Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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individual stars can be beaten by a less talented team that works together to produce a result that is greater than the sum of its parts. Teamwork is just as critical in your job and in your com- munity. 3. Alertness — If you are going to make a difference in the world, you need to understand what is going on. An informed person can make an edu- cated decision. Ara read two or three newspapers every day … As a coach, he got as much input as possible be- fore making a decision. Every night after practice he would discuss every player with the other coaches so that if a change needed to be made, it was not done on a whim but with as much information as possible. 4. Enthusiasm — "We had the word 'enthusiasm' on the board in the locker room," John Huarte said. "You usually have enthusiasm on game days, but you have to put some zest and spirit into your practice." A knight needs to have passion about daily life, whether it is directed at work, family or the community. Your technical skills are important, but nothing of value was ever accom- plished without passion. 5. Discipline — My dad and I de- veloped a weight program that took me from a chubby 13-year-old into a strong, hard body after countless weight workouts in my basement. Terry Hanratty said Ara taught him the importance of discipline: "Ara was just so meticulous in how he approached life," he said. "Disci- pline includes really looking at the details of life. Usually the big things will take care of themselves. It's the little things that will carry you." 6. Preparedness — "Ara always said the game was incidental. It was the preparation that counts," Tom Creevey said. "Practices were very tough for a purpose, because I think he wanted the game to be easy for us." For me, running and weight lifting wasn't going to get it done by them- selves. I learned that I had to love the challenge as much as the thrill of the games at Notre Dame. 7. Generosity — Being generous does not just mean making financial contributions to a good cause. It also requires sharing your time, wisdom and energy to help create a stronger family, team or workplace … one in which the upperclassmen welcomed the newcomers and made them feel comfortable rather than taking advan- tage of them. To haze another player would be like bullying your brother, in Ara's view. 8. Respect — It may seem odd, but some of the nastiest on-field competi- tors are really gentle souls off of it. A knight is respectful to everyone, and never takes advantage of someone who is physically weaker. This includes a deep respect of women. Knights think of all women as if they were their own daughters. … That included gestures such as a man opening a door for a woman, or standing when a woman enters the room. I still do it, and it has nothing to do with women and men being equal. It is simply an outward expres- sion of respect. I believe that good manners and being polite never go out of style. 9. Physical Fitness — Strive to be