Episode 31 Mike Cunningham Host of the Gill Athletics Track & Field Connections Podcast

I had the pleasure of returning the favor to my good friend Mike Cunningham by having him on my podcast. Mike is was a long-time coach and former instructor for USATF education. Now his current position is chief of sales at Gill Athletics and host of his very own podcast. He has had the unique opportunity through his previous and current career(s) to create a wonderful fellowship with coaches. Mike is wise and has a great perspective that we all should consider.  Mike and I discuss the importance of effective communication and how technology can help or hinder the process. Mike and jump into the importance of intent of our actions. Mike argues we need to do a better job of showing grace and opportunities for redemption. We go on to discuss the benefits of various points of view and the need to discuss them openly. Mike teaches the audience the benefit of focusing your mission on what value you can share not the effects of others. Cunningham goes into detail about why he felt it was important to shift from short-term thinking to long-term thinking and the podcast being an expression of that change. Mike talks about the value of everyone’s unique story and path in their development as a person. I ask him to explain the value of his time playing cards has helped him see the long game and learning in detail what are major motivators of people. After 100s of conversations with coaches Cunningham reveals what he discovered about what they have in common. We also chat about how mental health is important for our coaching friends and the value of a support network. Mike asks me to give my opinion on why so many coaches feel the urge to work way past the normal hours of work for their career. Mike makes the case that our experience opens our eyes to the need to become more selfless than selfish as mature as a coach. Cunningham catches me in an absolutist statement and holds me accountable for the truth behind my words. We close the conversation about the challenges around the word “just” and the importance of the concept of infinite influence. For elite performance technology please visit: https://store.simplifaster.com/sku/83/ To purchase the Sprinter's Compendium visit: https://store.vervante.com/c/v/V4081803315.html To connect with Mike on Twitter: @MikeCunningham To follow Mike's Podcast visit: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-track-and-field-connections-podcast/id1500782760