COACH BROWN SPEAKS OF THE PAT SUMMITT INFLUENCE

The following was written by Shannon J. Owens of the Orlando Sentinel:

There's a popular quote some coaches use to inspire their peers and players on the topic of influence: "Be a fountain, not a drain."

I don't know who created the phrase, but I know it's a philosophy legendary women's basketball coach Pat Summitt has modeled her life after. She has, by far, one of the most brilliant minds in all of college sports, and an even bigger heart.

So when she recently announced she was battling dementia, I wasn't surprised to learn the ripples created from this weighty revelation stretched all the way from Knoxville to Orlando.

"I got chills," said Greg Brown, UCF women's basketball associate head coach. "I know that's a tough one to just simply will yourself through…now if anybody is going to will themselves through, there's no doubt that it would be Pat."

Brown isn't just speaking about an icon of his sport. He's speaking about his mentor.

In a rare string of luck, 40-year-old Brown has worked for both the winningest women's and men's basketball college coaches in Summitt, of the University of Tennessee, and Don Meyer, formerly of David Lipscomb University, also in Tennessee.

After his parents, he calls Summitt one of the greatest influences in his life. Which, of course, means Brown knows Summitt well enough not to call her with condolences.
Summitt doesn't entertain pity.

With that in mind, I don't think it'd be right to romanticize the odds of Summitt beating this ugly condition despite my own wishful thinking. Instead, her announcement calls for a time of reflection on the widespread impact she's had on this game so far, and hopefully, will continue to have.

Beyond the numerous titles and victories, Summitt's true greatness resides in her ability to connect with people. Brown knows this firsthand.

He built a relationship with Summitt when they met during a summer camp run by Meyer years ago. Summitt and Meyer are good friends.

Brown, then just a young high school girls basketball coach, sought her opinion on how to break into the college coaching ranks. She didn't just give him lip service. About one month after their brief conversation, she offered him a job as a graduate assistant.

"One thing I learned is when Pat says something, there's no wasted words," he said. "If she says I'm going to give you a call, she means I'm going to give you a call."

Read the entire article: http://thesent.nl/r478fE