Tennessee’s legendary Women’s Basketball coach, Pat Summitt announced yesterday that she has been diagnosed with early-onset dementia, Alzheimer’s type. But many are still unaware of what this diagnosis really means.
The term dementia is actually an “umbrella term” used to define the slow progression of memory-loss, which can be brought on by a wide-range of precursors including Parkinson’s, stroke, and head trauma, among many others . Within this umbrella term of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form, affecting nearly 1 out of every 8 individuals over the age of 65 and 5.1 million people nationwide.
However, the diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer’s – defined as having symptoms before the age of 65 – is less common. It currently accounts for less than 4% of the total population affected by this memory-impairing disease.
Yet the effects of early-onset are still similar to the more common form that is found in older age. In its early stages, symptoms will often include difficulty completing common tasks, forgetfulness, confusion, poor judgment, personality changes, problems following simple directions and social withdrawal. In later stages, the effects of the disease become much more noticeable and can potentially affect other aspects of an individual’s health, if not properly monitored.
How the disease progresses though, is often dependent on the individual’s lifestyle and overall health. Catching the disease in its earliest stages can help an individual modify certain lifestyle factors, which in turn may delay progression but there is insufficient data to assume that this is always the case.
For Summitt, this will mean allowing her assistants to take on more of the workload involved in coaching the Lady Volunteers’ basketball team. Although, in a statement made to the Washington Post, Summitt explains that she would like to continue coaching for at least three more years and the University of Tennessee has affirmed that their longtime coach can continue for as long as she is able.
God bless the woman. But she should not continue to coach. I have no doubt there will be no public dissent at Tennessee, and few will dare to voice politically incorrect words. But she should step away. Make her Coach Emeritus or something and keep her with an office and an advisory role.
Why? Because the head coach is the lead advertisement for the school in recruiting. And, with great respect to Coach Summit, recruits do not know if, in four years, she will be someone they can depend on, or in Depends. I am not making a joke at her expense, please; this is the culmination of sports careers for these kids, very few of whom will go to the WNBA. Why would they take a risk on her? Connecticut is a much safer bet, or one of the up and coming teams that are challenging the two tops.
I think Coach Summit has a choice. She can turn things over to her lead assistant, and preserve a legacy at Tennessee. Alternatively, she can coach her way until mentally incapable, under tremendous scrutiny, have kids go elsewhere, and have Tennessee join such woman’s baskeball used-to-bes like Old Dominion and Delta State.