The Gill Athletics Track and Field Connections Podcast

Gill Athletics
  • 4.9 (73)
  • Running
  • Updated Weekly

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. #174: Gill1918 Presents Mechelle Freeman "Part 1 Women in Leadership"

    22h ago

    #174: Gill1918 Presents Mechelle Freeman "Part 1 Women in Leadership"

    This past February, the great people of the Wisconsin Track Coaches Association held their annual Track/Field clinic with amazing speakers. To kick off the weekend they hosted a women4women program featuring inspirational speakers. WISTCA has graciously allowed us to share these speaker's topics on the Gill1918 Project. ENJOY!

    30 min
  2. #173: Gill1918 Presents Paralympian Tyson Gunter “A Para Track and Field Overview” Powered by Coach O

    1d ago

    #173: Gill1918 Presents Paralympian Tyson Gunter “A Para Track and Field Overview” Powered by Coach O

    Tyson is a 7-time Team USA member including the 2016 Paralympic Games. He's a 2-time Para World Championships Silver Medalist, and a Para Pan American Gold Medalist. Tyson and his wife, Kenzie, met at Idaho State and now serve as high school T&F coaches in Idaho. He is also the E-Commerce Manager for Black Label Supplements--Science-Backed Sports Nutrition. In this episode, Tyson shares insights on Para T&F and offers future support to those who may wish to get involved. If you've got a topic to share, contact David Mitchell to learn how. We'd love to have you join the fun!

    22 min

  3. 2d ago

    #365: Alan Wardsworth-Central Valley (WA) HS | From Chaos to Coaching: A Journey Built on Curiosity & Resilience

    Alan Wardsworth’s story doesn’t start on a pristine track facility—it starts in chaos. A childhood that spanned continents. A high school that literally burned to the ground. A kid who wasn’t focused in the classroom… until sport gave him a reason to be. And then, almost by accident, he finds track and field. What follows is a journey shaped by curiosity, resilience, and a willingness to figure things out—from breaking school records in his first week, to learning events through instinct, to eventually becoming the kind of coach who impacts lives far beyond marks and medals. This one is a reminder of what makes this sport so powerful:➡️ It meets you where you are➡️ It gives you a reason to grow➡️ And if you let it… it can change everything 🔑 In this episode: 🌍 Growing up around the world and how it shaped his perspective🔥 Experiencing a high school burning down—and what that taught him about adaptability🏀 How eligibility struggles became a turning point academically💡 Discovering track & field almost by accident (and breaking records immediately)🧠 Early signs of a coaching mindset—problem solving before he even knew it🏃‍♂️ The environments and mentors that helped shape his coaching philosophy “I didn’t have the strength for the shot put… so I figured I had to use my legs. I didn’t know that’s what you’re supposed to do—I just knew I had to figure something out.” -Alan Wardsworth 🌟Explore Our Library: Dive into over 350 episodes featuring insights from coaching legends such asBoo 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!🎙️ Create Your Own Podcast Episode: Reach out to Mike Cunningham for instruction on how to create your very ownGill1918 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 onTwitter (@MikeCunningham), email at mcunningham@gillathletics.com, or text to 217-898-3038. We love hearing from you! 🎧👍

    1h 59m
  4. #172: Gill1918 Presents Chad Gunnelson "Part 2 Lessons Learned from Coaching Great Women!"

    6d ago

    #172: Gill1918 Presents Chad Gunnelson "Part 2 Lessons Learned from Coaching Great Women!"

    This past February, the great people of the Wisconsin Track Coaches Association held their annual Track/Field clinic with amazing speakers. To kick off the weekend they hosted a women4women program featuring inspirational speakers. WISTCA has graciously allowed us to share these speaker's topics on the Gill1918 Project. ENJOY!

    23 min
  5. #171: Gill1918 Presents Chad Gunnelson "Part 1 Lessons Learned from Coaching Great Women!"

    May 27

    #171: Gill1918 Presents Chad Gunnelson "Part 1 Lessons Learned from Coaching Great Women!"

    This past February, the great people of the Wisconsin Track Coaches Association held their annual Track/Field clinic with amazing speakers. To kick off the weekend they hosted a women4women program featuring inspirational speakers. WISTCA has graciously allowed us to share these speaker's topics on the Gill1918 Project. ENJOY!

    22 min
  6. #170: Gill1918 Presents Coach/Author David Emeott “Layered Leadership” Powered by Coach O

    May 26

    #170: Gill1918 Presents Coach/Author David Emeott “Layered Leadership” Powered by Coach O

    Coach Emeott's East Kentwood HS (MI) team will be competing for their 9th D1 state title this weekend to go with a national championship as well. To maximize the leadership potential of all team members, East Kentwood does not have team captains, but instead utilizes layered leadership. In his book, Beyond the Finish Line Emeott covers how a focus on transforming lives instead of outcomes has led to incredible results for his teams. NOTE: This episode was originally released in August, 2025. If you've got a topic to share, contact David Mitchell to find out how.

    8 min

  7. May 25

    #364: Bill Lawson-IMG Academy | Coaching, Parenting, and Building Champions

    Last week on the show, we heard the journey of TJ Lawson at IMG Academy — so this week we had to get the other Lawson. In this episode, Bill Lawson, Head Track & Field Coach at IMG Academy, joins us for a wide-ranging conversation that starts in rural Illinois and stretches all the way to TrackTown USA, the NCAA, and now the inaugural Under Armour High School Championships. Along the way, Coach Lawson shares how the 1968 Olympics lit the spark, why multi-sport matters more than ever, how he and Coach “Bucky” helped build Northern Iowa into a national force, what it takes to keep the edge when you move from a “mid-major grind” to a brand-name program, and how he approached the tricky (and rewarding) line between being Dad and being Coach while TJ was being recruited. And yes… we talk about the barefoot Hayward Field kids races too. 🎙️ In this episode, we cover:🔥 Growing up in Carthage, Illinois + falling in love with track through the 1968 Olympics🏁 The recruiting hustle before cell phones, social media, and instant results🧠 Developing athletes (and coaches) — plus the mistakes you only learn by doing👟 Multi-sport development and why “open mind” wins long-term🦆 Oregon, Kent State, and what “never settling” really looks like👨‍👦 Parenting a high-level athlete: letting TJ choose his path (and why that matters)🏟️ IMG Academy today + the Under Armour High School Championships coming May 29–31 If you enjoyed TJ’s episode last week, this one is the perfect companion — the full father/son coaching story, from both sides. 👉Dive into nearly 400 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 uson Twitch.tv, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and more!   🎙️ Create Your Own Podcast Episode:Reach out to Mike Cunningham for instruction on how to create your very own Gill1918 Project episode, which airsTuesdays 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) and Instagram (@MikeCunninghamTF), email at mcunningham@gillathletics.com,or text to 217-898-3038. We love hearing from you! 🎧👍

    1h 58m
  8. #169: Gill1918 Presents Guy Thomas-Rekortan (Rekortan Penn Relays Speaker Series)

    May 23

    #169: Gill1918 Presents Guy Thomas-Rekortan (Rekortan Penn Relays Speaker Series)

    Grateful to Rekortan for hosting a Coaches Speaker Session at the 2026 Penn Relays. Recorded on Friday during the Coaches Hospitality, Rekortan invited coaches and Rekortan teammates to share their running and coaching experiences to give value to the audience. Gill Athletics is grateful for Rekortan's trust to record these sessions to bring them to you in our Gill1918 Project podcast format. There are six speakers in all, you can find them on the Gill Connections podcast published on these dates: 5/3 Greg Scholars -AP RANCH 5/9 Bella Whitaker- ON 5/10 MaryBeth Price -Rekortan 5/16 Bill Lawson - IMG Academy 5/17 Kevin Quadrozzi - ON 5/23 Guy Thomas - Rekortan

    10 min
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4.9
out of 5
73 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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