The Gill Athletics Track and Field Connections Podcast

An exceptional organization, the Business of Small College Athletics (BoSCA), holds an annual convention attended by some of the most passionate hard working adminstrators in the country.

Coming together to share their experiences and knowledge, the BoSCA Convention features some of the top administrators around speaking on important topics that could provide value to our current slate of track/field coaches whether you have an interest in becoming an administrator one day or not.

We hope these next few weeks of topics from ADs from Albany State, U of Indianapolis and more will encourage you, educate you, and challenge you for future growth.

ENJOY!

The price on the quote tells you what a pole vault pit costs today. It does not tell you what the school may spend throughout its life.

In this Gill1918 Project episode, Mike Cunningham explains how coaches and athletic directors can evaluate the total cost of owning a pole vault pit.

💵 Initial purchase and accessory costs

☀️ Weather protection and storage

🔧 Maintenance, repairs, and replacement parts

🛡️ Warranty coverage and customer support

📅 Expected lifespan and cost per year of service

The lowest-priced pit may provide the best value—or it may become more expensive through repairs, maintenance, and earlier replacement.

Share this episode with a coach, dealer, athletic director, or facility planner comparing pole vault landing systems.

Should your school purchase the smallest legal pole vault pit—or invest in a larger landing system?

In this Gill1918 Project episode, Mike Cunningham explains why meeting NFHS or NCAA minimum requirements is only one part of the decision.

🏫 When a minimum-compliant pit may be the right choice

📈 When program growth makes a larger pit worth considering

🏟️ How facility space and competition plans affect the decision

💰 Why coaches must consider the entire project budget

🔭 How to purchase for both today’s athletes and the program’s future

There is no single answer for every school. The right pit depends on your athletes, facility, budget, and long-term goals.

Share this episode with a coach, athletic director, or facility planner preparing for a pole vault pit purchase.

Sports Psychiatrist Dr. Alli Young helps parents coaches, and sports organizations navigate the mental side of sport. In this episode, Dr. Alli highlights three potential issues when coaching or parenting children with ADHD and provides clear action steps you can take to overcome those issues together. Follow Dr. Alli on IG (@sidelinepsych) for other helpful solutions.

If you've got a topic to share or if you have a request, contact David Mitchell. He'll be glad to hear from you!

Coach Maryn Lowry joins Mike Cunningham on the Gill Connections Podcast to share her coaching journey from Cincinnati, Ohio, to Northwestern University.

Maryn discusses her path from running with the Bond Hill Flyers to competing at Iowa State and the University of Montana, where an injury ultimately opened the door to coaching. Along the way, she shares the lessons learned from mentors like Andrea Grove-McDonough, Gary Wilson, and Northwestern Head Coach Jill Miller.

The conversation explores why great coaches embrace discomfort, how continual learning shapes coaching philosophies, and why relationships remain the foundation of successful programs. Maryn also discusses transitioning from athlete to coach, developing as a young leader, coaching distance runners across all events, and what she's learned at every stop from Montana to Alabama to Chicago.

You'll also hear stories about mountain running, 100-mile ultramarathons, Northwestern's famous coaching dog Lou, and why stepping outside your comfort zone may be the key to long-term growth.

💜 Topics Include:

✅ Growing up in Cincinnati and discovering track & field
✅ Running at Iowa State and the University of Montana
✅ Transitioning from athlete to coach
✅ Coaching during COVID
✅ Mentorship and coaching education
✅ Building trust with student-athletes
✅ Developing a coaching philosophy
✅ Northwestern's distance program culture
✅ Why growth requires discomfort
✅ Lou the dog and canine-assisted training

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 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 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 Instagram (@MikeCunninghamTF), email at [email protected], or text to 217-898-3038. We love hearing from you! 🎧👍

An exceptional organization, the Business of Small College Athletics (BoSCA), holds an annual convention attended by some of the most passionate hard working adminstrators in the country.

Coming together to share their experiences and knowledge, the BoSCA Convention features some of the top administrators around speaking on important topics that could provide value to our current slate of track/field coaches whether you have an interest in becoming an administrator one day or not.

We hope these next few weeks of topics from ADs from Albany State, U of Indianapolis and more will encourage you, educate you, and challenge you for future growth.

ENJOY!

At first glance, most pole vault pits look remarkably similar.

Underneath the top pad, however, are dozens of engineering decisions that can affect safety, performance, maintenance, durability, and long-term value.

In this Gill1918 Project episode, Mike Cunningham explains what really makes one pole vault pit different from another, including:

🧱 How foam layers balance landing comfort and support

🌧️ Why vinyl construction and weather protection matter

↕️ How reversible, edge-to-edge top pads distribute wear

🔗 How hardware and fastening systems keep pit sections connected

📐 Why the geometry around the vault box is so challenging

🛡️ How standard base-pad designs protect athletes around the standards

Mike also shares the most revealing question a coach can ask a manufacturer:

“Why was your pit designed this way?”

The answer can reveal far more about a landing system than its color, price, or catalog specifications.

How much does a pole vault pit warranty really protect—and what could still leave your program responsible for an expensive repair or replacement?

In this Gill1918 Project episode, Mike Cunningham explains why coaches should never compare landing-system warranties based on the number of years alone.

Mike breaks down:

🛡️ What pole vault pit warranties typically cover

🚫 The damage warranties commonly exclude

📉 How prorated warranties lose value over time

♾️ What “lifetime warranty” may actually mean

🚚 Why freight responsibility matters during a claim

📄 What documentation schools should retain

❓ The questions every coach should ask before purchasing a pit

Mike also reviews Gill Athletics’ currently published limited warranty for pole vault and high jump landing systems and explains why the most important warranty question is not, “How many years is it?”

The better question is: “What happens if something goes wrong?”

Jamie is a two-time US Olympian in the high jump and a former D1 coach. He's also an award winning actor, writer, and filmmaker. This is the 2026 updated version of Jamie's very popular "Hot Tips for HJ" episode. Coaches and athletes are invited to register for Jamie's upcoming Virtual High Jump Camp to be held 9/27/26. 

If you have a topic to share with our youth audience, contact David Mitchell. We'd love to have you join the fun!

Central Washington University Head Coach Jon Hill joins the Gill Athletics Connections Podcast to share a coaching journey shaped by perseverance, mentorship, and the people who refused to give up on him.

Jon takes us from his days as a multi-sport athlete in Portland, Oregon, through NAIA and Division I competition, and eventually into coaching stops at Portland State, Eastern Washington, Army West Point, Rice University, and now Central Washington.

Along the way, he reflects on the mentors who helped shape his career, including Kebba Tolbert (Gill podcast alum!), Chad Perry, Troy Engle, Mike Smith, and Jim Bevan. The conversation explores coaching education, athlete development, recruiting, leadership, culture, and why the best coaches see their athletes as much more than competitors.

This episode is packed with stories, lessons, and thoughtful discussion for coaches at every level.

Topics include:

• Growing up in Portland's strong multi-sport culture
• Learning the value of coaching education
• Training under Kebba Tolbert and Chad Perry at Portland State
• Coaching at Army West Point and Rice University
• Recruiting philosophy in today's landscape
• Building culture through values instead of rules
• Why great coaches never give up on kids
• Finding balance between coaching, family, and life

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 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 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 Instagram (@MikeCunninghamTF), email at [email protected], or text to 217-898-3038. We love hearing from you! 🎧👍