Every year you can expect Pure Talent Elite to return from the Junior Olympics with a medal in the throws department. Of course it takes some skill but no doubt great coaching helps. Leading this area is PTE throws Coach Lee Heinerikson. Coach H called by so many athletes will enter his third season with Pure Talent Elite and was vital in getting the program off the ground. "When I finally decided to pull the trigger to start the program after numerous conversations, Coach H was the first person I called", stated Head Coach Vernon Birmingham.  He went on to add, "He had been coaching his boys unattached and to get him to join on early was huge!"

Coach Heinerikson has numerous years of experience coaching throwers from youth through the college ranks. In his time with PTE you can say Coach H has left his mark in two short years. In his first season, 5 Pure Talent Elite throwers placed in the top 8 earning All-American honors. He also coached one athlete in the throws for the multi-events which led to the first PTE national championship. In year two he again coached athletes to All-American status.

When asked to describe Heinerikson in one word Head Coach Vernon Birmingham decided to use two, "Dedicated and Intense". "In youth sports coaches have to display a sort of dedication and I love our coaches exhibit that trait", said Coach Vernon. He continued, "Lee spends all day with kids as a principal at an elementary school (Chinn Elementary, Park Hill District) and still makes as many practices as he can during the school year...I mean he will come to practice for 30 minutes and leave for a PTA meeting, who does that"? Intensity is something else Coach H brings to the table. "Even though we are dealing with kids in the throws as young as 8 and as old as high school seniors he wants the best out of the kids", added Birmingham. "He will not let you cut corners and demands hard work and paying attention to the details when he is working with you and I love that", Birmingham concluded.

Look for the throwers of Pure Talent Elite to continue to shine under the tutelage of Coach Heinerikson in 2015.

 Patience and an extreme work ethic is what come to mind when you think of Pure Talent Elite's horizontal coach Milton Henry. Henry joined the PTE coaching staff prior to the 2014 season. During the 2014 season he introduced many athletes to the proper techniques and skills necessary to compete in the long jump.

  A talented athlete in his own right, Milton Henry is arguably one of the most talented jumpers to come out of Kansas City, Kansas over the course of the last couple of decades. After graduating from Sumner Academy in 2005, he found success on the collegiate level becoming a two-time All-American. He competed under the guidance of legendary coach Al Hobson and jumped to a career best mark of 25 feet 5 and 1 quarter inch. 

 "The way Coach Henry joined the staff is pretty similar to the way Coach Faulk came aboard", states head coach Vernon Birmingham. "One of our athletes invited her cousin, which happened to be Milton to our informational meeting and she basically volunteered him to join our staff. I went home and like with Dexter, googled him and said welcome to the staff", laughed Coach Vernon.

 An area Pure Talent Elite wanted to become deeper was the horizontal jumps. In the area of field events they found success previously capturing national medals in the throws and high jump but just scratched the surface in the long jump. "We really have a desire to become a complete track program", says Coach Vernon. He went on to add, "We understand in this sport everyone won't be a runner or a thrower but if they have decent speed and will listen then Coach Henry can develop them into long jumpers".

 During the 2014 campaign, Coach Henry tutored a couple handful of athletes to success including District, Regional, and Junior Olympic qualifiers. This year he will have the opportunity to work with some aspiring triple jumpers. "He is one of the most patient coaches I've come across...I mean I watch him explain things over and over again to athletes and you never see an expression of frustration on his face", said Coach Vernon. 

 Coach Henry was also instrumental in the success of the 9 and 10 year old girls’ 4x100m relay team. This team won the Region 16 championship and finished in the top 25 in the nation. When asked what Coach Henry means to the team Coach Birmingham had this to say. "Milton is one of the most dedicated people I've ran across. This man works a full-time job overnight, would wake up to come to practice for two hours, run home to grab a couple more winks, then go to work...all for young athletes he desires to see get better. Those are the type of coaches I want on our staff."

You won't find many track teams in which you will find hurdlers as your deepest and most successful. In 2014, Pure Talent Elite sent 8 hurdlers to the AAU Junior Olympics in Des Moines, IA. One of the reasons...the addition of Coach Dexter Faulk.

Dexter Faulk is one of the most successful hurdlers in the world over the course of the last decade. Considering he didn't pick up track until the 10th grade in Atlanta, he quickly learned the sport and through his hard work found success. He used this as an opportunity to compete on the collegiate level traveling to Kansas and attending Barton County Community College.

Faulk became a known fixture in the hurdling world in 2009 where he clocked a 13.13 in the 110m Hurdles. He went on later that year to take the silver medal in the IAAF/VTB Bank World Athletics Championships. In 2012, Coach Faulk placed 5th in the USA Olympic Trials just missing an opportunity to compete for Team USA in London.

Coach Faulk joined the Pure Talent Elite coaching staff in 2014. "We were finishing one of our early practices and one of our athletes mother's mentioned in passing that if you needed more coaches my fiance' can maybe help", stated Head Coach Vernon Birmingham. She went on to add, "Feel free to Google him, he was really good." Coach Birmingham laughing added, "Of course you hear that often but later that evening I googled Dexter and the first thing that popped up was the video of the 2012 Olympic Trials and him placing 5th. I sent a text to his fiancee saying, yes we can use him!"

"One of the things I learned over the years is just because you were a talented athlete, it doesn't always transition into being a good coach", added Coach Vernon. Continuing, "The thing I love about Dexter is he is a great teacher of the sport as well. He focuses on every detail and has a gift of communicating with the athletes and getting their buy in on what he's teaching." If you ever head out to a Pure Talent practice you will pick out Coach Faulk right away. "He is always so full of energy, man", laughs Coach Vernon. "There are days he decides to practice with the kids and I feel motivated to jump in before I come to my senses". At the end of the day however Coach Faulk gets the most out of the athletes. "They respect him, they laugh with him, they love him...we are truly blessed to have him on our staff", said Coach Vernon.

Last summer Dexter tutored 4 girls and 4 boys into qualification for the Junior Olympics, with one earning All-American honors and a 5th place finish. In 2015 expect bigger things from Coach Faulk and his staple of hurdlers at Pure Talent Elite.