CENTERTON -- Sheila Frost Anderson was relaxing on the bus after leading Tennessee to the 1989 women's basketball national championship when she noticed her coach heading her way.
Pat Summitt sat down next to Anderson and had a conversation that has stuck with the three-time All-SEC performer for more than 25 years.
"My first thought was, 'Oh no, what now?' " Anderson said. "She apologized to me for pushing me as hard as she did for four years. In the midst of all that was going on, she was concerned about an individual's feelings."
Now the girls basketball coach at Life Way Christian School in Centerton, Anderson went to four Final Fours and won two national championships -- the first two of eight in Summitt's career -- while playing for the Lady Volunteers from 1985-1989.
Anderson reflected on the lessons she learned from Summitt after the legendary basketball coach died Tuesday, five years after being diagnosed with dementia.
"As a freshman, I was terrified to stay up a minute past curfew, thinking I'm going to get in big trouble," Anderson said. "Since then, I've tried to be a rule-follower."
Summitt also implemented strict academic rules, which led to every player who exhausted her four-year eligibility during Summitt's 38-year career at Tennessee leaving the school with a degree.
Tutors followed the team on road trips, players routinely studied on the bus and airplane, and missing class wasn't an option.
"If you weren't 15 minutes [early to class], you were late," Anderson said. "If you were late to class, you suffered consequences on the floor."
Anderson said she often wondered why Summitt had so many rules and put her players through such difficult practices, but now that she's a coach, she finds herself doing some of the same things at Life Way.
"As you get a little bit older, you understand why she did what she did," Anderson said. "Just taking some of the stuff she taught me and being able to share it with other people, it's been a blessing."
Sports on 06/29/2016