This blog post is about a Crimson Tide Football fan’s personal perspective on “The Process” of safety.
I’m just going get this out of the way; I’m an Alabama Crimson Tide football fan. *Cue the groans and eye rolls.* But hey before you judge me, I’ll have you know that I’ve earned my fandom. I am a proud graduate of the University of Alabama and you bet I still attend every football game I can…this includes the 2016 National Championship. Wipe that grin off your face, I know we lost and I’m still pretty sensitive about it. Don’t worry, I’m not here to vent to you about my Alabama football woes because let’s be honest, you don’t feel bad for me.After the loss, on my plane ride home from Tampa, FL, I dramatically gazed out the window and thought about Bama’s perfect season prior to their final game. It. Was. Perfect. Throughout the year Bama was put on a pedestal by fans, sports analysts and opponents as the “greatest” college football team thus far. Despite all of the talk surrounding them, Bama remained humble and gave 110% all season.
The Process
“It’s not human nature to be great. It’s human nature to survive, to be average and do what you have to do to get by. That is normal. When you have something good happen, it’s the special people that can stay focused and keep paying attention to detail, working to get better and not being satisfied with what they have accomplished.” – Nick Saban
Now I know there are a lot of Nick Saban haters out there and that’s okay, but you have to admit, the guy is onto something. Alabama is one of the top ranked football programs every single year and do you know why? Saban never gives up and never stops preparing for the next obstacle. When faced with adversity Saban has a strong belief in what he has dubbed “The Process.” He believes that those who focus on the result rather than the consistent preparation that is necessary to achieve the result are doomed to be disappointed.
Safety is a Perception, Preparedness is the Reality
We tend to think of risk as “the unimaginable” because we cannot comprehend why or how something so bad could ever happen; it isn’t until it happens that we even try to imagine the cause. Because of this we prepare for what has already happened instead of realizing that unimaginable is not a synonym for impossible. Much like the road to victory in football, safety is a process that never ends. Risk evolves over time and therefore requires our preparation to evolve as well. The capabilities of today’s technology is so advanced that it’s easy to think that it can’t possibly get any better, but the truth is that improvement is happening as you read this blog post. When the Crimson Tide wins a championship and Saban hoists the trophy above his head, does he believe his job at Alabama is done? No, he is already thinking about the improvements he can make for the next game, the next risk. By committing to the process of safety we can use critical thinking and technological advancement to keep these situations “unimaginable” and not be doomed for disappointment.
