Off Track: Meeting of the Unknowing Minds

This week the All-American and Olympics Trails qualifier in the pole vault, Tray Oates pulls a chair up to the table. Take a listen as the Samford alum talks about getting into vaulting, the importance of the coach-athelte relationship, how he chases his dream and the avenue he is taking to give back to the young up and coming crop of vaulters!

This week Kelly Sullivan, Director of XC/TF at Seattle University pulls a chair up to the table. Coach Sullivan talks how he got into coaching, the impact you can have on an athletes life. The core values he has taken with him throughout his coaching journey, as well as the importance of a hat and a t-shirt. This one will definitely impact you.

This week Olympian Bianca Knight pulls a chair up to the table. Bianca talks about her reasoning behind choosing the University of Texas and then leaving after her freshman indoor season. The importance of having a strong support system and most importantly Bianca's desire to give back to her home state of Mississippi and the your in track and field. We dive into.her BK Foundation and the BK Trackstar app she has created. Bianca is definitely blazing a new path.

The Scientist Tom Schwartz, Tinman Elite Season 2 Ep 9 This week we have the pleasure of sitting down with the Scientist himself Tom Schwartz, Head Coach of Tinman Elite. We discuss how Coach Schwartz got into Coaching, the challenges the Tinman Elite group faces, and different avenues the sport of Track and Field could take to help its athletes qualify for National and Olympic events while still maintaining a normal racing schedule. We also walk back down memory lane on some of the best racing match ups in history. This one is fast pace so hold on to your spot at the table!!!

This week we bring in one of the World's best Christian Taylor. The 2 time Olympic Gold Medalist and 4 time World Champion Triple Jumper sits down with the panel this week to discuss his background in athletics along with his mindset, approach and preparation for competition. He also discusses the current challenges for professionals in the sport of track and field and how as the president of the Athletics Association he is unifying and advancing the voice of Track and Field athletes world wide. Follow Christian's lead and get "dialed in" for this episode! https://athleticsassociation.org/ https://twitter.com/taylored2jump https://www.instagram.com/taylored2jump

This week Amy Deem, Director of XC/Track and Field at the University of Miami pulls a chair up to the table. Coach Deem talks about her desire to be a coach since she was little. The challenges she has faced at the 'U' and Coach Deem thoughts on the current state of NCAA Track and Field!

This week former NCAA 10k Champion, and runner up in the 2012 Olympic Trials (10k) Natosha Rogers pulls a chair up to the table. Natosha discusses the challenegs she faced at Texas A&M, the importance of having a proper support system around you in running and in life and why having unfiltered conversations with your Coach can go along way.

This week Florida cross country coach and Assistant track and field coach Chris Solinsky pulls a chair up to the table. Take a listen as the former American Record holder at 10k speaks about what he learned from his trials and tribulations throughout his collegiate and professional career. As well as the drive it took Chris to stay at such an elite level. Think you can "Bring It"?

This week Walt Drenth, former Director of XC/TF at Michigan State pulls a chair to the table. Coach Drenth talks about the importance of having a work-life balance, the one thing Coaches should always remember the are and what not do if you are a freshman. A lot of hidden gems in this one, so many you may need to listen twice!!

This week Chris Chavez pulls a chair up to the table. The track and field writer for SI, and host of the Citius Mag and Citius Podcast pulls a chair up to the table to discuss the 'Bill Simmons' side of track and field. Chris also discusses his writing and what his first question to Usain Bolt was. This one was a great change of pace with a lot to learn!

This week the incredible Russell Dinkens pulls a chair up to the table. We dive into Russell's athletic career at Princeton, his passion for advocacy and a moment that impacted his life from a young age. The passion Russell has for equality and advocacy is contagious and we hope you get as much out of this week's podcast as we did!

To kick off the New Year, Ben Rosario, Head Coach/GM of the HOKA NAZ Elite team pulls a chair up to the table. We discuss the state of American Track and Field, the excitement of the new Pro Track Series and why it will work and how to become a professional coach....oh and stick around, there may or may not be some hidden outtakes after the show.

This week we sit down with the brilliant Victoria Jackson a sports historian, NCAA Champion and former professional runner. In this episode we dig into where we've been throughout the history of collegiate athletics and how we got to this moment in Track and Field. This was a fun and incredibly engaging conversation which will encourage you to look at our sport through a historical lens in order to understand where we are and where we are headed. Sit back and enjoy!

This week...we get hijacked by the the very esteemed and sneaky Mike Cunningham (Gill Athletics) and Rhonda Riley (Duke University). They flip the script on the panel as we get to know more about the backgrounds of the coaches and members of The Meeting of The Unknowing Minds podcast. This was a riot...tune in, kick back and enjoy!!

This week Coach Kenneth Cox, Associate AD for SA Mentorship and Head XC/TF at Birmingham Southern College, pulls a chair up to the table. We talk Coach Cox's history as an athlete and a coach. We also talk in depth with the issues and challenges Coach Cox has faced throughout his career. This one had us rooted in our chairs, eager to learn more. Pull up a chair and hear the passion and love Coach Cox has for what he does and the city he lives in.

We sit down this week with the new Dartmouth Director of Track and Field/Cross Country Porscha Dobson.  After a storied collegiate career, Dobson is considered one of the best hurdlers in UNC History.  Soon after UNC, she was climbing the ranks of the coaching world making stops at Seton Hall, Montclair State and Penn.  She blazing a path all her own as she becomes the first black female Director in Ivy League History.  We discuss her path in coaching, some of her greatest accomplishments and challenges along with the dynamics of walking into a new program and her vision for the future.  We are also joined by the Dartmouth staff which has a unique perspective on the history of the Dartmouth program and the transition it is now making.  Sit back and enjoy!  This is a fun and enlightening conversation.

We have the pleasure this week of sitting down with former Eastern New Mexico University President Jeff Elwell. Jeff is an educator, playwright and former track and field athlete. He has a deep passion for track and field and has served as a USATF official working SEC, Big 12 and NCAA Championship meets. This is an in depth look at how athletics fits into the context of a University's overall plan and particularly how Track and Field and Cross Country and other equivalency sports play a vital role bringing in money for universities through tuition/room and board and other student fees. We also discuss the current climate of NCAA athletics and how track and field can better brand their programs within the context of an athletic department. This is an extremely educational discussion...you will find some great take aways!

This week Former All-American Running Back and Track and Field athlete at Notre Dame, Reggie Brooks pulls a chair up to the table.  Reggie now serves as the Director of Student-Athlete Alumni Relations and Engagement at Notre Dame in addition to his duties as the Sports Administrator for Track and Field/Cross Country.  This is a inside look into the world of athletics administration from a guy who knows athletics and knows coaches and athletes.  We also dive into Reggie's time in college under Coach Lou Holtz, his transition to administration and what it means to part of a legacy.  Buckle up...this is a fun one!

We have the honor this week of sitting down with USTFCCCA Cross Country President Vicki Mitchell from the University of Buffalo.  We talk the recent cuts in Men's Track and Field at Clemson and then we dive into Coach Mitchell's incredible athletic career, her rise in the coaching ranks and the many challenges she overcame along the way.  Sit back, relax and enjoy a chat with this truly inspirational coach and leader! 

We have the honor and privilege of sitting down this week with legendary track and cross country coach Lance Harter of the University of Arkansas. Fresh off of his NCAA Titles in Cross Country and Track and Field, Coach Harter discusses his ascension to where he is now, how he manages his incredible squad, how he develops and hires young coaches and many other topics. This week we learn from the best! We hope you will too...enjoy!

This week we sit down with Oregon State head coach Louie Quintana where he's quickly made an impact bringing the cross country program up to a record ranking of 6th and qualifying for NCAA's for the first time in school history. We talk about his rise into coaching including his time as an athlete and 9 time All-American at Villanova and his long tenure at Arizona State coaching the likes of Shelby Houlihan and Amy Hastings. We get into the ins and outs of his recruiting style, what it's like to move across the country, looking for new challenges and of course...burritos!! Sit back and enjoy this one.

Joining us this week is none other than Mike Cunningham of Gill Athletics. He serves as the National Sales Manager for Gill Athletics and is also the Host of the Gill Athletics: Connections Podcast. Mike has a lengthy resume as he spent time as a Head Track and Field Coach at Neosho County Community College, and also spent time at the NCAA Division 1 Level at Troy, Ball State and Mississippi State. Between coaching and Gill, Mike explored the world of professional poker, which we also dive into. This is one of the more entertaining podcasts we've done to date with ultimately a great message from a guy who has literally done it all. Pull a chair up to the table and enjoy as we play the best hand we have in this week's episode!

We pull a seat up to the table with highly decorated athlete and coach Tonja Buford Bailey. In this high energy and candid conversation we discuss Tonja's career as both an athlete and a coach and some of the challenges she faces now coaching an elite track and field group in the "Covid" era. She provides an in depth look at what it takes to be an Olympic and World caliber athlete and make the transition to coaching both elite collegiate and professional athletes. Buckle up and enjoy this one!

Joining us this week is Sam Seems, a man who has done so much for the sport of track and field and cross country and undoubtedly moved the coaching profession forward. Sam is the CEO of the USTFCCCA and has dedicated his life to track and field and cross country. His influence in our sport has been tremendous and he has been very outspoken about the recent cutting of programs. In this episode we discuss the state of the sport, the health of athletic departments in general, the USTFCCCA's accomplishments and challenges and what we can do right now to move our sport forward. Pull up a seat to the table for this thought provoking discussion with one of the great minds in Track and FIeld/Cross Country. Disclaimer: The audio during the first portion of the podcast was a little distant, but it improves as the podcast moves forward.

Honored to sit down with former 100m World Record holder, Olympic Gold Medalist and current long time coach at the University of Houston Leroy Burrell.  Burrell currently serves as the USTFCCCA President and has become an influential voice in the sport of track and field.  In this highly entertaining episode we talk about Burrell's career as an athlete, coach, the current state of track and cross country, and Carl Lewis' briefcase size cell phone.  Pull a seat up to the table and enjoy this candid and insightful conversation.

In a time where programs within athletic departments are being cut and opportunities ripped away from young men and women, who better to have at the table than Hall of Famer and legendary University of Minnesota Track and Field/Cross Country Coach Gary Wilson. This is a very colorful conversation about the long and winding road of being a college track coach, the value of building relationships and how to fight for the survival of the sport we love! You are either the one at the table or you are the one on the menu....which one are you?

This week's conversation could not have come at a more important time as we sit down with coaching legend Vin Lananna.  Vin brings an incredible perspective to what is currently going on in the sport of collegiate track and field and cross country having made stops at Stanford, Oregon and currently at the University of Virginia.  He's currently the president of USA Track & Field and has also served as head coach for the USA World Cross Country Team, World Track and Field Team and recently 2016 Olympic Team in Rio de Janeiro.  In a time where track and field/cross country programs are being cut, Vin's message is clear...it is time to unify and speak up about the importance of track and field and how it serves our communities, our universities and our student-athletes.  Please give this episode a listen...you will be inspired!

This week we sit down with the multi-talented Kevin Hadsell.  He has some great ideas about the landscape of track and field and dives into his new role with the American Track League along with how coaches can better brand themselves and their programs.  This was a whirlwind 90 minutes with some thought provoking and candid conversations.  Sit back, relax and enjoy the ride, we sure did!

This week the man, the myth Coach Paul Vandersteen pulls a chair up to the table. The legendary Neuqua Valley (Illinois) Head Boys XC/Track Coach talks how to build a team from 20 to 130+.  How to get sprinters to run Cross Country, when did he know his 2007 IHSA State Championship team had what it took to win the State and NXN title.  Too, laying out his expectations for a college coach recruiting high school athletes.  Tons of in-depth info.  Pull up a chair and let's get the discussion rolling...

The panel sits down with Duke University Head Men's and Women's Cross Country Coach Rhonda Riley and Head Women's Soccer Coach at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Erica Demers.  This was an incredible discussion about the journey and path that both of these coaches have taken in their careers and how they have come to be masters of their craft and forces of influence in both of their given sports.  Tons of great knowledge shared in this episode!

We use the term 'Meatheads' very lovingly as a self described, bearded Associate Director of Strength and Conditioning at UAB Blake Klotz talks S&C. How he feels about working with XC/TF athletes, and challenges that coaches on both sides of the isle face. A great topic the panel has been waiting for a long time to discus!

World class coach and combined event specialist Andy Eggerth pulls a chair up to the table this week along with American Record Holder in the Decathlon Jordan Gray. This is an incredibly in depth and candid conversation about the challenges that many coaches and athletes face when making the transition from the college scene to the pro ranks. We also discuss inequality in the combined events and a push to make the decathlon a more prominent event in women's track and field. Hold on tight...this is a fun one!!

The panel sits down with the legendary Mike Jay - XC/Track and Field veteran/announcer and founder of Track Guy Foundation.  Mike brings a wealth of history, experience and knowledge to the conversation.  This one is worth every minute. Hope you enjoy his stories as much as we did! Stay to the end to learn even more....

The Panel sits down with Mizzou Coach Marc Burns and Nike/Bowerman Track Club star Karissa Schweizer.  We discuss Coach Burns humble beginnings and journey as a collegiate coach as well as his experience with Karissa and her development as an athlete.  We also talk with Karissa about the transition from collegiate to professional track and field and what it is like to be running at such a high level in the midst of a pandemic.  This Episode is Pure Gold!  

We talk to Director of Track and Field and Cross Country at Washburn University (D2) Cameron Babb. Then discuss new ways to bring Track and Field to the people with former UVA Head Coac Bryan Fetzer.  Great discussion from the panel and our guests, this one could have gone on for hours!

This week we talk with Cal State - East Bay's Sue Bateson. Discuss the ever changing landscape of college athletics and track and field and cook up some interesting ideas about how we can move forward.

We talk about getting your hair cut in the Covid Era. Talk with Elaine Derricott of Monmouth Tracka and field. Our coaching origins amongst other hot topics in the NCAA and Track and Field.

We debate pizza delivery and recruiting. Plus add in a couple new guests, Jordon Andreassen (UAB) and Elaine Derricott (Monmouth).

We cover life in COVID, issues with track meets and well how to make them more exciting!