米兰体育

Skip to content
NOWCAST 米兰体育 13 Morning News
Watch on Demand
Advertisement

Team USA Olympians host throwing clinic for high school athletes in Hoover

Team USA Olympians host throwing clinic for high school athletes in Hoover
LEARNING FROM THE BEST IN THEIR FIELD. THREE TEAM USA OLYMPIANS IS PART OF A THROWS CLINIC FOR TRACK AND FIELD ATHLETES. 米兰体育 13 ZOE BLAIR WAS AT THAT CLINIC TODAY TALKING TO STUDENTS ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO LEARN FROM AN OLYMPIAN. I CHOSE TO COME TO THIS CLINIC BECAUSE WE HAVE SAM MATTIS HERE. HE鈥橲 ONE OF THE BEST IN THE WORLD RIGHT NOW AND ONE OF THE BEST, SECOND BEST AMERICAN OF ALL TIME. AND I JUST FELT LIKE I WANTED TO COME OUT HERE AND LEARN FROM THE BEST. FOR HIM. THE BEST ARE ON TEAM USA. SAM MATTIS, CURTIS THOMPSON AND RAVEN SAUNDERS ARE TEACHING TRACK AND FIELD ATHLETES FROM ACROSS THE STATE HOW THEY CAN BE BETTER AT THE SPORT. AND JUST TO SHOW WHAT GOOD TEACHERS THEY ARE, I鈥橫 GOING TO TRY IT. BUT FIRST OLYMPIANS SAM MATTIS HERE IS GOING TO GIVE ME SOME POINTERS. SAM WHAT DO I NEED TO DO? ALL RIGHT, SO LET鈥橲 THINK ABOUT IT LIKE A GOLF SWING. ALMOST EASY. WHILE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN FROM AN OLYMPIAN IS SPECIAL FOR THE STUDENTS, THE CHANCE TO HELP THEM IMPROVE MEANS JUST AS MUCH TO THE OLYMPIANS. I LOVE SEEING THE GROWTH AND THE THE BUILD OF PEOPLE鈥橲 PASSION FOR SOMETHING THAT I鈥橫 SO PASSIONATE ABOUT. SO JUST TO BE AROUND OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAVE A PASSION FOR WHAT I DO AND SEE THAT GROW FOR THEM, IT鈥橲 JUST AMAZING YOU鈥橰E NOT HAVING TO CROSS UP YOUR HIPS. YOU鈥橰E JUST COMING. YOU鈥橰E JUST COMING RIGHT IN. OVER 80 STUDENTS SIGNED UP FOR THE TWO DAY CLINIC BEFORE DAY ONE OF THE CLINIC WAS OVER. STUDENT ATHLETE ELIJAH SMITH SAYS HE鈥橲 ALREADY SEEING AN IMPROVEMENT IN HIS THROWING. ONE THING I鈥橵E LEARNED IS JUST HOW TO ENTER THE RING IN MY THROAT. BUT MY FAVORITE THING ABOUT HERE IS JUST BEING OUT HERE WITH A BUNCH OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE SAME GOALS AS I DO TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THE SPORT. EVEN THOUGH IT鈥橲 A THROWS CLINIC, THE OLYMPIANS ARE ALSO SHARING OTHER ADVICE TO HELP THE YOUNG ATHLETES BECOME SUCCESSFUL IN THE SPORT. WHEN YOU GET TO WORK WITH OLYMPIANS, THE LEVEL OF DETAIL THAT THEY CAN HELP WITH SOME OF THESE KIDS, SOME THINGS THAT THEY PROBABLY NEVER EVEN THOUGHT OF, WE HAD A NUTRITION SEGMENT EARLIER TOO, AND THEY GOT TO LISTEN TO WHAT SAM DOES IN THE WEIGHT ROOM. SO THOSE KIND OF THINGS, OBVIOUSLY THOSE KIDS LEARNED A LOT AND HOPEFULLY I HAVE AS WELL. I TOLD YOU I WAS GOING TO TRY THIS AND I AM. HOPEFULLY IT鈥橲 NOT TOO BAD. OKAY.
米兰体育 logo
Updated: 9:22 PM CDT Jun 11, 2025
Editorial Standards 鈸�
Advertisement
Team USA Olympians host throwing clinic for high school athletes in Hoover
米兰体育 logo
Updated: 9:22 PM CDT Jun 11, 2025
Editorial Standards 鈸�
Three Team USA Olympians spent time at Hoover High School, helping track and field athletes improve at the sport."I chose to come to this clinic today because we have Sam Mattis here he's one of the best in the world right now, second-best American of all time," Elijah Smith said. "I just felt like I wanted to come out here and learn from the best."Mattis is a student at Horseshoe Bend High School. While students like him are eager to learn from the athletes, the Olympians say they're grateful for the opportunity to teach."I love seeing the growth and the build of people's passion for something that I'm so passionate about," two-time Olympian Curtis Thompson said. "So, just to be around a passion for what I do and see that growth for them, it's just amazing."Thompson was joined at the clinic by Sam Mattis and Raven Saunders. Smith said by the end of day one, he saw an improvement in his throwing."One thing I've learned is just how to enter the ring and my throw, but my favorite thing about it is being out here with a bunch of people as I do, to be successful in the sport," Smith said.Hoover High School track coach Joey Longoria helped organize the clinic. He's grateful the Olympians are taking the time to help the students."When you get to work with Olympians, the level of detail that they can help with some of these kids, some things that they've never even thought of," Longoria said. "We had a nutrition segment earlier too and they got to learn what Sam does in the weight room, those kinds of things."

Three Team USA Olympians spent time at Hoover High School, helping track and field athletes improve at the sport.

"I chose to come to this clinic today because we have Sam Mattis here he's one of the best in the world right now, second-best American of all time," Elijah Smith said. "I just felt like I wanted to come out here and learn from the best."

Advertisement

Mattis is a student at Horseshoe Bend High School. While students like him are eager to learn from the athletes, the Olympians say they're grateful for the opportunity to teach.

"I love seeing the growth and the build of people's passion for something that I'm so passionate about," two-time Olympian Curtis Thompson said. "So, just to be around a passion for what I do and see that growth for them, it's just amazing."

Thompson was joined at the clinic by Sam Mattis and Raven Saunders. Smith said by the end of day one, he saw an improvement in his throwing.

"One thing I've learned is just how to enter the ring and my throw, but my favorite thing about it is being out here with a bunch of people as I do, to be successful in the sport," Smith said.

Hoover High School track coach Joey Longoria helped organize the clinic. He's grateful the Olympians are taking the time to help the students.

"When you get to work with Olympians, the level of detail that they can help with some of these kids, some things that they've never even thought of," Longoria said. "We had a nutrition segment earlier too and they got to learn what Sam does in the weight room, those kinds of things."