There’s something powerful about a coach who knew early.

Steven Sanchez didn’t just stumble into coaching—he was already studying it, researching it, and chasing it while still in high school in the Bronx. From a massive New York City high school campus to a small college in the South, his journey is anything but typical—and that’s exactly what makes it valuable.

This episode is about perspective. About hearing hard truths. About choosing a path before the path fully reveals itself.

Steven shares how a pivotal conversation with a mentor reshaped his trajectory, why he was studying coaching bios as a teenager, and how his willingness to bet on himself took him far from home in pursuit of growth.

🔑 In this episode:

🏙️ Growing up in the Bronx and navigating a 1,000-student freshman class that became 60 graduates

🏈 A football-first mindset—and the injury that forced a pivot

🎯 The moment a mentor told him: “Focus on throwing… and think about coaching”

🧠 Studying coaching paths BEFORE even getting to college

🗺️ Choosing a college based on geography, opportunity, and instinct—not just recruitment

🌱 Adjusting from a massive NYC environment to an 800-student college campus

💬 Quote from Steven: “I was looking at every school in the country… what have been the paths of the coaches? I was trying to figure out what I needed to do.”

This one’s for the coaches who are still figuring it out—and the ones who knew early and went all in.

🌟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! 🎧👍

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

We love to being you other podcasts doing providing amazing value to the track and field coaching community. Today we feature the gang from Beyond the Blocks podcast. Go check them out on YouTube, Spotify and Apple. Also, don't forget the 'Gram.

Check them out next Monday May 4th as they feature the host of THIS podcast; Mike Cunningham.

In Episode 5 of the Beyond The Blocks Podcast, we sit down with James Daniels, Head of Sprints & Hurdles – High Performance for the National Scholastic Athletics Foundation (NSAF) and the NIKE ELITE program.James shares valuable insights into the development of elite sprinters and hurdlers and pulls back the curtain on how high-level athletes are built over time.In this episode we discuss:• How elite athletes structure training cycles throughout the year.• Common mistakes coaches, parents, and athletes make in the development process.• Why some youth prep phenoms struggle to keep improving in college.• What separates athletes who continue progressing from those who plateau.• The selection process and philosophy behind the Nike Elite program.Whether you’re a coach, athlete, or parent, this conversation provides practical insight into long-term athlete development and what it truly takes to succeed at the highest levels of track & field.🎙 Episode 5 – James DanielsHead of Sprints & Hurdles – High Performance👍 If you enjoyed this episode, please like, comment, and subscribe for more conversations with elite coaches, athletes, and leaders in track & field.#trackandfield #sprint #hurdles #athletics #athleticdevelopment #speed #trackcoach #beyondtheblockspodcast

🌟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! 🎧👍

🌟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! 🎧👍

🌟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! 🎧👍

Recovery is an often overlooked and sometimes misunderstood aspect of high performance. Coach Gail Williams (Danbury HS in CT) and her son, Shaun (former NCAA D1 athlete) bring this important topic to light in a very practical way. Gail has deeply researched effective recovery. What she learned, and what Shaun helped her apply, led to the development of PerformaFlex MR, a scientifically formulated muscle rub that promotes recovery and performance.

In this episode of the Gill Connections Podcast, Mike Cunningham sits down with Rob Jarvis, Men’s Assistant Coach at the University of Arkansas, for a deeply honest conversation about the real coaching journey.

Rob’s path was anything but conventional—walking away from college football after injuries, rebuilding his athletic and professional identity, surviving a life‑altering car accident, and spending years as a volunteer behind the scenes before arriving at one of the most successful programs in NCAA track & field history.

Together, Mike and Rob discuss:

👉What development really means at the highest levels of the sport

👉Why expectations matter—and how they elevate athletes

👉Coaching through roster caps, the transfer portal, and modern NCAA realities

👉Arkansas culture, championships, and the pressure that comes with tradition

👉Lessons learned from mentors like Rana Reider, Mike Maynard, and Amy Deem

👉Why resilience, humility, and patience still matter in today’s coaching landscape

This episode is a must-listen for coaches, athletes, and anyone navigating a nonlinear career path—in track & field or beyond.

🌟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! 🎧👍