March 17, 2026
Whether on the field or in it, the work pressures are similar. It can feel like there’s no shortage of scrutiny, others continually second-guess your decisions and there are major consequences for poor job performance.
“We recognize there are areas of overlap between professional sports performance and policing,” says Sgt. Ashley Kierpaul, a Police Psychologist in the Michigan State Police’s Office of Behavioral Science. “We’ve utilized concepts of sports psychology to support our members in the past but not structured sessions like we have now.”
To build the MSP's performance program, Sergeant Kierpaul had conversations with the clinical psychology team for the Detroit Lions to understand how ideas they put into play can work in law enforcement.
"What I learned from this highly regarded performance program was rather than 'fixing' an issue, we could use psychology as a tool to help those who already perform well become even better in their role,” says Sergeant Kierpaul.
She structured the program for the MSP with three types of employees and outcomes in mind:
“When it comes to the Recruit 9 employees, I spend 15 hours with them over the span of five weeks,” says Sergeant Kierpaul. “We identify strengths, talk about the importance of team building and social connections, and discuss sleep and routine, as well as how to cultivate resiliency and perform under pressure.”
Individualized probationary trooper performance sessions involve consulting with field training officers, viewing body camera footage, reviewing reports to identify what to work on and meeting with the probationary trooper.
“This program is a great way to support our newest members,” said Spl/Lt. Cimmeron McRae, commander of the Field Training Officer Unit. “They get a personalized plan to help address and correct concerns early in their career, which could be the boost they need to keep moving forward.”
Sergeant Kierpaul added, “Above everything, we want our people to focus on what’s controllable. We’re invested and empathetic to the challenges they face because we have been there too. We invest in this program because we want them to succeed.”
