Flanked by a Naismith Hall of Fame trophy and multiple WNBA MVP awards in her home office, Lisa Leslie smiles, beaming wide as she pulls out a photo of an Olympic gold medal printed on computer paper and protected by a clear plastic sleeve.
Over twenty years ago, Tara VanDerveer – who relinquished her duties as head coach at Stanford to coach the US women’s national team – gave each member of Team USA a similar piece of paper to embody their goal of winning Olympic gold. in the next 1996 Atlanta Games. It was a small gesture to indicate the importance of delivering the ultimate achievement for American women – not knowing that their success on the world stage would be the catalyst for what would become America’s longest-standing professional sports league.
Today, VanDerveer continues to inspire Leslie, who says she continues to apply the coach’s teachings and mantras in everyday life.
“[VanDerveer] gave us all this medal before we ever won our first gold medal, and we always had this to look at, ”Leslie said. And then all these quotes. “If you think you can do it, you can.” I love all of these positive quotes and affirmations [she] has given to us. “
On Tuesday, Coach Tara continued to do what she has always done: win. Stanford (5-0), the best women’s basketball team in the United States, beat Pacific 104-61 to bring the coaches total to 1,099. With that, VanDerveer surpassed Tennessee’s legendary Pat Summitt for the most wins of all time in the women’s game.
There were no fans to celebrate the achievement. No media scrums to deal with. Just a coach and her team.
But if you really know Coach Tara, you would understand that she prefers it so much. She constantly preaches that “less is more.” That strategy has worked for decades and its routine is simple: study, scout, work hard. Rinse and repeat. She’s been doing it every day at Stanford for over 40 years, winning games and learning valuable lessons along the way. During all these experiences, Coach Tara became a natural teacher, with a huge impact on so many.
No one understands this better than Billie Jean King. In October 2018, the icon and former Grand Slam champion partnered with the Women’s Sports Foundation to create the Tara VanDerveer Fund for the Advancement of Women in Coaching, which honors her work and passion for women in sports. King calls Coach Tara a “true leader, coach, teacher who has taught us how to win on and off the field”.
It’s one thing to look at history and another to be a part of it. As a high school student from Cypress, Texas, I made an official recruiting visit to Stanford in 2008 and was blown away. It was the “Nerd Super Bowl.” At the pre-game tailgate of a Stanford soccer team making national waves with the likes of Andrew Luck, Richard Sherman, and Doug Baldwin, I instead had the chance to see US Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice before the game.
Coach Tara arranged that for me. It was then that I knew I had found my new teacher in Tara, someone who would push my horizons on and off the field beyond my imagination. I played for Stanford from 2010 to 2014.
The highlight of my freshman year was ending UConn’s 90-game winning streak. But in the locker room after that win, Secretary Rice recalled from the tailgate of the preliminary game a few years earlier that I was interested in international relations. She became my chief advisor, eventually handing me my degree on the day of my graduation.
One day during the 2017 WNBA season, I was invited by Billie Jean King to present a lifetime coaching award to Coach Tara, and at the same event I saw Secretary Rice win the tennis legend’s leadership award of the same name.
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Tara VanDerveer surpasses Pat Summitt for most wins in NCAA Women’s College Basketball (1,099) with a win against Pacific, and the Cardinal celebrates the achievement.
That’s when the circle started to come full. Learning and achieving is a mindset that you should surround yourself with every day, especially when the going is tough. Believe me. I know this because I still get timely reminders from Coach Tara that she is available for movie sessions because there is always room for improvement – no matter what work you do or how successful you are.
Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr often uses Coach Tara’s campus not only to train his team but as an opportunity to pick the brain of one of the game’s best. On Monday, a day after the NBA preseason action was tipped off, Kerr spent some of his media availability on Coach Tara’s milestone.
“There are many coaches who have been successful for a short period of time, and few have been able to maintain their excellence for decades,” he said. “The list is very short, and [Tara is] on that list. “
Former Stanford quarterback John Elway, whose daughter, Jessica, played for Coach Tara in 2004-2005, echoed those sentiments.
“I’ve learned that – as she has proven – you can win on the field, off the field and in class,” said Denver Broncos general manager and president of football operations on the field at Bank of America on Sunday. Stadium before his team defeated the Carolina Panthers.
Coach Tara and everything she’s accomplished seems to be a story about basketball, but the truth is, it’s always been about family. Coach Tara has dedicated her life to attention to detail and her keen eye to help others succeed. That simple thing has now separated her in the history books.
Before she saw me, she saw my older sister, Nneka Ogwumike. She saw greatness in a young Nigerian-American girl from Houston, Texas, who had three sisters – not knowing they were going to be All-Stars and champions.
When I asked my big sister what Coach Tara taught her, she answered without hesitation, “You can be great at the little things.” Those little things can go a long way.