Description

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Mike Johnson joins the ILEETA Learning Lab to preview his 2026 conference course: Team One Network Shotgun Instructor Workshop.

In this conversation, Mike explains why the patrol shotgun still matters in a rifle-dominant era, how instructors can make the shotgun more “shooter friendly” by teaching recoil management and balance, and how to build training that develops confident, competent shotgun users. He also discusses mission-driven long gun selection (shotgun vs patrol rifle), load management, efficient reload concepts (including keeping the gun “topped off”), and why instructor development must move past “information regurgitation” and focus on the why behind techniques.

This episode is built for three audiences:

1. Attendees deciding what to take at the conference
2. Trainers on the fence about registering who need stronger long gun capability
3. Instructors who cannot attend this year, but want immediate training value

COURSE CONTEXT

Course Title: Team One Network Shotgun Instructor Workshop
Instructor: Mike Johnson
Course Length: 3 hours 45 minutes
Registration: Required
Booth: 232

Course Description:
This course will refine the skills of police shotgun instructors, focusing on the teaching skills necessary to develop and run tactical shotgun programs that maximize the capabilities of this weapon.

Instructor Bio:
Mike has 50 years of law enforcement experience and recently retired from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. He has been a firearms instructor since 1984 and is certified in handgun, shotgun, rifle, and select fire weapons. Mike is an adjunct instructor for Team One Network and the NRA Law Enforcement Division, and serves on the board of the International Association of Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors.

TOPICS DISCUSSED

• Shotgun vs patrol rifle: why it’s not either/or
• Mission-driven long gun selection (distance vs close work)
• Recoil management: making the shotgun more shooter friendly
• Instructor priorities: platform, stance, balance, and confidence
• Keeping the gun fed: “shoot one, load one” and topping off
• Combat/emergency loading with efficiency and reduced errors
• Why most officers avoid the shotgun and how instructors fix that
• “Why” based instruction vs information regurgitation
• What instructors will walk out with in a 3:45 block

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• The shotgun is still a critical tool for close-range problems, but it is mission dependent.
• Most “shotgun hurts” issues are instructor-solvable through platform, stance, and recoil mitigation.
• Shotgun training must include load management and efficient reload concepts, not just shooting.
• The best instructors teach the “why,” not just the “what.”

CONNECT WITH TEAM ONE NETWORK

Website: https://www.teamonenetwork.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teamonenetwork/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teamonenetwork/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/team-one-network/