On June 28, 2016 the world lost an amazing person, coach Pat Summitt. She is well known as the head coach for Tennessee’s Lady Vols. While I didn’t know her personally, I can honestly say that she left an impact on all those around her including myself. As a Tennessee fan, I’ve been to some Lady Vols games and I was fortunate enough to see her in action. Her power on the court is one that I believe will be unmatched. When I told my family that I was writing this article, they began telling me numerous stories that they had heard about Pat. However, there was one in particular that stuck out to me. My aunt told me that in the summer of 2009, she took my cousin to a Lady Vols basketball camp. She explained that the kids had to be in the gym at 7:00 in the morning. When they arrived, she said that Pat had asked the kids whether or not they had made their beds that morning. She said that several of the kids had scared looks on their faces (My cousin included). When Pat continued, she said if you don’t have the motivation to get up in the morning and make your bed, then your parents must have made you come to this camp. She said if your parents made you come this morning, then you came here with the wrong purpose. I think that after hearing this story, this displayed Pat perfectly.
One of the things I knew about her is that she expected greatness. What I’ve come to realize is that this greatness stems from the power of self-motivation. Whether you realize it or not, self-motivation is a huge part of life. For instance, you have to be motivated to get up in the morning and go to work. I myself have experienced just how important self-motivation can be through my Cerebral Palsy. Having CP really puts things in perspective. I realize that I am very lucky to do the things that I am able to do. I would say that a lot of that has to do with motivation. If I were not motivated to stretch, then I would be in pain all the time. If I were not motivated to do my exercises, then I would have a hard time walking. Another example of the importance of self- motivation that I thought of brought me all the way back to High School. In High School I was involved in drama. Our director taught us that self-motivation is extremely important. She taught us that nothing we did was going to come easy to us and we had to work for it. We did everything from painting our own sets to sewing our own costumes. I realize now that these experiences taught me just how important self-motivation is. I believe that through experiences like these Pat Summitt’s memory will live forever. There is a quote of Pat’s that I think sums this up pretty well: “It is what it is. But, it will be what you make it.” Rest in peace, Pat. Go Big Orange.
