496 episodes

Unlock the world of track and field coaches with The Gill Connections Podcast. Former high school and college track coach Mike Cunningham brings you closer to the heart of the sport, exploring the unique journeys of coaches worldwide. Engage with inspiring stories, uncover strategies that define success, and dive into the experiences that shape the track and field world. Subscribe for a fresh, insightful episode every Monday morning, connecting you with the authentic stories behind the coaches. Your weekly dose of inspiration and knowledge in track and field coaching is here!

The Gill Athletics Track and Field Connections Podcast Gill Athletics

    • Sports
    • 4.9 • 68 Ratings

Unlock the world of track and field coaches with The Gill Connections Podcast. Former high school and college track coach Mike Cunningham brings you closer to the heart of the sport, exploring the unique journeys of coaches worldwide. Engage with inspiring stories, uncover strategies that define success, and dive into the experiences that shape the track and field world. Subscribe for a fresh, insightful episode every Monday morning, connecting you with the authentic stories behind the coaches. Your weekly dose of inspiration and knowledge in track and field coaching is here!

    BONUS: Maryland State Meet featuring Patrick Malone from Crofton HS

    BONUS: Maryland State Meet featuring Patrick Malone from Crofton HS

    Today we take a look at how the state of Maryland qualifies athletes to their outdoor state track and field meet.

    *Fun Fact: Maryland has a long tradition of having wheelchair events contested at their state meet!

    • 22 min
    BONUS: Maine State Meet featuring George Mendros from Thornton Academy

    BONUS: Maine State Meet featuring George Mendros from Thornton Academy

    Today we take a look at how the state of Maine qualifies athletes to their outdoor state track and field meet.

    *Fun Fact: Maine has the 1600m Racewalk as an official event for the outdoor state meet! They even do the javelin!

    • 21 min
    #256: Steve Dolan-University of Pennsylvania/Penn Relays

    #256: Steve Dolan-University of Pennsylvania/Penn Relays

    Empowering Success: The Steve Dolan Philosophy 🏃‍♂️💡

    In this enlightening episode of our podcast, host Mike Cunningham, National Business Development Manager for Gill Athletics, sits down with the multifaceted Steve Dolan, Director of Track and Field for the University of Pennsylvania and Director of the Penn Relays. Dive deep into the world of track and field as Dolan shares his unique journey, the art of balancing dual roles, and his secret to success: empowering others. 🌟



    Key Highlights:

    Empowering Leadership: Discover how Dolan's philosophy of finding and empowering great people has been the cornerstone of his success. "I'm trying all the time to find people that are as good or better than I am at tasks and empower them to do it," Dolan shares, highlighting the importance of trust and delegation in achieving collective goals. 🤝

    Innovating the Penn Relays: Get an insider's look at the evolution of the Penn Relays under Dolan's direction. From enhancing the experience for college women athletes to improving warm-up facilities and seating, learn how continuous improvement and innovation have kept this historic event at the forefront of track and field. 🏟️

    Navigating Challenges: Dolan opens up about the challenges of managing two full-time roles and the strategies he employs to maintain excellence in both. His candid reflections offer valuable insights into the complexities of leadership in sports administration. 🚀

    Vision for the Future: Excitement builds as Dolan discusses the upcoming indoor facility at Penn, set to transform the landscape of East Coast track and field. This state-of-the-art facility promises to be a game-changer for the program and the broader track and field community. 🏗️

    A Legacy of Growth: From his unexpected path into coaching to leading one of the most prestigious track and field programs in the country, Dolan's story is a testament to the power of passion, perseverance, and purpose. 🌱

    Featured Quote:

    "I think the reality is, all of us want things to be done in the best way... I've tried really hard... to figure out how do we identify people that can be successful or more creative or have the skill set and set them up for success and let them do it." - Steve Dolan



    #PennRelays #TrackAndField #Leadership #Innovation #SportsManagement #Empowerment #Athletics #CoachingPhilosophy



    Tune in to this episode for an inspiring journey through the lens of one of track and field's most influential figures, Steve Dolan, and discover the power of leadership that empowers others to achieve greatness. 🎧🏆



    Check out past podcast episodes (including Boo Schexnayder-LSU, Diljeet Taylor-BYU, Petros Kyprianou-Illinois and 200+ more) on YouTube and Apple podcasts. Connect with host Mike Cunningham on Twitter (@MikeCunningham), email (mcunningham@gillathletics.com) or by text (217-898-3038).

    • 1 hr 44 min
    BONUS: Louisiana State Meet featuring Brad Womack from Patrick Taylor Academy

    BONUS: Louisiana State Meet featuring Brad Womack from Patrick Taylor Academy

    Today we take a look at how the state of Louisiana qualifies athletes to their outdoor state track and field meet.

    *Fun Fact: While Louisiana has a long tradition of having the javelin as an official event, it's only been a few years the 4x800m relay has been an official event.

    • 28 min
    BONUS: Kentucky State Meet featuring Jimi Burress from Bethlehem HS

    BONUS: Kentucky State Meet featuring Jimi Burress from Bethlehem HS

    Today we take a look at how the state of Kentucky qualifies athletes to their outdoor state track and field meet.

    *Fun Fact: While Kentucky Middle School athletes have the opportunity to throw the Turbojav, High School athletes DO NOT have the opportunity to throw the javelin!

    • 20 min
    BONUS: Kansas State Meet featuring Aaron Ballew from Blue Valley Southwest HS

    BONUS: Kansas State Meet featuring Aaron Ballew from Blue Valley Southwest HS

    Today we take a look at how the state of Kansas qualifies athletes to their outdoor state track and field meet.

    *Fun Fact: Kansas is one of the nearly 25 states that throws the javelin as part of their state series.

    • 21 min

Customer Reviews

4.9 out of 5
68 Ratings

68 Ratings

J. Mederos ,

Thank you

I look forward to each new episode that comes out. Great podcast!

ddavisxctf ,

Our Stories!

Great podcast highlighting our stories as track and field and cross country coaches! It's awesome to hear other coaches stories and see how similar so many of our experiences are as coaches but also hear those differences in our paths. It's uplifting to know so many of us are on similar journeys together!

dsdush ,

Opens the door!

Mike nails it!
This podcast gives an amazing insight to the world of track and field through great and insightful conversations with the great minds of track and field from the local club AAU coach to the the coaches of the biggest D1 programs.

As a parent of a young upcoming thrower listening to Mike and his coaches/guests, this podcast makes me a better track parents with a growing passion for the sport each week a new episode is released.

I highly recommend this podcast for both the seasoned athlete and up and coming athlete or just a fan of the sport.

This podcast has influenced me so much that I have even committed to help coaching my son youth team next year and beyond.

100% a 5 star program

Top Podcasts In Sports

Pardon My Take
Barstool Sports
The Bill Simmons Podcast
The Ringer
New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce
Wave Sports + Entertainment
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Dan Le Batard, Stugotz
Club Shay Shay
iHeartPodcasts and The Volume
KSR
Talk Radio 1080 (WKJK-AM)

You Might Also Like

The On Track & Field Podcast!
On Track & Field, Inc
The CITIUS MAG Podcast with Chris Chavez | A Running + Track and Field Show
CITIUS MAG
Just Fly Performance Podcast
Joel Smith, Just-Fly-Sports.com
Magness & Marcus on Coaching
Steve Magness
The Track and Field Performance Podcast
Colm Bourke
Sweat Elite Podcast
Sweat Elite