speaker-0: Mm-hmm. Hi Charger family, welcome to episode three. I don't know how many pre-record We've speaker-1: Three. We think it's three. speaker-0: hit record quite a few times, so if this makes it to you, we're in good shape. Okay, If we had any sponsors, which we don't, but it would be the Trinity Blue Crew. And this is the best and funnest thing about our Friday night lights, besides the big win. So if you have a child that attends Trinity send them through the funnel. Okay, today. The one and only Hank Cunningham is joining us. he is our director of athletics. He has attended Trinity as a student. He has his children here now. he bleeds blue. I don't know how else to introduce you. I love it. Okay. I like it. Blue and white. speaker-1: Blue and white. speaker-0: Blue and white. So we have our hat of questions and if there's anything else to add, we're ready. speaker-2: Go sports, here we go. speaker-1: get the ball rolling. Okay, just want to apologize to our many viewers for my voice today. A little back to school sniffles going on with the extra germs. So excuse that. Okay, so these are out of order. When people look back on your time leading Trinity many years from now, what do you hope they say? speaker-2: I hope they say that Coach Cunningham was there. He was present. He invested time. He invested support and that he had a vision for the program and it seemed like that that vision was vision was sought out. speaker-0: Okay. Yeah, okay. So speaking into that, what is your this might come up later if we draw it in the out of the hat, but when you say you have a vision for Trinity Athletics, what is that like? speaker-2: like. Yeah, so it goes back to kind of what we settled on this summer, which are our core values that we've developed, and that's be there, be strong, and be a charger. So with each individual core value, you dive into it a little deeper. Be there means show up with consistency and honor your commitment. Being strong means develop mental and physical toughness. We do that by doing hard things, by challenging ourselves, which is a good thing. And then being a charger is you give unquestioned effort no matter the circumstance. speaker-0: I love that part of it. speaker-2: Whether and when you're winning by a hundred, whether you're the fastest person out there, whether you're not the fastest person out there, everybody comes from different places, everybody's got different backgrounds, and everybody everybody finds themselves in different situations and circumstances, but really none of that matters. No, right? None of that matters. So you come and you bring unquestioned effort no matter the circumstance. So so as far as the trajectory of the program, just overall, I hope. that that that we can reach that, send that message and that it not only stays in the athletic world but carries across to the entire Trinity community. speaker-0: Yeah, I think that's what I love most about it is that it is something I can give in the academic classroom too. It's we are going to face hard times and we can do hard things and we can give unquestioned effort. speaker-1: Absolutely. So I can give firsthand experience of what Hank has done. last year, was last year your first year as athletic director? Yeah. speaker-2: Yes ma'am speaker-1: Okay, so he started coming to Lower School Chapel. Didn't announce it, didn't say he was going to do anything, but he just started opening the door for the kids. And now when he's not there, they're like, I'm sorry. Did he not clock in or what's happening? He brings the blue Trinity flag every Friday and we play the fight song and the kids all know the words. It is the best they have. such charger spirit. speaker-0: Yes. Yeah, Shelby actually gave you a shout out on her. speaker-1: Right. speaker-0: Yes, she said, I love that we have to stand up for the fight song. speaker-2: Very good. That was one of the goals for last year. When I when I started writing them down and actually putting them on paper, it was as simple as or what seemed like as simple as, people just stand for the fight song. Yeah. But that took time. Yeah. And that took effort and that took, you know, setting expectations of what this is this is what we're looking for and this is what we want to do. Yeah. and I think it's catch. speaker-0: I think it's great. Okay. Out of athletic director mode into past student mode. boy. Tell us about one of your Trinity teachers that made an impact on your life. speaker-2: well there were a lot. I had a lot. Mrs. Travorin was a big Miss T. Yeah, I was a terrible and she'll I was a terrible student in her class. Absolutely speaker-1: Misty's watching this going, what? speaker-2: I know, Miss T. Shout out. To this day, I still have not finished my eighth grade mosaic. And her and I, every time I see her on campus, we talk about that. Okay. We talk about that and I keep telling her it's on the way, it'll be finished, I promise. But she she was great. She was one that really put in effort, really put in time. I was not a great Latin student. but she didn't give up. She allowed me, you know, some extra time to come in and get things done when I needed get some things done. Mrs. Erlinson was great. I r I'm sh a lot of memories from Mrs. Erlinson's class back in third grade, which was awesome. So many, so many. Mrs. McCabe. Mrs. McCabe was huge. for every single one of the topics and subjects that we got into. one of her things is she eventually No matter at what point of the year, it was always different. But she would prove her point by standing on our desks. Love it. Walking across and like you talk about getting somebody's attention as a ten and eleven year old. Like that's she's gonna she's gonna make that happen. and then in ninth grade, Mrs. Hart was in was my English teacher. and she yeah, she she kind of opened up just different avenues, but I didn't really feel like that. I was into at that point in time. but she played a pretty large role in speaker-0: I like that. speaker-2: some of that. So those would be some and there's there's so many. There's so speaker-0: Absolutely. Okay, speaker-1: right ask your speaker-0: you're up. speaker-2: Okay, here we go. speaker-0: I folded these. Yeah, well. speaker-2: Love it. Because you were once a Trinity student yourself, do you feel an added responsibility when making decisions about the future of athletics? Yes. Absolutely. This is one of the things that I like, I know what it's like to be a student here, obviously. I know what it's like to be a student athlete here. I know the challenges that you face as far as academic load and course load. I know the challenges that you face when you're speaking from I I still have memories of being a ninth grade. being thrown in with juniors and seniors. Right. That's a challenge. That's something that's different because you know you've never had that experience before. And I just know that We can create a special place here for those who want to be an athlete and a student here. we can carve out our place on Wadley and let everybody in our community and outside of our community know that we exist and that we are here. And so just having gone through part of the program in that way and knowing, you know, here as a as a coach previous, right, and experiencing some of that from the other side, now being in the position that I'm in, I absolutely want to give our students an opportunity to to again state their claim in Midland. Yeah. As far as that goes. So that's a that's a big deal for me. speaker-1: Well, we've both had kids go through the athletic program here and speaking of freshmen thrown in with upperclassmen, but it's such a my son right now is yeah and my daughter but they get to be with older classmen that are they just get an experience that other kids in Midland probably don't get to have. speaker-0: I agree completely. speaker-1: mean, think like the showing up is probably because once you're there and you have that feeling with the other kids, you can't help but be pulled in. speaker-2: A lot of like this is advice I give to my own kids, right? All you have to do is just start. Show up and start. speaker-0: Everybody has a day one. speaker-1: Yeah, and it's scary. speaker-2: A hundred percent and let us and let the coaches help you. Mm-hmm. Right? That's why we're here, that's why we're there. But but you gotta be there. But once you're there, one take we're gonna take care of you and make sure that you're in a good position to be successful. Absolutely. And then everything else, like I said, is a byproduct and comes speaker-0: Yes. Winning Yes, I agree. Okay. My origami folding. speaker-1: never gets old. speaker-0: okay, this is a good one. If you could play a sport with any athlete, who would you choose? speaker-2: Any athlete at Trinity or any athlete just speaker-0: Okay, okay. Let's let's split it then. speaker-1: Are they dead? Do they have to be living? speaker-0: Yeah, okay, I think we can do some parameters. At Trinity. That will be your first answer. speaker-1: and then living. speaker-0: Yeah, okay. Past or present Trinity. speaker-2: okay. I know my I know my past. speaker-0: Okay, and then you can go to the greater the greater speaker-2: Okay. I would have loved to have played football with Vincent Bayana. Yeah, this is this is Vinny to me was like the quintessential Trinity athlete. He did anything, he did everything, he never said a word, right? Which on one hand is great, on the other hand it's like, dude, are you alive? What's that? But You never had to question whether or not he was gonna be there. Yeah. Or the consistency he was gonna show up with or the effort that he was gonna give. It was a hundred percent across the board. So when I think about playing, right, I would have loved to have played on the same team as him, just to be in the huddle with him, just to experience, you know, the sex the success that he got to experience, which would have been great. Not really. Not really. speaker-1: Did he speak in the huddle? speaker-0: Being in the present. speaker-2: That would have been yeah, that would have been good. That would have been fun for me. I think about that a lot. and then presently, speaker-0: Is this professional or trinity? speaker-1: Let's do professional. speaker-2: Professional present, I would say I'd love to play around a golf with Scotty Scheffler. speaker-1: Maybe I'll vote for him to get pulled over. speaker-2: Maybe not riding the car speaker-0: What speaker-1: I mean at the speaker-2: with him. I'd love to play around with him just because I think he's I think he's pretty down-to-earth guy. That'd be funny to just pick his brain a little bit. Okay. 318. and then current Trinity person? speaker-0: Sure. All right. speaker-1: Yeah, any sport. speaker-2: any sport. Current Trinity Cruise. swimming with Maddie McBrayer. I think I'd like to I think that would be awesome just to like get in the pool and go okay I've got this. And then she just speaker-1: Mous speaker-0: As a fan of our golf team playing a round of golf with Jaden and Alex and Jordan, I that that would be a bag of laughs. speaker-1: That'd be a fun round. speaker-2: That'd be a fun round. Okay. They're like they're on the list. Okay. Maybe we can spend speaker-0: Okay, whose turn is it? speaker-2: If you could be a pre-athlete in any sport, what would you pick? speaker-0: No, this is this isn't mine. This is number eight. You contributed a speaker-1: Pro athlete! speaker-0: pro speaker-2: Yeah. speaker-0: Typo. Excuse me. speaker-1: Yes. speaker-2: Pre athlete in any sport. I would say either professional baseball or professional golf. Professional baseball. At speaker-0: Yeah. speaker-2: one point in time when I was you know, twelve or thirteen, I just knew that I was gonna be the starting quarterback for the Texas Lonehorns. yeah, so like that was going to happen. Sure. And then speaker-0: Okay. speaker-1: Things happen. speaker-2: Drop it. speaker-1: Alright, how has Trinity changed as your boys are now students at Trinity? speaker-2: well like physically, obviously the the campus is different. It's gonna be different. There's still some existing classes which is which is fun. when my oldest, when Jake was here, his first year here was third grade. And he had third grade in the same third grade class with Mrs. Erlinson that I did. So I walked in, you know, when we found what class he was going to be in and where to go, I walked in and went, This is way too weird, guys. This is weird. This is way too weird, but it ended up being great. it's different in the sense that when I was when I was a student here, you know, the commons was still the old commons and the you know, Simmons building, the company building, none of those things were here. Right. So it feels like campus is just it's more packed. That's more compact. Yes. It felt like things back then were just way more open. Yes. Right. As far as getting from one side of the campus and you know the visibility and things like that. that's just not the way it is anymore. You know, we're a much bigger school than we were back then. So which I think is great. so just physically the campus is different, obviously. Hec Gym and Beal Gym are still the same. Ironically, which is those are still the same. but you know, there's just so many things that are just different from when from when I was a lower school student here to when to now that my boys are students here. Yeah. And I think it's great. Yeah. I think it's great. speaker-0: I like it. You kind of touched on this a little bit, but tell us about your experience going to Trinity as a student. speaker-2: I had a great experience here. And I loved my time here. Because you especially being here every day, of course that helps 'cause you because you get you become so reminiscent of all the things that you experienced as a young person here on this campus. And I think about it now, and you know, being in the professional world as you know we all have been for the last fifteen to twenty years or some of us longer, the foundation that was laid here with me at Trinity has set me on a path for success. And where I look at, you know, some of my some of my former colleagues and some, you know, it it it's just it's a different world in a good way. Yeah. because it prepares you for life after this place. and I don't think that that I I don't think that I would be sitting in this capacity back at Trinity had I not been a student at Trinity. Yeah. and I think that that's one thing that makes Trinity really special is because you know the community is open and and inviting to having former students. students back. Yes. Which is great. but I go back to a lot of invaluable lessons and a lot of things learned back as a sixth grader, seventh grader, and eighth grader. specifically for me with some of the teachers that I mentioned earlier and then coaches. Coach Young, Coach Phelps, Coach Jouss, Coach Coombs, some of those people were like bedrocks and speaker-0: So I like speaker-2: building, you know, values and beliefs that I still hold and carry today. so without those people and without being here, right, that Right. and so I'm I'm forever thankful for that, right? Because I wouldn't be wouldn't be the same. speaker-0: Yeah. I love thinking about all those names that you just Coach Young and Coach Jess. It was just an it was an era of Trinity Athletics that I'd love to think about. Yeah. I'm thankful that I got to be a part of that. Okay. speaker-2: Here we go. Here we go. What is one of your favorite Trinity traditions? speaker-1: Ooh, that's speaker-2: the fight song. The fight song, right? Like we've already touched on that. for multiple reasons, it just gets everybody going. my grandmother wrote the song. Yeah. My grandmother wrote the song, so that's always special to me and a big deal. She worked here for a long time. So I love the idea of senior buddies. Like that wasn't a thing when I was younger here. I I like the idea of senior sunrise. I I saw that the other day. I got to be a part of that a little bit. I thought that was pretty special for that group. but I would say those for sure. Like fight song is always one that when I when I hear it, it's like it takes you right back. speaker-0: Yeah definitely. Yeah. For so long. I love that. speaker-1: Alright, what do hope parents understand about the purpose of athletics at Trinity? speaker-2: Just that the the point of what we do as far as athletics here is to prepare our kids that are students here for life after they leave us. Right? And we all know, we've all been in the situations on just how difficult life can be once we you know, you get out of that adolescent age and you get to your you get to your young adulthood and then moving on and forward. Like there's all sorts of situations that come up all the time. And I believe and we believe in athletics is we're helping navigate those difficult situations. Right. We're help we're trying to give you the tools to be able to to be able to get out of those situations that you find yourselves in sometimes. Because things get mentally taxing, things get physically taxing. And and so I think, and I'm of the opinion, that if you allow your kids to go through those things and you allow us to help your kids go through those things, like they're gonna be better for it on the other side. speaker-1: Well it's so wonderful when God puts people in your child's life to help shape who they are. That speaker-0: Absolutely. speaker-1: makes a huge difference. speaker-2: And that's that's that's how we have to look at it. Yeah. Right. That's how we have to look at it as educators and as people in this position. and that's one of the reasons why we're here. Yeah. speaker-1: Absolutely. speaker-2: So we don't take any of those responsibilities lightly. And so go all in while you're there. Be a charter. It all comes back. speaker-0: Absolutely. Unquestioned effort. It does. It all comes back. I think we have time for one more and then rapid fire. What do you think? Okay. What brought you back to Trinity? speaker-2: all right. Full disclosure. Okay. When I left my previous position, I never thought that I would work at a school again. Okay. Like never thought I would get back in the kitchen. Like I was I had moved on, I was past that. And then all of a sudden, like within a three-day span. in late July of twenty twenty five, it was like sign after sign after sign after sign of wait a minute, something is something but speaker-1: God I told you speaker-2: It it it became very evident and apparent very quickly that after that span of three days and it's just again, sign after sign after sign, like something's bringing you back, something's calling you, something's telling you you're supposed to be there at this point in time. And it was just too much to ignore. Yeah. And it was too much to say, No, forget that. I'm gonna continue doing you know what I'm doing. and so it like if you'd asked me, and I've said this multiple times over the last you know year. If you'd have asked me would I ever see myself sitting in the athletic director's chair at Trinity, the answer would have been no, no, no, no, no, no. Right. But God has plans for us. Yes. Right. And so he brought us back and here we are, like living our bluest life. speaker-0: What? speaker-1: I seem to get to come to school with your boys every day. speaker-2: Which is huge. Yeah. Which is huge. and and that's tough in the coaching world, right? In the coaching world, you know, you spend a lot of nights, a lot of days away from family. Sure. and so, you know, having the opportunity to be in that world again, not fully, but in that world at least a little bit, but to also have the opportunity to be around your kids every day, get to bring them to school, get to take them home, get to have dinner with them at night. You can't pass that. speaker-0: Yeah, so shout out to JC. Thanks for absolutely thanks for sharing him with the Trinity Faith. speaker-1: She's picking up the slack. speaker-2: She's like speaker-1: She's like, I think this is Coach Dixon to my favorite part of our podcast. Because this is quick fire. He doesn't know what's coming at him. And he can't, we told him, can't. You don't get to think, you just say. Okay, don't think about it. Okay, I'll go first. speaker-0: Okay, you go first. speaker-1: Okay, you have to pick one. Peyton Manning or Tom Brady? Peyton Manning. speaker-2: Yeah. speaker-1: Why? speaker-0: No you're speaker-1: Like to go to dinner with or to play ball with or do things better speaker-2: Caiton Mayne just personality. I think speaker-1: Yeah. speaker-2: he'd be a a a much more enjoyable hang. Brady speaker-1: for sure. I agree. Agreed. speaker-2: he's just out there for speaker-0: He's just Tom Brady. Okay. Yeah. speaker-1: Y'all go shopping. speaker-0: Football or baseball? speaker-2: Okay. To play to play, to watch I know. football. speaker-1: man. play. To what? speaker-2: Football. speaker-1: Glad we split it up speaker-2: Yeah, right. If you go to a baseball game. Yes. Not on I w I would rather watch at a baseball game. Okay. Slow and s speaker-1: Okay. Is it me? speaker-0: Yes. speaker-1: Which would you pick? New locker room, new gym? New gym. Not even hesitant. speaker-0: Yankees or the Red Sox. speaker-2: Red Sox. speaker-1: Texas or A speaker-2: Texas. Texas State. eat up. speaker-1: Okay, all right. McCabe, know you're crying internally, but that's okay. speaker-0: Okay, train in the morning or the evening. speaker-2: Train in the morning. Yeah. Morning. speaker-1: Okay. Would you rather win the world series or the Superbowl? speaker-2: World Series. You're gonna be you're probably gonna be more like acclaimed t for winning a Super Bowl, I think. But I think just the longevity and what it takes to stick in to win four games of a series I think would be more satisfying. speaker-0: Yes, there's nothing I love in the summer than watching the Little League World Series. I love big people world series, but watching the Little They speaker-1: I mean it's joke, speaker-0: love the sport. They're just fighting to win. I love it. Okay. Watch sports in person or on TV. Person. speaker-1: which is your favorite to watch in person that wasn't on the list. speaker-2: baseball. It's hard it's hard to pass up a speaker-1: Yeah. All right. Would you rather be the strongest or the fastest? speaker-2: Fastest. Okay. Just because I never was the fastest. Not to say that I was the strongest ever either, but I think fastest. speaker-0: Okay, turf or grass? speaker-2: Grass. speaker-0: Okay. speaker-1: Home games or away games? Home games. Can't even question that. hey, I have to get a shout out to this next one. Art Salinas helped me come up with this one. speaker-0: Okay, good. All right. Okay, LeBron or Michael Jordan? speaker-2: Michael Jordan. Not even not speaker-0: It's not even. speaker-1: That's what Art and I both said. speaker-0: Okay, so in the middle school classroom it would then transition into where does Kobe fall in this, Kobe or Jordan? Well, that's what I tell them. It's generational, they just speaker-1: They don't get it. They don't get it. All right, bees or chickens? speaker-0: Ha ha ha. speaker-2: my gosh. speaker-1: Hahaha speaker-2: I would say chickens. Chickens are more enjoyable to speaker-0: watch. Okay, can I tack onto this? speaker-1: Please do. speaker-0: Honey or eggs? Eggs. Okay. Yeah, eggs. speaker-2: We have we are beekeepers and we are amateur farmers. So we have the Cunninghams at our house in town have beehives and chickens. So speaker-1: Didn't see it coming. speaker-2: that's it's going down at the Cunningham house. speaker-1: All right, last one. speaker-0: Would you rather live in the city or the country? speaker-2: Well. speaker-0: So will you please for our audience say the mission statement like a real root and tootin' West Texan? speaker-1: Like a petoo spitting, petoon, whatever. speaker-2: I I will give it a shot. Okay. First speaker-0: Thank you. speaker-2: you gotta tilt your you gotta tilt your hat. Out speaker-1: Get off your seat. speaker-2: the sun all day. Trinity School, our mission statement. Trinity is a college preparatory community that provides a nurturing environment to enrich the mind, strengthen the body, enliven the soul. An inspire servant leaders. speaker-0: Nailed it. Nailed it. Nailed it so much. Okay, check. speaker-1: my god. now we gotta ask everybody to say it with a different way. I mean that's got to be our signature. speaker-0: I think we Yeah. Okay, I think we're speaker-1: You want to close it out? We're done. So we close it out with a prayer. Okay.