KELLOGG –– It’s been more than 40 years since the Kellogg Elks sent a kid to the Elks Hoop Shoot National Finals, but now Bridger Heyn can add his name to that elite list.  

Heyn, 10, recently won the local, district, state, and regional competitions and qualified for the Elks Hoop Shoot National Finals later this month in Chicago.  

Heyn is a unique kid. He doesn’t play video games, he doesn’t watch a ton of TV, and he isn’t glued to a cell phone or tablet. He plays basketball, like, a lot of basketball. Something that is pretty easy to recognize from the second he walks into any gym.  

Once that ball is in play, Heyn transforms from his quiet, borderline near-shy self into a ball of talkative energy. Especially when it comes to hoops.  

A shooter at heart, he likes offense more than defense. He doesn't mind a little bit of pressure, and his favorite basketball player is NBA Champion and Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum – Another guy who likes to score and doesn’t mind a little bit of pressure.  

Bridger is the son of John and Natalie Heyn, who have pointed their son in the direction of competitive sports for most of his young life, between countless hours playing basketball, Bridger also plays baseball. 

“He’s learning that hard work pays off,” John said.  

More than 3 million children, ages 8 -13, compete in the Elks Hoop Shoot each year, in 2024, 72 of them competed at the National Finals.

This year was Bridger’s second foray into the world of the Elks Hoop Shoot. Last season he finished second at the local level, which left a sour taste in his mouth and drove him to be better the next time around.  

In September of 2024, he manifested his success a little bit when he wrote down his goal on the first day of fourth grade.  

“I hope I make it to Nationals,” he wrote.  

And then he got to work.  

Bridger shoots a minimum of 200 free throws per day, six days a week. A staggering 1,200 shots per week, and that is his minimum. His current record is 39 straight makes, but he’s not unfamiliar with going 96 out of 100. 

He’s a student of the game at a young age, nicknamed Larry Bird for his blonde hair and ability to score from almost anywhere on the floor, he has a process that he trusts, both mentally and physically every time he steps to the free-throw line, whether it’s in-game or in a shooting competition.  

After going through his pre-shot routine, it’s a deep breath and all business.  

“I can get a little nervous, but I can also tell when it’s going in or not,” Bridger said. “Most of my shots, I feel pretty comfortable when the ball leaves my hand, but on some, I'll bend backward a little if I shot it wrong.”  

That self-awareness has been very beneficial to Bridger over the previous four levels of competition. After winning the local shoot with a score of 18 out of 25, he knew he needed to be better at the next level if his goal was to become a reality. Over the next three shoots, he found the number 22 to be his lucky number, winning districts, state, and regionals with that score.  

His rise through the ranks hasn’t been without drama, in fact, he found himself in a pretty tense situation at the regional shoot in Nampa last month. According to Bridger and John, after hitting his standard mark of 22, Bridger’s opponent got really hot and went into his final five shots with 19 made already. He needed three to tie or four to punch his ticket and the kid who had started 19-20 went 0-5 to finish.  

Watching that unfold was eye-opening for Bridger, who began working even harder to prepare for Nationals.  

John has been with him every step, pushing him to do his best. Not because he’s living out some missed childhood opportunity, but because he believes that the best way to avoid having regrets is to put 100% of your effort into something.  

“Being competitive is a culture,” John said. You’ve got to instill it at a young age. I didn’t know that this was going to go as far as it has, but I told Bridger you got to put the work in and do your best. Even if you don’t win, at least you’ll know you gave it everything, and you can be happy with yourself.”  

We mentioned that Bridger had joined some elite company as a Kellogg Elks’ Finalist. While many have navigated the local, district, and state levels, the only person to make it past regionals was Kyle Wombolt, who was a National Finalist in 1979, 1981, and 1982.  

There are some perks to being a finalist. The Elks are taking the kids to a baseball game at Wrigley Field, and each shooter receives a trading card with their photo on it.  

The Elks Hoop Shoot National Finals are on April 26, at Wintrust Area, home of the WNBA’s Chicago Sky which can hold over 10,000 people.  

Hopefully every seat is full, because Bridger wouldn’t have it any other way.  

“I like pressure,” he said. “I like shooting in front of a crowd.”