Tamario Lattin didn’t grow up dreaming of being a track athlete… let alone a coach.

In fact, he almost quit the sport before it even started.

But one decision in high school changed everything—taking him from a late-start high jumper… to a back-to-back Louisiana state champion… to now shaping athletes at Grambling State.

This one is real. It’s about growth, maturity, and figuring it out the hard way.

🔑 In this episode, Tamario shares:

🏃‍♂️ How he went from jumping 5’10” to state champion in ONE year

🧠 Why he didn’t “study” track—and how that actually helped him

🎓 The reality check of going from HS star to 8th place at conference in college

⚠️ His turning point with academic probation

🔄 How multiple college coaches shaped his coaching philosophy today

🎯 What he looks for now when recruiting athletes (and what recruits get wrong)

“I was just happy to be there… until I realized this was a whole different level.” — Tamario Latin

This episode is a reminder:

👉 Talent gets you started

👉 Perspective keeps you going

👉 And growth… that comes through adversity

🌟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! 🎧👍

🌟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! 🎧👍

Welcome to Gill1918, the track & field coaching podcast powered by Gill Athletics. Since 1918, Gill has been dedicated to empowering coaches with innovative equipment—now, we're bringing elite coaching education straight to your ears.

Our goal is to create the Ted Talks of track/field podcasts bringing the annual track clinic to your ears DAILY! Topics will include but are not limited to covering key strategies, techniques, and training principles to help you improve athlete performance, structure better workouts, enhance team culture, and more!

Whether you're a high school, collegiate, or club coach, Gill1918 is your go-to resource for quick, high-impact coaching education from the best minds in the sport.

📩 Want to contribute an episode? Submit your 10-30 minute coaching talk to mcunningham@gillathletics.com or read ⁠⁠THIS LINKEDIN ARTICLE⁠⁠ for information on how to get started. All coaches are invited to participate!

🎙️ Don’t forget to subscribe and follow Gill Athletics for more expert coaching insights!

#TrackAndField #CoachingEducation #Gill1918 #ByCoachesForCoaches #TrackCoach #TedTalksOfTrackFieldPodcast

In 2003 the Etheredges founded Golden Elite T&F Club in FL with US Army veteran Mike as Head Coach and his wife Cheryl serving as Board President and Co-Leader. Since then, they have directly impacted the lives of over 2,500 youth by using T&F as the platform to promote academics, character development, and a drug-free lifestyle. Mike and Cheryl team up here to share from their experience to inspire coaches and parents learn how to mentor and lead youth beyond athletics into lifetime success.

We'd love to hear from you, too! Contact David Mitchell if you've got something you'd like to present or a topic you'd like to hear.

Some coaching journeys start with a plan.

Mason Rebarchek’s started with a middle school PE teacher… and a simple instruction:

“Run faster than you can.”

From that moment, a hurdler—and eventually a coach—was formed.

In this episode, Mason shares how early influences, unexpected decisions (including nearly joining the military), and a deep love for training shaped his path to becoming the Director of Track & Field and Cross Country at Winona State.

What stands out most?
He wasn’t a “student of the sport” early on.
He just showed up, trusted his coaches, and fell in love with the process.

That foundation still drives how he leads today.

• 🧠 How a single middle school coach can change the trajectory of a life🏃 Why hurdling became his identity (and why technique mattered so much)🎯 The mindset shift that changed everything: “It’s a beautiful day for football”
• The real moment he chose track over the military path
• 🔁 Why he wasn’t a “track nerd”… but still became a great coach👥 Lessons on attitude, buy-in, and controlling your mindset as an athlete

💬 Quote from Mason: “I wasn’t asking questions. I wasn’t studying the sport. I just did what I was told… and fell in love with it.”

This is a powerful reminder for every coach:

You don’t always know which moments matter most.
But your impact? It sticks.

🌟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! 🎧👍

The crew at the University of South Florida put on an excellent clinic in Tampa, Fla this past fall of 2025. Speakers included Sammy Dabbs, Erik Jenkins, Vince Anderson, Chris Korfist, and Dwight Phillips.

Today we share part 2 of Vince Anderson's talk on acceleration training. Enjoy!

Don't forget to join us over on YouTube for the video version of Monday's Gill Connections Podcast as well as Twitch.TV for 24/7 track/field Gill Connections Podcast interviews.