For many players, it becomes easy for the mind to drift about 10-15 minutes before practice is over. Only a small percentage of players actually run “through the line”. Fewer still, push even harder, past that point, to ensure they are consistently growing.

The sweat running down Peyton Hein’s face, dripping on to her wrists and running further to the basketball pressed firmly between her hands to the floor, decreasing the friction necessary to maintain stability during our ball plank at the end of practice is sign #1 she among those few.  

 

“My favorite parts about the sports I play is the competitiveness” Peyton says, “You are always being pushed to your limits trying to be one of the best on the court. It has taught me to have a strong work ethic. I’m never allowing myself to settle for just being okay, I’m always pushing to get better.”

 

All players must go at least 1 minute but Peyton is on minute two. Everyone else has tapped out. Peyton refuses. She’s the only one who has consistently challenged me since the first day of practice and still consistently challenges me to this day.

“I always want to win no matter what the challenge is” she said when I asked her why she even started to challenge me (since I never actually put the challenge out there, Peyton just didn’t stop planking…) “When I saw an opportunity to try and beat you in something, I took it. It’s also a way to continue to push myself to be better and challenge my mental strength.”

When I had officially met Peyton six months earlier at a Train & Play open gym at The Sporthouse, the first thing I noticed was her willingness to work incredibly hard at things she had never done before. She was strong. She was dynamic. She was aggressive. A true multi-sport athlete. Something fun to see in a day & age where kids are asked to choose early to focus on one thing. Peyton, (and this is straight on brand for “P” if you know her) chose to do all the things.

 

“As a kid I played basketball, soccer, volleyball, gymnastics, and softball. As I grew up, I slowly found a love for my main 3 sports of basketball, volleyball, and soccer” says P. 
 “Playing those 3 sports in both school and travel season came to be too much so I decided to end my soccer career after my freshman year. I now play basketball and volleyball and have high aspirations to play collegiate basketball.”

 

The thing is, when most players find out how much work it actually takes to play at the next level, there always tends to be something to distract them from doing what’s needed to get those results. College sports are no joke. Especially in a world where all programs at all levels are competitive. This doesn’t deter Peyton at all as the Hein family are no strangers to hard work and discipline. She’s fortunate she has some great models to look up to. 

 

“The athlete I look up to the most is my brother, Carson. He helps to show me that accomplishing goals is a very possible thing if you worker harder than everyone else. He has one of the most solid work ethics I know and it pushes me to always work harder as well. Mostly just because I want to be known as the more athletic Hein kid.”

 

That is definitely going to be an uphill battle for Peyton as Carson started his football career at GVSU this fall after being named to the Michigan All-Star Team this past summer and earned his All-State spot this past fall during his senior season at Spring Lake where he was rated the #1 Center in Michigan.

 

“It’s actually a little surprising she’d choose me but I’m proud to have been a positive influence and a good role model for her. It’s cool that my discipline and work ethic don’t go unnoticed because those are two things I take pride in.”

 

Peyton’s parents, Aaron and Brooke, are also accomplished athletes and have played a significant role in Peyton’s athletic career thus far. Aaron is no stranger to athletic success having a couple National Championships under his belt. “I played football at GVSU from 2000-2004 and was lucky enough to play in 3 National Championship games and help take home the trophy in 2 of them."

 

“The person who influences me the most in my athletics is my dad. He is always the first to encourage me after a bad game and give me pointers when I’m ready. He always wants to talk about my aspirations and how he can best help me to get there. He is truly at my side through it all and would drop everything if it meant me reaching my goals. And my mom? She’s never missed a game. And up until the time I could drive, she was my ride everywhere, as long as I could remember all of my activities.”

For the author, memories of Peyton from this past ’25 Spring Travel Season are plentiful. Like the time she went 9 for 11 from the free throw line, or the time she took an elbow to the face followed by a solid clawing to the neck and chest area going into halftime and then stepped back in and immediately scored 8 points, played lock down defense, and secured every loose ball in her vicinity in one of the gutsiest performances I’ve ever seen as a coach.

 

Oh, and did I mention she was the first to step up and volunteer to be a Captain of The House basketball team in 2024 as a freshman on a team of upper classwomen? 

Carrying this mantle these past couple years has been a badge of honor for Peyton.

 “Being a good teammate means being a leader both on off the court. It involves leading by example and also leading with your voice. It means always pushing yourself to be the hardest working on the court so that it encourages other people to work just as hard."

 

I think this is why Peyton still tries to beat me at the plank every single practice! She’s not just competitive, she knows that if she wants people to respond to her leadership, they need to know she’s willing to do everything and more than what she’s asking from them.