Why my daughter needs to know the story of Pat Summitt

I’m lucky enough to be the dad of an adventurous, free spirited 7 year-old daughter who believes she can do anything. Most recently she has proclaimed that when she grows up, she’ll work for 1) TOM + CHEE 2) Design wedding dresses and American Girl Doll outfits and 3) Fight crime – all at the same time.

Why wouldn’t she see the sky as the limit? Before she was born women like Pat Summitt have been smashing, pushing and breaking through various glass ceilings, paving the path for her to not only dream, but CHASE those dreams.

Pat Summitt, a young Tennessean farm girl, refused to allow anyone to tell her she couldn’t measure up just because she was a woman. Her story is legendary. Her passion is fierce. Her courage and boldness, indomitable. Her love went far beyond the court. All of her four-year players graduated. All of them.

Pat Summitt’s story is important to me because I want my daughter to see the life God has given her like Pat did. I want her to see all her beauty (inner and outer), intensity, passion and intelligence as gifts to lead where ever she finds herself. I want her to know that Pat Summitt did more than just talk and tweet. She got up and led, especially when it was hard. When asked about why she felt it was important for her to stay visible and active in the midst of her early-onset Alzheimer’s instead of retreating to well-deserved privacy she said, “If I’m not leading by example, I’m not doing the right thing.”