
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.
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.