P1 First Person: What does youth football tell us about our defensive tactics training?

By Sgt. John Thornburg
Monterey County (Calif.) Sheriff’s Office

Over the last year I completed my second year as a football official (my new hobby). I bring it up in this context because it occurred to me that the high school students on the weaker, less-successful teams lacked one thing, the basics. This was by no means a scientific study — it is based simply on my observations while working games ...and while teaching defensive tactics.

I have also consistently observed the same type of issue in defensive tactics training, lacking “the basics.” In football, it did not matter when in the season I saw the team. If the team was lacking the basics, it showed. Yes, although teams improved over the season, the teams lacking the basics were always behind. They would consistently miss the blocks, miss the tackles, not complete the pass, or run the wrong route. All the basics and advanced skills were easily performed for teams well versed in the basics.

Mastering the Basics
Unfortunately, I see the same issue with law enforcement personnel. My most extensive observations have been with two groups:

1.) police recruits
2.) 10-plus year veterans

Both groups have shown examples of those lacking in basics and both falling behind those who consistently practice and master the basics, just like the better high school teams.

Over the years I have been a big believer in making sure the students (and football players) know the basics. The better they have demonstrated mastery of the basics, the faster and easier they handle the real situations when they arise. Like the football coach who gives his players too many plays to learn and expects them to perform on game day, some defensive tactics instructors try to take their students too far and too fast. They spend a relatively short time teaching the basics and then “push” the recruits into scenario based training telling them to “figure it out” as they go. I have seen this fail time and time again and I believe it is due to the lack of the mastery of the basics.

Some will argue that they are applying the adult learning theory with recruits or new officers by allowing them to solve their own problems, find their own way to do it. While theoretically correct, I submit the “police recruit” is closer to the new freshman football player then the adult. Not because of age, but because of the lack of experience. The problem with this approach is the new recruit has no basis or context to build a solution.

On the other side, officers and recruits who have a strong foundation in the basics perform well in high stress situations. Not because they had “fun” in training but because they have the foundation laid in their training to build and work off of when presented with a situation they may not have been exposed to. To bring back the football comparison, over several years I have observed that those players who did not have the basics down failed to perform well in high stress situations that came up in critical situations during games.

I do believe scenario based training is invaluable. All officers, regardless of tenure, should have to go through this type of training on a regular basis. The scenario based training can help them bring together what they have learned. Stress inoculation is important and trainers should include it to develop the officer’s skills. However, I firmly believe “the basics” must be understood if the recruit or officer is going to succeed.

In case anyone is wondering about my football expertise... yes I have some experience as a player (played Division 2 at Western New Mexico University) and I coached football for ten years before switching to teaching defensive tactics.