The Gill Athletics Track and Field Connections Podcast

Merry Christmas! Today we rebroadcast an episode of the Companions of the Compendium podcast hosted by Ryan Banta. Ryan sits down with Gill National Sales Manager Mike Cunningham for an interview where they get into conversations centered around a track coach's life off the track. Ryan's podcast is chock full of value for coaches of all levels, find him on your favorite podcast app of choice. Want...

Welcome back everyone!  As we get ready to spend time with family, here is some entertainment for you to get lost in.  This week we entertain some questions from the audience...AFTER we get thru some CFP and NFL shenanigans of course.    Clyde steps in for RAPID FIRE and HEARTBEAT PROPS delivered with all the love in the world.  So enjoy the shenanigans! Want to have...

A Legacy of Coaching Excellence: A Conversation with Boo Schexnayder Join host Mike Cunningham on the Gill Athletics Connections Podcast for a heartfelt and enlightening episode featuring the wise and wonderful Boo Schexnayder. This episode is a must-listen for track and field coaches at both the high school and college levels, as it explores the philosophy, experiences, and wisdom of a coach who...

With most mischief managed, Clyde is back in his seat.  Thank you again to the Governor for his time and we will definitely see him again!    We would be remissed if we didn't give Clyde his moment, upon his return, for college football.  Only to be followed by some NFL wackiness.  Then the guys go a step further into the madness and discuss the nominees for World Ath...

Great conversation with the head coach of Southeastern University in beautiful Lakeland, Fla. We learn the impact his alma mater (Shorter University) and coach (Scott Byrd) had on his athletic career and continually throughout his coaching career. Nick tells us his journey that includes wanting to be a head coach after his third year of coaching and how that led to head coaching positions at Brewt...

It's a new kind of episode for everyone!  We have  a guest host with us!  The Governor...Governor Streete-Thompson!  He ever so willingly chimes in as Clyde has some personal matters to tend to...so let's throw him right into the fire with CFB!!!  What's the chaos this week?!  Another spin on the coaching carousel and then the madness of the NFL...what the heck! &nbsp...

Doug joins us to discus his journey in the coaching world and starts with surprising story of how he flunked out of college as a student. The importance of correcting his mistake helped bring him back to graduate from Arizona and set him on his course to coaching throws in the collegiate setting. His career was heavily influenced by great head coaches in his life which led him to emulate and build...

It's about that time!  LLC time that is!  Welcome back for another fun episode with a great guest, Olympian Will Claye.  We welcome Will with some great questions, and even better that they don't all pertain to track and field.    After we let Will go enjoy his evening, we address ALL of the madness of collegiate football and that does not disappoint!  Sir Luciou...

The Enduring Legacy of Amy Deem at the University of Miami In this episode of the Connections Podcast, host Mike Cunningham engages in a heartwarming conversation with Amy Deem, the stalwart head coach of the University of Miami's track and field team. With over three decades at the helm, Amy shares her incredible journey from West Virginia to the sunny shores of South Beach. Amy delves deep i...

Welcome to another fun-filled Friday evening with the LLC crew joined by a special guest...Darryl Anderson!  Director of TF & XC at TCU, and current coach of Ronnie Baker.  Can you guess what shenanigans we get Coach Anderson (DA) into this week?!?!?!  Relays? Training? What ifs?  After we let Coach Anderson go and enjoy his evening, we take the lid off the  CHAOS and...

The Athletic and Coaching Odyssey of John Godina from Grand Canyon University In this episode of the Connections Podcast, host Mike Cunningham is joined by the three-time Olympian and current collegiate shot put record holder, John Godina. John delves into his illustrious career, reflecting on his early days and the mentors who shaped his trajectory, including his father, Bill Godina, and his coll...

It's about that time again!  Happy LLC day!!  This week we welcome a guest tile...Jon Drummond joins Sir Lucious, Lamar, and Clyde for some organized chaos.  If you have ever caught a moment of JD on social media...he doesn't let you down tonight!  Then you add the other 3 tiles to the noise, SHEEEEESH!    After we spend some time with our guest, we unleash Clyde...

John Weaver sits down with us today to discuss his amazing journey as an athlete and coach of track and field and football in the state of Mississippi. From a random day in 8th grade when a coach walked up and told him to do the pole vault to coaching Madison-Ridgeland Academy's first boy's state title in 2015, John's story features amazing lessons of grit, determination and leadership. If you hav...

Hello LLC'ers!  Chaos is in the air!  This week Big League pokes the bear of chaos and pokes Clyde's side about CFB and NFL...we know you been waiting for the start of this.    After going down that road, Sir Lucious, Lamar, and Clyde help us get more professional with some great perspectives on current happenings.  First, we address the elephant called virtual clinic...

Awesome time sitting down with 25+ year high school coach Brian Kula. In a twist from our normal podcast style, we leverage Brian's long experience in the high school level to talk about what he's learned, what he would have done differently, and the advice he has for others. We learn his opinions on some popular social media recruiting trends (college uniforms, offer announcements), as well as th...

Yep, we did it...we brought in John Smith, coach of many athletes throughout the years.  Most recently he has been behind the success of Michael Cherry.  There is NO WAY you will want to skip thru this conversation...there is A LOT  to process.  We follow up the words of JS with a check in about the coaching carousel and then open the gates for Clyde to speak on some COLLEGE FO...

From the west coast to Alabama and then back again, Chris has a journey in every time zone except the east. From his time at TROY University to University of Tulsa and Fresno State, his experiences see him currently as the assistant coach at Cal Poly-SLO. Today's conversation will culminate in a lesson of sacrifice and dedication that saw him get out of coaching for the greater good of his family....

Hey LLC crowd!  Happy FRIDAY!    Let's start this week's convo with the realignment that occurred with the Big12, not only do we take it from the FB perspective...we looked at how the other sports fair.  With the entire track and field season coming to an end, Sir Lucious, Lamar, and Clyde highlight the last push of the DL.  And just to spice it up, we revisit the (wh...

Today, we're going to the opposite side of the world as we welcome Steve Rippon to the podcast. Steve currently serves as the Athletic Performance Manger for Queensland (Australia) Academy of Sport. After a successful Tokyo 2020 Olympic games, Steve is working to increase the international success of Australia's athletes as they head into World Championships in Eugene, Ore next year and the French...

It is Friday once again!  Thank you all for taking the time to join us for a special episode because today we are joined by Dr. Ross Flowers, founder of Giles Consulting Group.  We appreciate his input on more of the mental health piece as he has direct experience as a track and field and a mental health professional.    Making sure we take care of business as usual, we en...

Mike was recently named the USTFCCCA National Girl's Coach of the Year presented by the US Marines. We sit down to talk about an amazing accomplished year, what he learned through the disruptions of Covid, and some advice for high school coaches building a program. You'll enjoy hearing about Union Catholic's complete staff, the support they receive from administration, and the amazing feat they ac...

It's Athletics LLC day again!  Hope everyone has had a great week!  This week address a topic that we elected to push to this week, mental health and what it is looking like in regards to athletics/our athletes.  Hear some different perspectives on the topic and some key points on peripheral issues related.  Next, we take advantage of our connections by talking to Sir Lucious a...

Shelton was recently named the USTFCCCA National Boy's Track Coach of the Year presented by the US Marines. We are humbled to have him sit down and talk about this magical season and how it helped propel him to this award. Listening to Coach, you'll quickly see how it's an all-staff award as Summer Creek HS had point scorers in the high jump, 800m, 110mHH, discus, and a relay. We also learn more a...

Happy Athletics LLC day!  World Juniors, Alliance Group, Coaching Carousel update, and Prefontaine results...are those words not enough to intrigue you to listen in?!    Sir Lucious, Lamar, and Clyde all contribute their thoughts and perspectives on each of the topics and SHEESH!  Their words DON'T disappoint.  After we let the tiles get some things off their chest, S...

"It just means more" when an alum coaches at their alma mater. Today's guest nearly quit the App State track team as a sophomore and now serves as the Director of T&F and CC. How's that for a turnaround? Damion sits down with us today to talk about his mentors, how he never started coaching after college but was brought back to App State as an assistant coach, and his ascension to Associate He...