The Gill Athletics Track and Field Connections Podcast

Gill Athletics
  • 4.9 (72)
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Unlock 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. Powered by Gill Athletics — Supporting Coaches Since 1918.

  1. #104: Gill1918 presents JC Lambert "Coaching the Throws and the Weight Room Part 2"

    3D AGO

    #104: Gill1918 presents JC Lambert "Coaching the Throws and the Weight Room Part 2"

    Back in the fall of 2025, Coach Marques Lowe (Gill podcast alum!) and the Vipers Track Club hosted a Central Illinois Pre-Season Coaches Clinic. To increase the value to other coaches, he has allowed those presentations to be published on the Gill1918 Project Podcast. Today is part 2 of Univ of Illinois throws coach JC Lambert presenting his thoughts on how to coach the throws and how to correlate the weight room with those activities. If you missed Part 1, go back and listen to it first. Welcome to Gill1918, the track & field coaching podcast powered by Gill Athletics. Since 1918, Gill has been dedicated to empowering coaches with innovative equipment—now, we're bringing elite coaching education straight to your ears. Our goal is to create the Ted Talks of track/field podcasts bringing the annual track clinic to your ears DAILY! Topics will include but are not limited to covering key strategies, techniques, and training principles to help you improve athlete performance, structure better workouts, enhance team culture, and more! Whether you're a high school, collegiate, or club coach, Gill1918 is your go-to resource for quick, high-impact coaching education from the best minds in the sport. 📩 Want to contribute an episode? Submit your 10-30 minute coaching talk to mcunningham@gillathletics.com or read ⁠⁠THIS LINKEDIN ARTICLE⁠⁠ for information on how to get started. All coaches are invited to participate! 🎙️ Don’t forget to subscribe and follow Gill Athletics for more expert coaching insights! #TrackAndField #CoachingEducation #Gill1918 #ByCoachesForCoaches #TrackCoach #TedTalksOfTrackFieldPodcast

    17 min
  2. #103: Gill1918 presents JC Lambert "Coaching the Throws and the Weight Room Part 1"

    4D AGO

    #103: Gill1918 presents JC Lambert "Coaching the Throws and the Weight Room Part 1"

    Back in the fall of 2025, Coach Marques Lowe (Gill podcast alum!) and the Vipers Track Club hosted a Central Illinois Pre-Season Coaches Clinic. To increase the value to other coaches, he has allowed those presentations to be published on the Gill1918 Project Podcast. First up in a two-parter is Univ of Illinois throws coach JC Lambert. He kicked off the clinic presenting his thoughts on how to coach the throws and how to correlate the weight room with those activities. Today is Part 1, join us tomorrow for Part 2. Welcome to Gill1918, the track & field coaching podcast powered by Gill Athletics. Since 1918, Gill has been dedicated to empowering coaches with innovative equipment—now, we're bringing elite coaching education straight to your ears. Our goal is to create the Ted Talks of track/field podcasts bringing the annual track clinic to your ears DAILY! Topics will include but are not limited to covering key strategies, techniques, and training principles to help you improve athlete performance, structure better workouts, enhance team culture, and more! Whether you're a high school, collegiate, or club coach, Gill1918 is your go-to resource for quick, high-impact coaching education from the best minds in the sport. 📩 Want to contribute an episode? Submit your 10-30 minute coaching talk to mcunningham@gillathletics.com or read ⁠⁠THIS LINKEDIN ARTICLE⁠⁠ for information on how to get started. All coaches are invited to participate! 🎙️ Don’t forget to subscribe and follow Gill Athletics for more expert coaching insights! #TrackAndField #CoachingEducation #Gill1918 #ByCoachesForCoaches #TrackCoach #TedTalksOfTrackFieldPodcast

    19 min
  3. #102: Gill1918 Presents Katie Follett "Championship Mindset" Powered by Coach O

    5D AGO

    #102: Gill1918 Presents Katie Follett "Championship Mindset" Powered by Coach O

    Katie is a mental skills coach for Elevated Performance following a 13-year career as a pro runner including winning a US Road Mile Championship and being a 3000m World Championships finalist. This is the final episode in her mindset series. She covers things athletes can start to do long before the key end of season competitions to make them better prepared to do their very best when it counts the most. If you'd like to contribute an episode, contact David Mitchell to learn more.

    11 min

  4. 6D AGO

    #346: Laurie Feit-Melnick - Univ of Rhode Island | 33 Years of Leadership, Legacy & Trailblazing

    From Long Island in the early 1980s—where girls weren’t even allowed to run cross country—to becoming the second head women’s coach in University of Rhode Island history, Laurie Feit-Melnick has spent a lifetime breaking barriers, building community, and shaping generations of women. In this powerful conversation, Laurie takes us through a journey few could imagine: 🏃‍♀️ Starting her high school's first-ever girls cross country team 🎓 Navigating personal tragedy during college and the life-changing mentorship that kept her running 📚 Becoming a coach not through design but through service, curiosity, and courage 🏅 Moving from Miami (OH) to URI—first as an acting head coach, then building a 33-year legacy 🍼 Raising a family inside the sport while coaching with her husband John 💙 Empowering young women, championing community, and serving as a role model for women in coaching 🏟️ And now—ushering in a NEW era at Rhode Island with a state-of-the-art outdoor track & field facility This is not just a coaching story. This is a story about resilience, opportunity, mentorship, motherhood, leadership… …and the ripple effect one coach can have across thousands of lives. “It’s not always about wins and losses. It’s about connection—helping young people become the best they can be.” — Laurie Feit-Melnick An uplifting, emotional, and deeply inspiring episode showcasing the power of women in coaching—and the profound legacy Coach Feit-Melnick continues to build at Rhode Island. 🌟 Explore Our Library: Dive into nearly 350 episodes featuring insights from coaching legends such as Boo Schexnayder and Dan Pfaff, Diljeet Taylor (BYU) and Beth Alford-Sullivan, as well as superstar coaches Petros Kyprianou (Illinois), Althea Thomas (Vanderbilt) and many more! Find us on Twitch.tv, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and more for your listening pleasure. 🎙️ Create Your Own Podcast Episode: Reach out to Mike Cunningham for instruction on how to create your very own Gill1918 Project episode, which airs Tuesdays through Sundays. Find YOUR voice on the Gill Connections Podcast Network. 📲 Stay Connected: Want to get in touch with our host, Mike Cunningham? Follow on Twitter (@MikeCunningham), email at mcunningham@gillathletics.com, or text to 217-898-3038. We love hearing from you! 🎧👍

    1h 46m

  5. JAN 15 · BONUS

    BONUS: Live from USTFCCCA 2025 | Interviews from the Convention

    Each year at the USTFCCCA Convention, we sit down with coaches for micro 5-10/ish minute interviews. This year we asked them "What are you a nerd about off the track?" in an attempt to learn about these amazing human beings outside of their roles as excellent track/field coaches. Their answers are as diverse as they human they are. We learned we were sitting with Lego enthusiast, history buffs, trail/mountain fans, and so much more. ENJOY! 🌟 Explore Our Library:Dive into over 350 episodes featuring insights from coaching legends such as Boo Schexnayder and Dan Pfaff, DiljeetTaylor (BYU) and Beth Alford-Sullivan,as well as superstar coaches Petros Kyprianou(Illinois), Althea Thomas (Vanderbilt) andmany more! Find us on Twitch.tv, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and more foryour listening pleasure.🎙️ Create Your Own Podcast Episode:Reach out to Mike Cunningham for instruction on how to create your very own Gill1918 Project episode,which airs Tuesdays through Sundays. Find YOUR voice on the Gill ConnectionsPodcast Network.   📲 Stay Connected: Wantto get in touch with our host, Mike Cunningham? Follow on Twitter (@MikeCunningham),email at mcunningham@gillathletics.com,or text to 217-898-3038. We love hearing from you! 🎧👍

    3h 15m
  6. #101: Gill1918 Project presents Andrew Basler "Leaders Don't Always Have the Loudest Voices"

    JAN 14

    #101: Gill1918 Project presents Andrew Basler "Leaders Don't Always Have the Loudest Voices"

    Andrew Balser joins us on the Gill1918 Project to teach us about a leadership lesson that made him a better coach, a better father, and a better husband. Early in his professional journey he thought leaders head to have a loud voice. Today he's learned that top leaders have the sharpest ear. Andrew is the head coach of the University of Milwaukee track and field team and has earned the Horizon League Track and Field Coach of the Year award SIX TIMES! Welcome to Gill1918, the track & field coaching podcast powered by Gill Athletics. Since 1918, Gill has been dedicated to empowering coaches with innovative equipment—now, we're bringing elite coaching education straight to your ears. Our goal is to create the Ted Talks of track/field podcasts bringing the annual track clinic to your ears DAILY! Topics will include but are not limited to covering key strategies, techniques, and training principles to help you improve athlete performance, structure better workouts, enhance team culture, and more! Whether you're a high school, collegiate, or club coach, Gill1918 is your go-to resource for quick, high-impact coaching education from the best minds in the sport. 📩 Want to contribute an episode? Submit your 10-30 minute coaching talk to mcunningham@gillathletics.com or read ⁠⁠THIS LINKEDIN ARTICLE⁠⁠ for information on how to get started. All coaches are invited to participate! 🎙️ Don’t forget to subscribe and follow Gill Athletics for more expert coaching insights! #TrackAndField #CoachingEducation #Gill1918 #ByCoachesForCoaches #TrackCoach #TedTalksOfTrackFieldPodcast

    18 min
  7. #100: Gill1918 Presents David Mitchell “The Joy of Being Simple-Minded” Powered by Coach O

    JAN 13

    #100: Gill1918 Presents David Mitchell “The Joy of Being Simple-Minded” Powered by Coach O

    David is a nationally known T&F announcer and is the Director of Client Relations for Coach O. Pulling from his decades coaching experience, he shares how to simplify the teaching of new concepts for beginner athletes for all coaches, especially brand new coaches, with examples of starting blocks, relay exchanges, training on the road and getting new long jumpers started. If you'd like to contribute an episode to this series, contact David HERE.

    17 min

  8. JAN 12

    #345: Trent Baltzell-Univ of Rhode Island | From Athlete to Head Coach of His Alma Mater

    From competing as a multi-event athlete at the University of Rhode Island to leading the program as head coach, Trent Baltzell has lived every phase of the collegiate track and field experience. In this episode, Trent shares how authenticity, relationships, and persistence have shaped his coaching journey—from first-time head coach at Assumption to returning home to URI. His story is filled with lessons about leadership, culture, and the power of staying true to who you are. 💡 Highlights include: 🏃‍♂️ Transitioning from athlete to coach — and learning to lead authentically 💬 The challenges of being a first-time head coach at a young age 🧩 Building and managing a coaching staff for long-term success 🏅 Returning to his alma mater and carrying on Coach Copeland’s legacy 🏟️ Designing URI’s brand-new track & field facility from a coach’s perspective “I just tried to be myself — not who I thought a head coach was supposed to be. The athletes can always tell when you’re genuine.” – Trent Baltzell 🌟 Explore Our Library: Dive into nearly 350 episodes featuring insights from coaching legends such as Boo Schexnayder and Dan Pfaff, Diljeet Taylor (BYU) and Beth Alford-Sullivan, as well as superstar coaches Petros Kyprianou (Illinois), Althea Thomas (Vanderbilt) and many more! Find us on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and more for your listening pleasure. 🎙️ Create Your Own Podcast Episode: Reach out to Mike Cunningham for instruction on how to create your very own Gill1918 Project episode, which airs Tuesdays through Sundays. Find YOUR voice on the Gill Connections Podcast Network. 📲 Stay Connected: Want to get in touch with our host, Mike Cunningham? Follow on Twitter (@MikeCunningham), email at mcunningham@gillathletics.com, or text to 217-898-3038. We love hearing from you! 🎧👍

    2h 28m
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4.9
out of 5
72 Ratings

About

Unlock 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. Powered by Gill Athletics — Supporting Coaches Since 1918.

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