From a young age, myself and many other young basketball players, viewed Pat as a hero. A legend. And so, given the opportunity, many young girls flocked from all over the country to attend the summer “Pat Summit Basketball Camp.”
The camp started with us all gathering around the well-known signature at center court, waiting anxiously to see Pat herself. We were led in an “energy check,” which consisted of clapping and stomping, to make sure all the energy in the room was at an all-time high before Pat came to speak with us.
Year after year, having personally attended the camp too many times to count, the excitement never dulled.
Every year, the campers were surprised by every current Lady Vols player walking onto the court, and as you can guess, the room was filled with a million little girls screaming.
The screaming, if possible, raised to an ear splitting volume when Pat herself walked onto the court, but she had our attention in an instant from her words “Welcome future Vols.”
At this camp, Pat showed us the personal side. As she addressed us for the first time, she explained to us that basketball was so much more than a physical thing and said that “you may not be the best player, but you can always be the hardest working.”
Her motivational speeches all throughout the three-day camp each year simply stuck with each and every one of us. She had a way of capturing everyone’s attention and making an impression that will never be forgotten.
Soon after Pat addressing us on the final day, all of the campers were allowed a tour of the locker room and athletic training room. Here, we were allowed to get our shirts, basketballs and shoes signed by the members of the Lady Vols basketball team. And after this, we were allowed to speak with Pat herself.
When Pat was signing a pair of shorts or a basketball, she asked you how you enjoyed camp, what your interests were and where you were from. Her personal interaction with everyone made us each feel important.
In my experience, this sort of personal outreach was more than just for show. My mother and I were in a near fatal car wreck when I was eight years old, and when my cousin, Alyssa Drummer, mentioned the incident to Pat, she and the entire team signed a Lady Vols shirt for me while I was unconscious in ICU. The shirt is my prized possession to this day.
The fact that Pat Summitt cared so much about each person she came into contact with made her the icon she was and still is.
Pat Summitt was not just the basketball coach with the outstanding record and icy stare; she was so much more.
Pat not only made such an impression on each and every player she coached, but she also changed the lives of all those who came to the camp year after year. She was more than a coach to us; she was a hero, motivator and an all around admirable person.
