(originally posted on June 28, 2016)
Today is a sad day not only in Tennessee, but across the nation.
I first wrote those words in April of 2012, when she left coaching at the too young age of 59 after a legendary and unprecedented career and I proclaimed that she was the best ever.
This morning we lost one of the greatest leaders as Pat Summitt her battle with Alzheimer’s type dementia.
There will be countless words written about her in the next few days. She was truly a giant in the sporting world. As a college coach, she influenced me directly and indirectly in so many ways through the years. It was truly an honor to work at her elite camps and get to see her up close at practices and recruiting events that I would attend. John Wooden and Pat Summitt are the two coaches that influenced me the most in my career and I count it an honor to have spent time with both.
However, this sad passing has got me thinking about legacy. Hers. Mine. Yours. There is no question that she reached the pinnacle — the summitt, if you will — of her profession. But it went beyond X’s and O’s; wins and losses. John C. Maxwell says that leadership is influence, nothing more and nothing less.
Pat Summitt was a true leader because her influence was beyond measure. There are thousands of coaches and dare I say, millions of females that have played sports because of Pat Summitt’s example and pioneering spirit.
What kind of legacy will we have? We may not influence as many people as Pat Summitt but we can certainly be a Pat Summitt to someone. We can impact a life or two right where we are at. There is someone in your life right now that you can lead in a positive manner. You don’t need the platform that Pat Summitt had, you just need to utilize your potential.
We don’t just celebrate Pat Summitt’s life because of her 8 National Championships, 1098 victories and nearly 40 WNBA draft pickes but because of who she was. Who are you? What kind of influence are you having on the people around you? Are you living an intentional life? Are you adding value to others?
As we remember her life, my hope is that we also are inspired to live a purposeful life like she did as we “Reach for the Summitt”.
