Meet Erin Bratcher | Strength Coach & Business Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Erin Bratcher and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Erin, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
EBA was initially started right at the beginning of the global pandemic. We very quickly became a resource to those in need of training, providing opportunities for athletes to continue pursuing athletic dreams and serving as a much-needed outlet in a very difficult time. Since then, we have continued to put accessibility at the forefront of our mission and values. While we train athletes of all sports and ages we have become somewhat of a hub for female athletes. Where female athletes have long felt unwelcome in the weightroom we have showed them they belong and deserve to be in this arena too. Having been a former professional athlete myself I think the visibility of a female coach is also something incredibly powerful for these young athletes. We place emphasis on being a safe place and supporting all athletes as that is so few and far between in this area, and in the sports world in general. All of our coaches are fully certified and educated in this field which is another thing that is far too rare in the private industry; learning things properly is increasingly important as we have to combat some of the negative resources in the social media culture. We have a phenomenal team of fully supportive coaches that are each aligned with our mission and values. We pride ourselves on going above and beyond our day-to-day training by consistently participating in community outreach opportunities, whether that’s an equipment drive for athletes in need, facilitating afterschool programs for disadvantaged kids, or operating a full-fledged high school internship program (thanks to coach/teacher Justin Dottavio) allowing young athletes to dip their toe into this industry and realize the various opportunities that lie ahead. Our sliding scale format of payment has allowed athletes of all backgrounds to get the training they need; along with the sponsorship of several teams that simply do not have the budget for this level of athlete care. We are just continually trying to find ways to improve the athlete experience and empowerment in our little corner of the world and these are some of the ways we have done that thus far.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Anyone who has ever worked with us understands why we would consider our craft an art. What we do every day is incredibly creative; we are consistently coming up with solutions and problem solving for our clients in need. Athletes in the Raleigh-Durham area have very few resources for athletic development outside of their sport team or school. Many of our schools do not provide adequate strength and conditioning programs for all athletes, especially our female athletes. I’m proud of the fact that EBA can provide qualified and experienced coaches to develop these athletes and provide opportunities that they otherwise wouldn’t have access to. We got to the place we are today by a mix of circumstance and value in accessibility that we didn’t see anywhere else. With our start being amid covid, creating EBA as we know it today was no easy feat. We continue to face hurdles as all small businesses do, while working to maintain a financially affordable space for all athletes. Alongside of that, being a female in a male dominated industry has presented challenges of its own as it is certainly not a level playing field yet – which is exactly why we’re striving to create just that. There’s the obvious of surrounding yourself with like-minded, qualified professionals that share the same values; but there are also mentors that have encouraged me to maintain the mindset that it’s not being a male or female that matters in this space, what matters is being qualified, having the correct certs, and putting athletes as whole individuals first. One of the biggest lessons that I’ve learned is that there’s strength in softness as a coach and a business owner. There’s a tendency to project a “tough” mentality in this industry, but incorporating a level of softness allows our athletes to show up however they are and work to prioritize their ability to progress in all facets. Our hope is that all athletes understand their value and impact regardless of how they identify, their ability level, and what training they’ve had access to thus far in their life – EBA is there to support them and help them get to where they want to go.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Raleigh has always been my home and I am so lucky to be able to spend my adult life here in the Raleigh Durham area as it just has so much to offer. Quick trips to the mountains or beach are something we do not take for granted, but there is also so much right here in town. Being a big sports fan, we love going to the Durham Bulls or Carolina Hurricanes games when they are in season. There are also so many great collegiate sports to check out between Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill. The NC art museum and their outdoor sculpture garden is always a nice spot to walk or run. After living in Europe, we love a great bakery, Yellow Dog in Raleigh is a fan favorite. There are also a ton of great restaurants to check out, our neighborhood favorites are probably Gringo-a -Gogo and Longleaf Swine. For drinks we like Whiskey Kitchen, Foundation, and State of Beer, all great spots to bring friends. Quick trips to Durham are always worth it too for Queeny’s, Ex-Voto, and Ideals. The Duke gardens are also always a great spot out there! 

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The first person that comes to mind when I think of thanking all the incredible people along the way is Coach Aaron Brown. Aaron is an incredibly humble guy that has not been credited nearly enough as being around him is one of the main reasons I fully dove into this industry to begin with. Our story is an interesting one as I began working for him when I was fresh out of college, and in between season playing professionally in the German Bundesliga. I walked into his gym fresh and inexperienced. Days later he threw me the keys and I began learning from him in ways I’m not sure he even fully recognized. We continued to work together through my time playing, through finishing my education in grad school and completing various certifications, and we still work together now as he is still a large part of EBA. I am so grateful to have him around along with the rest of my coaching staff especially Coach Justin Dottavio; these guys are such invaluable assets to EBA. My parents of course have been incredibly supportive along the way, friends, former teammates, coaches, and teachers have all shown their support. I’ve gone through programs that have taught me a ton and of course my own experience as an athlete may be one of the biggest resources I reflect upon often. Throughout my career playing and coaching I have had opportunities to work and play for coaches that I did not agree with and some of these left the most lasting impression as these experiences helped shape my core values and determine how I structure my business and career. Reinforcing the values that matter; doing right by people and treating each athlete as a human first athlete second are all things that make me grateful for the negative experiences that have been part of this journey as well. Lastly, I was given a very influential book called “In the Company of Women,” by Grace Bonney, that interviews female entrepreneurs in various creative fields and reading their stories has always been something so powerful for me. To relate to their struggles, be inspired by their work ethics and passion, and ultimately feel supported and full of hope to read about so many other successful, badass women has helped so much through all the challenges that are inevitable as a female entrepreneur.

Website: https://www.ebathleticsllc.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ebathleticsllc/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erin-bratcher-10350962/

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/eb-athletics-raleigh?osq=eb+athletics

Image Credits
Hunter Weiland