Episode Notes

Today's guest is a teacher, coach, and great friend from Xavier High School in Middletown, CT - Mike Cunningham. Mike is coming off of a State and State Open Championship Season as the Head Coach of the Xavier Wrestling Team and is currently teaching from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic and quarantine. Mike and I discuss his development as a leader and coach, some of the challenges he faces in teaching and coaching leadership, how he overcomes those challenges, and how he prepares each off-season for the next wrestling season (lots of reading!). In addition, Mike shares his valuable insight about how to build culture in athletics.

Leadership Notes and Other Highlights:

• Mike's thoughts on the parallels in coaching very different sports (wrestling and golf)

• Mike shares insight about the abrupt ending to Winter Sports at the high school and college level

• The importance of commitment, authenticity, passion, support and trust in developing and sustaining team culture

• Mike's music choice to get him FIRED UP!

• His favorite movies and the book he is currently reading (Calling Up: Discovering Your Journey to Transformational Leadership)

Episode Notes

Part II (Part I published on March 31st, 2020) of my conversation with Greg Jaskot, the Associate Director of Advancement and Offensive Coordinator of the Football Team at Xavier High School in Middletown, CT. In this episode, Greg and I discuss some of the challenges he faces in teaching and coaching leadership and how he overcomes those challenges. In addition, Greg discusses his ability to reflect on past performance and leverage his successes and failures for improvement, the impact technology has on the athletes he leads, and what is in store for him as a leader moving forward.

Leadership Notes and Other Highlights:

• The importance of leading not for self, but for those that you serve

• Suggestions for overcoming challenges in task-delegation

• The importance of work ethic and self-reflection in leadership

• How body language can impact those you lead

• Greg and I argue over a dramatic moment from our time as opponents in Springfield College's Intramural Flag Football league

• Greg's music choice prior to a big game

• The book Greg is currently reading (Trillion Dollar Coach: The Leadership Playbook)

Episode Notes

Today's guest is Greg Jaskot from Middletown, CT. Greg is the Associate Director of Advancement and the Offensive Coordinator of the Football Team at Xavier High School in Middletown, CT. In this episode, Greg and I discuss the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on his day to day routines, what he's done during quarantine time, and we learn about who Greg leads, his leadership style, and his leadership strengths and weaknesses.

This is Part I of my conversation with Greg. Stay tuned for Part II which will be released on April 7th, 2020.