Stay ConnectedUnlock the world of track & field coaching with The Gill Connections Podcast! Host Mike Cunningham brings you inspiring stories, real conversations, and coaching insights from leaders at every level. Discover a new coach’s interview every Monday. Plus, don’t miss the Ted Talks of track/field podcasts with our NEW Gill1918 Project episodes Tuesday-Sunday — short, powerful lessons from top coaches to help you grow on and off the track.
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If you haven't listened to part 1 (Episode 102 back on May 10th) do yourself a favor and listen to that first. Then join us for today's episode where we pick up and meet Jeff Hartwig the track agent/manager, Gill Athletics' Pacer Brand Ambassador, high school pole vault coach, and USATF volunteer.
Thankful for Jeff joining us to talk us through what the life of an agent looks like and we get a guest appearance by Team USA Olympian Sam Kendricks. You won't want to miss Sam on the podcast!
Hey there! Thanks for joining us in season 2 of Athletics LLC! What a week it has been for track and field...and Sir Lucious, Lamar, and Clyde will tell you what stood out to them in the world of crazy marks/times being posted. After they get all of that out of their systems, the big hashtag right now is #reinstate48. While the fight is going to bring the qualifying number back to 48 from 32, listen in as to what the guys have to say about the whole situation. YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS OUT ON THIS CONVERSATION! Lastly, with the recent verdict coming down in the case of Chauvin, hear what Sir Lucious, Lamar, and Clyde have to add for insight. Lamar is in the line of RAPID FIRE tonight and the deliverance of our greatest sentiments arrive in Heart Beat Props. Take a seat, gather some knowledge and enjoy the chaos that we call #athleticsLLC! See you in a few!
The opportunity to sit down with a legendary coach such as Derrick Calhoun is a special treat. We learn the specialness of a 30 year coaching career as the girl's head coach at Morgan Park High School. Derrick takes us through the mindset change that had to occur to achieve the success that led to a 10+ year streak of 1st and 2nd place state team finishes.
After we talk Morgan Park, we go back in time and learn of coach's upbringing in the city of Chicago, how he started coaching as a junior in high school, and the mentors that help shaped him along the way. You don't want to miss at the end when we ask coach "Coach, what advice would you give a new coach in the sport of track and field?" You don't want to miss his answer!
Happy Friday! Thanks for joining us for episode 2 of Athletics LLC season TWO!!! After going over what happen last week in TRACK IS BACK, we field a question from the audience...it's a great GROWTH question. Then we venture over to the "dream" world and reveal which global city Lucious, Lamar, and Clyde think should be up next to host the Olympics. What are you thoughts??? Lucious is in the line of Rapid Fire for this week. What's your guess, is he a cat or a dog person??? Heart beat props take us home and let all of you know who we appreciate currently in our lives. Well, go ahead and get to watching and we'll see you in a few...
Today we welcome the entire coaching staff of the US Air Force Academy. Led by 30+ year USAFA head coach Ralph Lindeman we're joined by vertical jumps coach Scott Steffan, distance coaches Ryan Cole and Matt Layten, throws coach Dana Lyon, and sprints/hurdles coach Devin West. The staff help us understand the uniqueness of a service academy and what it means to coach there. We get to talk boxing classes, dogs at track meets, national champions, and servant leadership.
We end today's episode by putting Coach Lindeman on the hot seat where we learn some random, yet important facts that even his assistant coaches didn't know!
Season 2!!! Welcome to the next season of Athletics LLC, thanks for hanging out with us! Track is back and is it ever!? Performances from the weekend, when we usually would hear of fantastic relay performances, there were some individual performances were off the chain! Speaking of off the chain, what the heck is going on in California??? Listen in to get the update on what could be (not be) the road to the best head to head State meet around. Which non Olympic or World Championship meet is your favorite? Lucious, Lamar, and Clyde let you know what there's are...get your passports ready! Lastly, there's NO WAY we weren't going to talk about the championship basketball games that took place this week. WHEW! Those were something else! (Shoutout to Indy and San Antonio for their hospitality) Clyde blesses us with his presence in Rapid Fire and Heart Beat Props are enlightening as usual. Get to clicking and we will see y'all momentarily!
Today we welcome author Grant Overstake and sports psychologist Dr. Melissa White to the podcast to talk about the book Maggie Jumps Over the Moon. We learn Grant's motivation to write a Young Adult novel where the hero (Maggie Steele) utilizes the sport of pole vaulting in a quest for Kansas State meet glory to help her overcome a personal tragedy. Dr. White provides an educational aspect on how the book has helped her with her high school coaching duties. And finally we learn about an exciting time for Maggie Vaults Over the Moon as it republishes on June 1st as a specific educational tool for teachers around the world.
To register for the Maggie Vaults Over the Moon June 1 launch:
https://www.watermarkbooks.com/event/grant-overstake-virtual-event
About author Grant Overstake:
Grant Overstake has written two novels on important themes for young people. His premier novel, Maggie Vaults Over the Moon(2012), was cheered by Kirkus Reviews as a “Fine YA novel about perseverance in sports and in life.” Grant discovered his passion for writing as a youngster, reading sports novels by Matt Christopher hidden in his math book, and later by studying the brilliant feature stories in Sports Illustrated. His independent publishing company, Grain Valley Publishing, produces award-winning books with project teams of freelance editors and designers working virtually from around the nation. Grant's website www.grantoverstake.com.
About Dr. Melissa White:
White, a 6th grade English Language Arts teacher, mental performance consultant, and high school track coach. Like the hero Maggie Steele, Melissa was the first female pole vaulter at her high school, and she set a school record that lasted for ten years. During her senior year she also qualified for the inaugural women’s pole vault event at the Pennsylvania State Track Meet. She went on to vault and throw javelin at Bethany College (WV) during her undergraduate schooling. She was the first female vaulter there as well and won her conference three times. Today, “Doctor Coach White” uses Maggie Vaults Over the Moon to help motivate champion pole-vaulters and javelin throwers at Hempfield Area High School in Western Pennsylvania. She’s also the mental performance coach for the school’s varsity football team. Her counseling service, Performance Edge Consulting, helps athletes from beginners to professionals across the nation gain the mental edge to perform their best. To learn more about Dr. White’s sport counseling service and download a free goal-setting worksheet, visit performanceedgeconsulting.org
We're big fans of the hit YouTube show Athletics LLC. They produce funny, reverent, detailed conversations about the great sport of track and field and publish every Friday at 4pm cst. We are humbled to rebroadcast the audio version here at the Gill Connections podcast each Thursday. In today's MEGAPOD, we go behind the tiles and learn their individual unique journeys in the sport of track and field as told to host Mike Cunningham throughout this past year on the Connections podcast.
If you're a fan of the show, this is your opportunity to learn more about this 'cast of characters'. We'll run it like a relay team and start with Big League Chew, handing off to Charles Ryan, Huffins will handle the curve, and then Mouse will bring it home. ENJOY!
Marissa Chew-"Big League"
Charles Ryan-"Clyde"
Chris Huffins-"Lamar"
Mike 'Mouse' Holloway-"Sir Lucious"
Happy Anniversary Athletics LLC! We did it! We made it to a year of coming together, bringing forth knowledge/opinions, and having some good ol' fun! Thank you all for joining us along the way and we appreciate you all. Well, what do you do when you have such a dynamic coaching duo who also has a COLORFUL recorded athletic achievement history as well? YOU ASK THEM ALL THE QUESTIONS!!! We didn't but we did get some unique intel from both Leroy and Carl, they were so much fun! After we parted ways with them, we highlight TRACK IS BACK and talk about how talented the three tiles are with predictions. They knew what was going to happen before the athletes did... Lamar is in the line of fire tonight with Rapid Fire and this week's Heart Beat Props are just as endearing as any other week. So grab your snack, fix your seat, and join us for the 52nd episode of ATHLLETICS LLC!
Today we welcome the Director of T&F Operations for the brand new Gately Indoor Track and Field Center in Chicago, Illinois. We learn more about this exciting facility, as Craig walks us through everything Gately has to offer athletes and coaches around the country. Then we learn about Craig's upbringing in the sport of track and field, and the coaching stops along the way that have made him the perfect person to help open up this amazing facility.
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