Geno Interviewed by the Order of the Sons and Daughters of italy in America
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SVCBeercats
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JoePgh
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When I saw that this was 38 minutes, I was thinking, "I'm not sure I have that much time to listen." However, I did listen, and it was worth every minute. There were a lot of details about his childhood years that I had not heard before.
I also thought about how similar his story is, in the most important ways, to the life story of Pat Summitt. She grew up on a farm, not in a foreign country and then a Philadelphia neighborhood, but she had the same childhood experiences of having to work extra hard and figure out on her own how to meet unusual challenges. She brought to her coaching a fire and determination and an iron will that was apparent in how her teams played. I don't think she ever saw basketball as an intellectual challenge in the way that Geno did; for her it was all about commitment, determination, and a refusal to lose. That too was reflected in the way her teams played.
Both coaches were committed to their players' welfare as human beings as well as basketball players, and they both commanded lifelong loyalty from those who played for them. They were alike in more significant ways than they were different.
I also thought about how similar his story is, in the most important ways, to the life story of Pat Summitt. She grew up on a farm, not in a foreign country and then a Philadelphia neighborhood, but she had the same childhood experiences of having to work extra hard and figure out on her own how to meet unusual challenges. She brought to her coaching a fire and determination and an iron will that was apparent in how her teams played. I don't think she ever saw basketball as an intellectual challenge in the way that Geno did; for her it was all about commitment, determination, and a refusal to lose. That too was reflected in the way her teams played.
Both coaches were committed to their players' welfare as human beings as well as basketball players, and they both commanded lifelong loyalty from those who played for them. They were alike in more significant ways than they were different.