By Police1 Staff
When imagining what peak performance looks like, the grit and feats of Olympians and pro athletes come to mind. During an IACP panel on “21st Century Tactical Athlete: Application of Olympic Sports Psychology Performance Enhancement Strategies to Elevate Law Enforcement Personnel,“ experts highlighted core sports psychology strategies that can enhance daily training and performance in policing.
The panel
- Dr. Stephanie Barone McKenny, psychologist
- Celina Robles, Los Angeles Police Department
- Rasha Gerges Shields, J.D., Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners
“What is a tactical athlete? They are operationally ready at all times.”
Four sports psychology strategies to apply to law enforcement
1. Goal setting
It’s not just about setting goals but having goals with a high degree of specificity. For example, swap “I want to improve my upper body strength” with “I want to improve my upper body strength and bench press 25% more in the next three months.”
It is also important to ensure that team and individual goals are not in conflict — and that they are on display. Consider putting department goals on the screen during roll-call and officers can place 3x5 cards with their individual goals inside their lockers.
2. Imagery control
Develop coping strategies through imagery and consider using audio and video (like how athletes use “success tapes”) to enhance skills. Visualization can help officers get into the right mindset and be more prepared for what they might face.
3. Cognitive control
Cognitive control is exerting control over the thoughts in your mind. Some things that aid in that:
- Utilizing positive self-talk.
- Focusing on what you are supposed to be doing. Concentrating on what needs to be done, rather than on negative thoughts, can help.
4. Intensity control
Regulate intensity as needed and identify prime intensity. Part of this practice is introducing challenges that get you out of your comfort zone so you don’t get caught flat-footed and can continue to improve.
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