AN INSIDE LOOK AT PAT SUMMITT'S CHAMPIONSHIP CULTURE

I've got a great way for you to honor Coach Pat Summitt, contribute to her Foundation and get great insight to why she was such a great coach.  Coach Greg Brown has wrote a book about Coach Summitt and Coach Don Meyer, whom he both worked for.  It is simply an outstanding book because Greg goes behind the scenes to speak about what made each special.  All proceeds from the book go to the Pat Summitt Foundation and Don Meyer Foundation.  

The name of Greg Brown's book is "The Best Things I've Seen In Coaching."  It's an outstanding book and you can order a copy HERE.

An example of the book's section on Coach Summitt includes:

The Tennessee Way -- The values that created the championship culture of the Lady Vols.

Summitt's Five Ways To Maintain Success -- A great list from someone who maintained the highest level of success over three decades.

Game Notes -- 12 pages of game notes from including pre-game, halftime and post game and team meeting thoughts from some of Tennessee's games including UConn.

John Maxwell Talk -- Coach Summitt brought in her friend John Maxwell to talk to the Lady Vols and Greg's notes on this talk are outstanding!

Definite Dozen Overview -- A detailed look at Coach Summitt's famous list.

Practice Expectations -- A great list one that we have modified to use with our team.

Work Ethic -- A list of characteristics of what Coach Summitt believed necessary for having a great work ethic.

Pat Summitt Core Values -- An interview with Coach Summitt on this area

Make Hard Work Your passion -- Another great list on the importance of hard work

Don't Just Work Hard, Work Smart -- Coach Summitt on the mental side of the game

Discipline Yourself So No One Has To -- Two great pages that also became a team passout for our team.

Learn To Be A Great Communicator -- Two pages on keys to being an effective communicator

Put The Team Before Yourself -- Two pages on thoughts that Coach Summitt shares on teamwork (some of which I share below).

Be A Competitor -- The first word I think of when I think of Coach Summitt is "competitor" -- this section by Greg is worth the price of the book by itself.

Take Full Responsibility -- This section deals with coach and player accountability.

Develop And Demonstrate Loyalty -- Coach Summitt talks about it positive and negative effects on a team

Respect Yourself And Others -- Again, another section that speaks to both players and coaches including the topic of body language.

Make Winning An Attitude -- A wonderful list on all that goes in to having a championship attitude.

Change Is A Must -- Greg gives a great list of why Coach Summitt thought that not only was change inevitable but necessary

These are but just a small sampling of some great notes that Greg took while being in staff meetings or listening to Coach Summitt talk to her team:

"Teamwork is not a matter of persuading yourself and your colleagues to set aside personal ambitions for the greater good. It's a matter of recognizing that your personal ambitions and the ambitions of the team are one and the same.  That's the incentive."

"Teamwork is not created by like-mindedness.  It's an emotional cohesion that develops from mutual respect and reciprocity and from coping with good times and adversity."

"To me, the greatest reward for being a team player, far outweighing any personal gain, is that it means you will never be alone.  Think about that.  Life has enough lonely times in store for all of us.  The wonderful thing about partnership is that it halves your sorrow and compounds your joys.  When you are pressure, your teammates will only multiply it.  The amount of success you are capable of enjoying and the pleasure you are capable of feeling, is equal to the number of people you are willing to share it with."

The name of Greg Brown's book is "The Best Things I've Seen In Coaching."  It's an outstanding book and you can order a copy HERE.