[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 60 (Wednesday, April 25, 2012)]
[House]
[Page H2076]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING COACH PAT SUMMITT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Tennessee (Mr. Fincher) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. FINCHER. Today, I rise in order to honor Coach Pat Summitt. Pat 
Summitt is most well known for her coaching career with the Lady 
Volunteers at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, but her 
basketball legacy at UT began long before she won her first national 
championship as a coach.
  I am proud to represent Weakly County, which is home to the 
University of Tennessee at Martin where Coach Summitt played on the 
women's basketball team from 1970 to 1974. While there, Coach Summitt 
was named an All-American player, led her team to the first women's 
national championship basketball tournament in 1972, and graduated as 
UT-Martin's all-time leading scorer with 1,045 points. Today, UT-
Martin's basketball court is named the ``Pat Head Summitt Court,'' 
honoring Coach Summit's leadership and achievements on the university's 
women's basketball team.
  Her love of basketball, enthusiasm, and competitive spirit have 
defined her career and inspired young women across the State of 
Tennessee and throughout our Nation.
  It's no secret that Coach Summitt has an incredible record as the 
head coach for the Lady Volunteers and has been a driving force behind 
the development of women's college basketball over the last 38 years. 
Her legacy as one of the greatest basketball coaches ever is solidified 
by her achievements, but more importantly, because she has been a 
friend and mentor to her players and staff. During her tenure as head 
coach, every Lady Vol that completed her eligibility at UT earned a 
college degree or is in the process of completing her degree 
requirements.

                              {time}  1030

  I saw a video recently about how former players and managers 
presented Coach Summitt with a book of personal letters, sharing their 
memories and putting down in writing what Coach Summitt has meant to 
them. This video mentions that the letters not only speak of her 
influence as a coach, but how she has helped players, past and present, 
through some of the most difficult times they faced in life. The effort 
to organize this book is incredible, and it speaks volumes about who 
Coach Summitt is to her players and her passion for helping student 
athletes discover what they want in life.
  I am confident that Coach Summitt will continue to approach each of 
life's new opportunities and challenges with as much intensity, 
determination, and integrity as she did during her career as head coach 
of the Lady Vols. In fact, Coach Summitt is in D.C. this week to 
receive an award recognizing her efforts to promote greater 
understanding of Alzheimer's disease and its effects on diagnosed 
individuals, families, and caregivers. She is already proving she's a 
force to reckon with as she faces this disease head-on.
  I'm proud to call her a fellow Tennesseean and wish her the best as 
she transitions into a new role with the Lady Vols. God bless you, 
Coach Summitt. And thank you for all you've done and will continue to 
do for the great State of Tennessee, women's basketball, and for the 
fight to find a cure for Alzheimer's.

                          ____________________