Patricia Head Summitt

Despite the endless chores, Summit and her three older brothers found time for play. They would climb to the top of the barn loft and play two-on-two basketball on the makeshift court, shooting jump shots among the rafters. Summit took her skills to Chatham

Patricia Head Summitt

County High School in Ashland City and played from 1967-70. Her senior year, she was an All-District 20 Tournament choice.

In the fall of 1970, the 5-foot-11Summitt began playing basketball at the University of Tennessee-Martin, where she established herself as a defensive ace and accurate shooter. Over four seasons, she led the team to a 64-29 record and graduated in 1974 as the school's all-time leading scorer with 1,045 points.

However, during Summitt's senior season, she tore her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), and a surgeon told her to give up the sport. At the time, sports rehabilitation was in its infancy, and ACL tears forced most professional athletes into retirement. Summit, however, had her sights set on the 1976 Olympics. Women's basketball was new to the Games that year, and Summit yearned to make the inaugural team.