Reach for the Summit

Rating:
Summary: Pat Summitt's methods are very effective.
Review: "Principles are anchors; without them you will drift." This concept proves to be the underlying theme in Pat Summitt's Reach for the Summit. Summitt, along with Sally Jenkins, describes her numerous experiences as a basketball coach and truly connects both emotionally and mentally with the readers. The various influences Summitt has been affected by, the assorted methods described, and the simple style allows this motivational book to be both effective and inspirational.

In Reach for the Summit, Pat Summitt, head coach of the University of Tennessee Lady Vols, draws upon twenty-four years of experience as a triumphant coach to provide motivational advice for those that want to find success in all areas of life. Structured around her "Definite Dozen" system, each of the twelve chapters covers one rule of achievement. Personal anecdotes, basic ethics, and numerous strategies are used throughout the book to provide a solid foundation for her system. One of the most apparent themes that is stressed throughout the book is the fact that very few people know how to achieve success repeatedly. Many people can win once by getting lucky, following their intuition, or practicing a semi-effective short-term formula. Because people have a tendency to lose sight of their priorities, grow content, and abandon their principles, Summitt's book accurately describes how to build a system of effective methods and stick to them. This book will have a lasting value because of its applicability to almost any situation.

Through her amusing stories and few painful memories, Summitt reveals her failures and truimphs as an amateur basketball player, as an Olympic athlete, as a Division I coach, and as a mother. She has become one of the most successful and highest-paid coaches in the country, despite her birth into a hard-working farm family fromn the backwoods of Tennessee. Candidly describing how she personally turned defeat into victory, Summitt then shows the reader how to do the same. However, the content of the book is primarily composed of basketball related incidents and may prove to be tiresome to those who do not share her same admiration for the sport. One of the most sufficient methods of motivation Pat Summitt uses in this book seems to be her thought-provoking rhetorical questions. "What will you do today to better yourself?" "How will you become a more successful person?" The questions enable the reader to analyze the numerous aspects of his or her life.

The diction of this novel proves to be rather simple and understandable, and this characteristic may further add to the content's effectiveness. Descriptive stories support all of her keys to success, and in addition to being useful illustrative tools, the stories are also entertaining and humorous. For example, Coach Summitt tells the story of a freshman post player's tendency of allowing the ball to get knocked out of her hands. Abby Conklin scores and rebounds well but always let some smaller guard slap the ball away from her. During halftime of one of the midseason games in 1997, Coach Summitt shoves a basketball into Abby's stomach and tells her to hold onto the ball for the remainder of the game, take it home, and then carry is around to all her classes on campus the next day. This particular story illustrates the "Discipline yourself so no one else has to" step. Conclusively, this book's strategies prove to be relevant for anyone who wants to establish higher principles.

Personally, I have found Coach Summitt's inspirational methods to be rather practical. I believe that the information she offers, being based on viable experiences, proves to be quite relevant in my life. After reflecting on her tactics, I have gained a much greater respect for athletes and coaches who work at the collegiate level. Additionally, the motivation I obtained form this book will hopefully elevate my level of achievement in school, sports, and the most important game of all-life.

Rating:
Summary: Pat Summitt's methods are very effective.
Review: "Principles are anchors; without them you will drift." This concept proves to be the underlying theme in Pat Summitt's Reach for the Summit. Summitt, along with Sally Jenkins, describes her numerous experiences as a basketball coach and truly connects both emotionally and mentally with the readers. The various influences Summitt has been affected by, the assorted methods described, and the simple style allows this motivational book to be both effective and inspirational.

In Reach for the Summit, Pat Summitt, head coach of the University of Tennessee Lady Vols, draws upon twenty-four years of experience as a triumphant coach to provide motivational advice for those that want to find success in all areas of life. Structured around her "Definite Dozen" system, each of the twelve chapters covers one rule of achievement. Personal anecdotes, basic ethics, and numerous strategies are used throughout the book to provide a solid foundation for her system. One of the most apparent themes that is stressed throughout the book is the fact that very few people know how to achieve success repeatedly. Many people can win once by getting lucky, following their intuition, or practicing a semi-effective short-term formula. Because people have a tendency to lose sight of their priorities, grow content, and abandon their principles, Summitt's book accurately describes how to build a system of effective methods and stick to them. This book will have a lasting value because of its applicability to almost any situation.

Through her amusing stories and few painful memories, Summitt reveals her failures and truimphs as an amateur basketball player, as an Olympic athlete, as a Division I coach, and as a mother. She has become one of the most successful and highest-paid coaches in the country, despite her birth into a hard-working farm family fromn the backwoods of Tennessee. Candidly describing how she personally turned defeat into victory, Summitt then shows the reader how to do the same. However, the content of the book is primarily composed of basketball related incidents and may prove to be tiresome to those who do not share her same admiration for the sport. One of the most sufficient methods of motivation Pat Summitt uses in this book seems to be her thought-provoking rhetorical questions. "What will you do today to better yourself?" "How will you become a more successful person?" The questions enable the reader to analyze the numerous aspects of his or her life.

The diction of this novel proves to be rather simple and understandable, and this characteristic may further add to the content's effectiveness. Descriptive stories support all of her keys to success, and in addition to being useful illustrative tools, the stories are also entertaining and humorous. For example, Coach Summitt tells the story of a freshman post player's tendency of allowing the ball to get knocked out of her hands. Abby Conklin scores and rebounds well but always let some smaller guard slap the ball away from her. During halftime of one of the midseason games in 1997, Coach Summitt shoves a basketball into Abby's stomach and tells her to hold onto the ball for the remainder of the game, take it home, and then carry is around to all her classes on campus the next day. This particular story illustrates the "Discipline yourself so no one else has to" step. Conclusively, this book's strategies prove to be relevant for anyone who wants to establish higher principles.

Personally, I have found Coach Summitt's inspirational methods to be rather practical. I believe that the information she offers, being based on viable experiences, proves to be quite relevant in my life. After reflecting on her tactics, I have gained a much greater respect for athletes and coaches who work at the collegiate level. Additionally, the motivation I obtained form this book will hopefully elevate my level of achievement in school, sports, and the most important game of all-life.

Rating:
Summary: The lady is a champ and so is the book!
Review: A lot of celebrity sports figure books are full of ghost writer prose and tired cliche's. Many are entertaining, but like a fluffy dessert. Sweet but only empty calories. Not this one. This is meat and potatoes earned the best way--by hard work. Pat Summitt lets you into her head and heart--the head and heart that has achieved unprecendented success not only with women's basketball teams, but as a person, a leader, and an inspiring figure to these young women--and now to millions of fans. I find my self measuring her with a much larger yardstick than "just" one of the best coaches that ever coached basketball. This lady is a champion and would be at whatever she decided to do. This book is worth reading by anyone from the CEO to the janitor--and they will all enjoy it and be better for it. Review by: John L. Mariotti, former President of Huffy Bicycles and Rubbermaid Office Products, now CEO of The Enterprise Group, and author of "The Power of Partnerships" and "The Shape Shifters" --and a Lady Vol fan!

Rating:
Summary: A must read for every coach for any competitve team sport
Review: Although achieving near cult status in her home state, Pat Summit has only recently been making mass market news. The Sports Illustrated cover and article led me to buying this book. Hats off to Summit for sharing herself and her wisdom with the world. While her style of coaching may not suit everyone, players and coaches alike, it certainly takes a lot of guts to take key elements of her success and put it all on paper for fans and foes to absorb. Her details of the various realtionships she has with her players was magnificant. Not only is this book inspirational and revealing, it is well written and I have to admit kept me up well into the night.

Rating:
Summary: Awesome
Review: As a 14 year old, I pride myself in not reading anything. Because I have tremendous respect for Pat and love the Lady Vols, I sacrificed my ego and bought the book the week it came out. You don't have to be a Lady Vol fan to enjoy the book. To those people who think Pat is a vilian(sp), you will see her humanized. It is really inspirational, and I could not put it down. I would recommend this book to any person. we could all use a little pick-me-up, and some of the best basketball players ever are talked about. This book was not a normal "coaches" book. Pat Summitt doesn't just win by luck. It is definately one of the best books I have ever read.(I read when I was a little younger.)

Rating:
Summary: Pat gives you the keys to her success. Well Done.
Review: As a coach I appreciate the effort Pat went through to live and create this book. Whether you are in business or athletics you will profit from reading it. Excellent

Rating:
Summary: The best motivational book on the market today.
Review: As a long time fan of the Lady Vols..and a non resident of TN..it was great to have access at long last to the "secrets" of Coach Summitt's success. What a great motivator her book is..for business, sports, and life. Everything in her book can be used and applied to so many different areas we all encounter in our lifes. Best wishes to Coach Summitt and keep the inspiration for all of us!!

Rating:
Summary: A must read for any leader!
Review: As a long time Pat Summitt fan and Lady Vols follower, I could not put this book down. If you didn't follow Pat Summitt you would not know what she is talking about. Her style of leadership is one of the best techniques for teaching future leaders the ins and outs of the real world and how team sports will instill in them the importance of being a team player in the corporate world. Her sense of humor makes even the toughest coaches in the world easy to play for. A real winner who has learned from humility and from sucess. The job is never done, you just keep refining it.

Rating:
Summary: I loved it enough to adopt many of her thoughts as my own!
Review: As a young coach, this book helped me to learn how to become a respected, trusted and confident coach and leader for my future teams. The use of personal examples brought many of my own experiences to review and evaluate. Pat sets an example of learning through experiences and moving forward, seldom looking back. I admire her work, and the persistence to write a book during season, (and at UT - all seasons are "in season".)

Rating:
Summary: definitely an "old shcool" coach
Review: As I read through her book, I find myself alternately admiring and feeling a bit sorry for Pat Summit. I admire her because there is no "secret" per se to her success. As the reader learns, you acheive success by working harder, preparing better, and wanting it more than anyone else. This book is not for the person who believes in the "get rich quick" idea of success. Although she has adapted her techniques over the years, at her core she is her father's daughter, and that is where my feeling sorry for her comes in. Every one needs encouragement and praise, just as they need a kick in the backside every once in awhile. As we find out in her book, more often than not, Summit is on the receiving end of one of those kicks. That type of childhood, where praise is seldom handed out can do one of two things: it can make you strong,ambitious, and eager to acheive or, it can break your spirit. In the case of Pat Summit, it is the former. She is definitely driven to succeed. One might question at what kind of cost. I read this book right on the heels of reading Phil Jackson's book, Sacred Hoops, and it is very interesting to contrast the two styles. For Phil, it's the journey; for Pat, it's the destination. Be that as it may, I still admire Pat Summit, the woman, the coach, and her book for its "tell it like it is" sytle. She is definitely "old school", and there is a lot to be said for that kind of mentality. A lot has been accomplished in the world because of that type of thinking. You just have to be careful that it is not at too great a cost. In Pat's case, she seems to be able to balance coach, wife, and mother well, partly because she is married to a man who isn't threatened by her success. All in all, the book is an interesting snap shot of the woman and what makes her tick. There aren't any real surprises. With Pat Summit, what you see is what you get.