When events gave Jeremy Hinman the opportunity to take on a challenge, he had considered for a number of years, he grabbed it.
“I started Legacy Sports in September of 2020,” said the Torrington resident. “Once Sikorsky (Aircraft for which he works) decided to let us work from home I suddenly had the time to start this. I’ve always wanted to do it but didn’t have the time.”
“The primary goal for Legacy is to help kids develop a positive, healthy relationship with fitness and working hard. I stress a number of things depending on the age of the group. The ages range from 8 to 18 years old. You have to train these age groups differently. The young kids need a class that moves fast and emphasizes fun. As they get older we can focus more on technique and form. The goal as they get older is to create quicker, stronger athletes.”
Classes at Legacy are also for non athletes. Said Hinman, “Not every kid wants to play sports but every kid needs to lead an active life. To me, childhood obesity is one of the scariest challenges we have as a nation. I hope that my program gives these kids the foundation needed to be healthy adults as well.”
Hinman said he is “extremely lucky to have a partner in his gym with Energy Fitness. “I wouldn’t be where I am without their support. They reached out to me the first year and asked what I would be doing in the winter. At the time I was searching for a place for the cold weather months. They saw my social media posts and liked what I was trying to do. We have worked together ever since.”
Hinman moved to Torrington with his family in 2007. His wife, Heather , is a Torrington native. Hinman is from Richmond, Virginia originally. “I attended an all boys, military high school called Benedictine High School. I played baseball and football. I was a All-State linebacker twice in high school. I was also in the Marines for 6 years. I attended West Virginia University briefly and UConn after moving here. I currently work at Sikorsky on the Presidential Helicopter program. “
Hinman is a former member of the Torrington Board Of Education and coached baseball, football and soccer locally over the last 10 years. “I have two kids in sports. My son, Patrick, is a rising junior and plays football. My daughter, Amelia, is a rising freshman and plays soccer. My wife is an executive assistant with Ebner Camps. We have been married for 19 years.
On his future, Himan, commented, “I’m a bit of a dreamer but I’d love to build a multi use facility with a variety of fields for our youth programs to move. One overall home for all our sports where the programs can cross pollinate. I feel that Torrington is a sleeping giant for sports. We have the kids. We lack the focus and organization as a community. I’m hoping to move us closer to that over time. I continue to meet people smarter than me, which isn’t hard, that have pieces to this puzzle. I will continue to work towards that goal. Our kids deserve the absolute best facilities and coaching that our community can provide.”
Legacy, Hinman said, should appeal to everyone. “We have athletes and non-athletes. I have a general class that has a mix of kids with very different skill sets. They’re all very supportive of each other. It’s a great environment. We also have two sport specific classes currently. One class is full of football kids for the Torrington Warriors. The other class is full of THS football kids. I love the dynamic of these teammates training together in the off-season. The chemistry building is fantastic. I am open to training more teams. I will make myself as available as possible.”
As for his training approach, Himan said, ‘In spite of the fact that I’m a Marine veteran I do not run a boot camp style class. Instruction is very important, similar to a classroom. It’s important that the kids understand that failure is part of training and learning new skills. Similar to practice or weight training I’m looking for controlled failure. Train just hard enough that you start making mistakes. That’s when you know you’re pushing your limits.”
Classes at Legacy currently are comprised of “Torrington kids primarily, but I also have soccer kids from Litchfield and Harwinton. I’m working on expanding the reach.”