HUMBOLDT — This is part six of a 14-part series following Nina Froggatte’s journey through police training at the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center, Hutchinson. The police academy is a 14-week part of Kansas University’s curriculum.
This week was a lot like the previous weeks, mostly classroom time. Each week Froggatte’s test scores continue to improve. Half of Thursday and Friday of this week will be spent in physical training and defense tactics. She has been trying to prepare by running one mile each evening on the treadmill, she said.
Froggatte described the last training exercise, which included a 15-station circuit workout after a mile and a half run. The stations included push ups, lunges and crunches with weights.
After enduring the circuit workout for an hour, it was back to running another mile and a half. Froggatte did not know which type of drills to expect this week. She said she wishes she had begun more of a workout routine before enrolling in the academy.
“The running is what’s hard for me,” she said. “The circuit workout, I can handle that OK because it’s more like strength stuff instead of endurance.”
Froggatte played tennis in high school and she said she wishes she would have kept up with that now.
“Before I left, for about a month, I started walking in the evenings about five miles, but that really did not prepare me for that mile and a half,” she said laughing.
At the end of this week the students will participate in a mock investigation scene using the skills they have learned in the classroom.
“We finally start getting out of the classroom,” Froggatte said. “I am sure next week will be more exciting.”
Training gets physical
