the young people with whom you interact.

References
Associated Press. (2013). Campus statue honors Pat Summitt. Retrieved from
http://espn.go.com/womens-college basketball/story/_/id/10019455/tennessee-unveils-campus-statue-honoring-pat-summitt.

Bryant, H. (2013, December 9). Identity Crisis: Jonathan Martin’s biggest mistake?
Failing to abide by the code of black masculinity that governs every NFL locker room. ESPN the Magazine, 8.

Lumpkin, A., Stoll, S.K., and Beller, J.M. (2012). Practical ethics in sport management.
Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, Inc.

Reilly, R. (2013, November 6). Football getting harder to watch. Retrieved from
http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/9932209/nfl-becoming-guilty-pleasure.

Summitt, P. & Jenkins, S. (2013). Sum It Up. New York, NY: Crown Archetype.

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