Tag: order of excellence

The Arete Manifesto – Why we Exist

The Arete Manifesto 

What is Arete Hoops? Who are we? What do we stand for? Why do we exist? Why should you care about what we have to say?

Put simply, Arete Hoops believes basketball can change your life because it has changed ours. We think basketball and sports have serious power: they have the ability to transform you, shape you, and mold you into a better basketball player and person. We want to give anyone who will listen the chance to consider these ideas because we want to give everyone a chance to make their dreams come true.

Our approach to basketball is a philosophy, a specific set of ideals. We have crafted this ideology through personal experience, by making observations in our lives, and building on the ideas of thinkers who express these ideas much better than we do.

Our Mission is Simple: We think the world can be changed through the game of basketball. We know there are coaches and players who want to make a difference. We know leaders are powerful. We want to question the status quo. We want to think differently. We want to consider the traditional ideas of how to approach the game of basketball and take the path less traveled.

If you choose to read it, this is the Arete Hoops philosophy; our manifesto, the good stuff, the nuts and bolts of what we believe. We hope these ideas resonate with you and ultimately help change you for the better. We hope you make a decision to abandon a life of mediocrity and start walking the path of excellence. If you have the desire to…

  • Walk the path less traveled
  • Commit yourself to an uncommon standard of excellence
  • Develop your leadership capability
  • Question the status quo
  • Approach the game of basketball differently
  • Make a Difference

 

Then take 5 minutes and consider these ideas and make a determination for yourself. Download the PDF below to get started.

The Path of Excellence is open to anyone who decides to take it…will you start your journey today???

 

The Arete Manifesto

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Habits of Excellence – Part 2

The Order of Excellence

“Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.”

― Aristotle

Do we act rightly because we are excellent or does excellence come as a result of acting rightly? This central question is important to consider as we tease out the implications on our lives while pursuing excellence. Athletes, coaches, and teachers (both in basketball and other walks of life) must wrestle with this question as they attempt to develop a theology of motivation within the realm of sport. This question takes on a special significance as coaches decide how to relate to their players as they try to get the most out of their teams. The question becomes, do players have excellence inside of them that must be summoned on a regular basis, or, does this idea – that everyone has intrinsic excellence – miss the mark? Does this line of thinking place an overemphasis on the attainment of virtue without regard for its processes?Stone_sculptor_at_work

 

Following the order of excellence is crucial if we want to improve our consistency as basketball players. Ultimately, the
more consistent we are, the higher our level of performance. Let’s first consider what excellence is NOT before we explore the notion of how to achieve it. Excellence is not a buried treasure waiting to be discovered; it is not a magic potion or secret mechanism. Although excellence is available to those who act rightly, the attainment of it is not a treasure hunt with a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. We are inclined to find shortcuts to excellence, but reality is that there are no formulas, 5-step DIY manuals, or treasure maps that show us the road we must take.

 

Excellence is a laborious process; it is the summation of thousands of individual decisions that comprise a greater work of art. It is like a sculptor who starts chipping away at a piece of rock. The sculptor does not expect to see the piece of art take shape after only a few swings of the chisel, but understands that each cut into the rock brings him closer to a beautiful finished product. The daily decisions we make every day are the ONLY things that matter if we desire to become excellent. Begin with the end in mind so that your day-to-day activities are guided by your ultimate goals. The order of excellence begins with acting rightly which slowly leads to virtuous habits. Ultimately, virtuous repetition is the path that leads to excellence; the decision is yours, the choice is up to you.

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