Pat Summitt’s putting pen to paper. With some help by Sally Jenkins.
The Tennessee women’s head coach emeritus has a book deal to write her memoirs that will cover her “full life journey.” Jenkins, a columnist for the Washington Post who also has collaborated on books with Lance Armstrong, has written two previous books with Summitt. It’s expected to be published in spring of 2013.
“Basketball has always been far more than a game to me: it’s a way of being, an ethic, and a value, and so my intention is that this will be more than a sports book,” Summit said in a statement.
“Competition got me off the farm and trained me to seek out challenges and to endure setbacks; and in combination with my faith, it sustains me now in my fight with Alzheimer’s disease,” she wrote. “I look forward to sharing with readers the experiences that shaped me as a mother and a teacher and a leader, and how I’ve tried to shape the young women who wear the Tennessee Orange. This book provides me with yet another opportunity to do what I love to do most, which is to get up and go to work on an exciting challenge every day.”
Summitt, 59, retired last week after 38 years as the Lady Vols’ coach. The all-time wins leader in college basketball (1,098) has early onset dementia and will continue to work with the team and as a spokesman for Alzheimer’s awareness.
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