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Check out the article in the July NSCA- TSAC Report!
| tsac_report_july_2012.pdf |
5 Tips for Trainers that Work with Law Enforcement
By Kelly Kennedy Ph.D
I started working with law enforcement over 13 years ago as a trainer and aerobics instructor at a large police academy in the southeast. At the time, I had a Master’s degree and I was working as an adjunct instructor at a local university teaching a three-credit class on fitness fundamentals. I had no idea my education would help me as much as it did in working with a law enforcement population. Police officers are like athletes in that they have to be confident in what they do as a survival mechanism. You have to be equally as confident in what you do. Here are five tips for trainers that work with law enforcement:
Tip 1—Be overqualified. When it was said, “knowledge is power,” they weren’t kidding. When you give a lecture or disseminate information, being over- qualified helps your confidence in the material. Regardless if you have a degree in exercise science, you should be working towards more certifications or outside experience to add to your body of knowledge. You should never stop learning your craft. In the industry, information is constantly changing on new ways to train, popular programs and trends in law enforcement training. It is important that when people ask you questions, that you can answer them. If they don’t believe you, use examples based in research.
Tip 2—Walk the walk. Be willing to get dirty to show your trainee, student, or client how to execute a movement. In a perfect world you should be able to do everything you teach someone to do. Demonstrating how to scale the fence or perform the push-up offers the option to teach from experience and observational knowledge. If you can’t scale the wall, the only way you can gain credibility is if you are really good at teaching it to someone else. You only have to show them you can do it once. What you teach is a reflection on your experience and knowledge. The best teachers are the ones that failed at first and, with hard work, had to learn the way.
Tip 3—Do not fake it. If you don’t know the answer, let the person know and find out the right answer. There is nothing worse than faking it in front of a bunch of detectives—they do that for a living.
Tip 4—Do not try to use police jargon if you are not a cop. Don’t try to repeat their codes as if you have been working the road all of your life. The information you have to provide is important enough. You don’t have to tell them their survival depends on fitness. If you are not sworn, use examples that make sense from a perspective of a civilian expectation of law enforcement. If you want to be a cop, go to the academy. Using jargon only makes you look weak.
Tip 5—Know the job. Become familiar with various assignments that police have. Go on a ride-along with officers that are working the streets. Get certified in whatever you can to learn about the requirements. Sit in on training courses that teach police defensive tactics. Watch the law enforcement academy train and participate whenever possible. Know the limitations of shift work and how to recommend reasonable solutions to fitness and nutrition concerns.
When I started working with law enforcement, I had no idea how my job would evolve. I was promoted after working there for a year and I now instruct and oversee the fitness program at the public safety training academy that I work in. In that time, I have worked with various specialized units, was instrumental in designing an obstacle course, and I oversee the fitness program for the academy. I have learned as much from the officers that I work with as they have learned from me. It has been the best professional experience for me to become a part of a process that changed the way fitness is regarded in our department. Improving the quality of fitness training not only helps the officers, but the public they serve.
I started working with law enforcement over 13 years ago as a trainer and aerobics instructor at a large police academy in the southeast. At the time, I had a Master’s degree and I was working as an adjunct instructor at a local university teaching a three-credit class on fitness fundamentals. I had no idea my education would help me as much as it did in working with a law enforcement population. Police officers are like athletes in that they have to be confident in what they do as a survival mechanism. You have to be equally as confident in what you do. Here are five tips for trainers that work with law enforcement:
Tip 1—Be overqualified. When it was said, “knowledge is power,” they weren’t kidding. When you give a lecture or disseminate information, being over- qualified helps your confidence in the material. Regardless if you have a degree in exercise science, you should be working towards more certifications or outside experience to add to your body of knowledge. You should never stop learning your craft. In the industry, information is constantly changing on new ways to train, popular programs and trends in law enforcement training. It is important that when people ask you questions, that you can answer them. If they don’t believe you, use examples based in research.
Tip 2—Walk the walk. Be willing to get dirty to show your trainee, student, or client how to execute a movement. In a perfect world you should be able to do everything you teach someone to do. Demonstrating how to scale the fence or perform the push-up offers the option to teach from experience and observational knowledge. If you can’t scale the wall, the only way you can gain credibility is if you are really good at teaching it to someone else. You only have to show them you can do it once. What you teach is a reflection on your experience and knowledge. The best teachers are the ones that failed at first and, with hard work, had to learn the way.
Tip 3—Do not fake it. If you don’t know the answer, let the person know and find out the right answer. There is nothing worse than faking it in front of a bunch of detectives—they do that for a living.
Tip 4—Do not try to use police jargon if you are not a cop. Don’t try to repeat their codes as if you have been working the road all of your life. The information you have to provide is important enough. You don’t have to tell them their survival depends on fitness. If you are not sworn, use examples that make sense from a perspective of a civilian expectation of law enforcement. If you want to be a cop, go to the academy. Using jargon only makes you look weak.
Tip 5—Know the job. Become familiar with various assignments that police have. Go on a ride-along with officers that are working the streets. Get certified in whatever you can to learn about the requirements. Sit in on training courses that teach police defensive tactics. Watch the law enforcement academy train and participate whenever possible. Know the limitations of shift work and how to recommend reasonable solutions to fitness and nutrition concerns.
When I started working with law enforcement, I had no idea how my job would evolve. I was promoted after working there for a year and I now instruct and oversee the fitness program at the public safety training academy that I work in. In that time, I have worked with various specialized units, was instrumental in designing an obstacle course, and I oversee the fitness program for the academy. I have learned as much from the officers that I work with as they have learned from me. It has been the best professional experience for me to become a part of a process that changed the way fitness is regarded in our department. Improving the quality of fitness training not only helps the officers, but the public they serve.
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