Today we’d like to introduce you to Erin Bratcher
Hi Erin , so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My first formal introduction to the strength and conditioning world was initially as an athlete playing college basketball. I had a small amount of informal training in the weight room priMy first formal introduction to the strength and conditioning world was initially as an athlete playing college basketball. I had a small amount of informal training in the weight room prior to college, but it wasn’t until then that we had a coach dedicated to leading us in the weight room, teaching us how to take care of our bodies and perform better on the court. After college, I went on to play basketball professionally in the German Bundesliga and at this point the S&C portion of training mostly fell on us athletes individually to take care of for ourselves. It was during my professional playing career that I was introduced to the world of private S&C training and dipped my toe in working as a coach in this industry as a side job while still playing. I quickly decided I wanted coaching to be my path post playing career and went back to school for my masters in applied exercise science to start getting the certifications needed to dive into the field. When I hung up my sneakers in 2018 I immediately started working in the S&C field full time, both on the NCAA collegiate side of things at Meredith College and in the private sector. It wasn’t until the pandemic hit in 2020 that I became a small business owner, opening EB Athletics where I really branched out into doing so much more in this field. In the years since EBA has expanded and grown to be one of the major providers for youth S&C in the triangle area for athletes and teams of all sorts, while also steadily growing an adult class training program for adult strength and conditioning.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Few small business owners have a smooth path to success, we are no exception. Most of our major hurdles revolved around acquiring a permanent facility to work out of. Starting a business during a pandemic has it’s challenges, and we’re fortunate to have been able to navigate through each of those as they came but that certainly wasn’t without struggle at times. Learning to adapt and change as issues arise has been paramount, and we have a lot of really good people in our corner that have helped out along the way.
We’ve been impressed with EB Athletics , but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
EB Athletics is a strength & conditioning business serving a wide range of clientele. While we started off being very athlete focused and are still best known for our elite athlete and team training, we have expanded into the adult training side of things too. Our main areas are team training, individual athlete training, adult strength classes, and personal training and/or remote programming. We are a team of qualified coaches that base all of our coaching and programming off of evidence-based practices rooted in science. We know that not all athletes will have the chance to play at the next level and even those that do will someday hang it up; our hope is that after it’s all said and done not only do they have successful athletic careers and healthy bodies but that they have the confidence and desire to care for their bodies during life after sports. Our adult clients know our training is not about beating them down day in and day out but focuses on getting them stronger while making sure their bodies feel good in their day to day lives outside of the gym. I am really proud of the community within this gym space that is welcoming, comfortable, supportive, and full of such hard- working good-hearted individuals. EBA has become a special place to many who rely on us to be an outlet, source of support, and a steady light in their daily lives. We’re incredibly grateful for that.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
While this journey is constantly teaching me lessons professionally and personally, the most universal theme of this all has been that hard work really does pay off. This is something our clients understand across the board. Athletes reaching for their dreams, adults working toward their goals, young coaches or interns diving into the field, all types that come through our gym will know this reality in their own way. While it’s not always how you picture it or even what you want at times, when you put in the work, treat people with kindness and respect, and find joy in what you do there’s always more good to come. We work hard daily to show our clients how much we care, relishing in and learning from the way they work hard on themselves every single day.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ebathleticsllc.com
- Instagram: ebathleticsllc
- Facebook: EB Athletics
