Today we’d like to introduce you to Kevin O’Grattan.
Hi Kevin, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I started coaching in 2006 after some encouragement from a fellow coach in Orlando.
At the time, I was a high school teacher with an interest in running but little background in coaching. Over the next 9 years, we were fortunate to have some great high school cross country teams with several top 5 large school finishes at the Florida state meet.
My wife was then offered a position at Children’s Mercy Hospital and we decided to make the move to Kansas City six years ago. I continued to coach high school cross country and track at both North Kansas City High School and Olathe West High School before making the jump to college.
I was blessed to land the distance coaching position with MidAmerica Nazarene University where I coached for 2 years. During that time I coached 24 NAIA national qualifiers and 7 NAIA distance All-Americans, with a highlight of having 3 NAIA marathoners finish 4th, 5th, and 6th in 2018.
After 2 years of coaching college, my wife and I decided we really wanted to stay in Kansas City. This was a difficult decision as continuing to move up in the college coaching world would require moving. So, it was at that point, I started considering private coaching, and soon after Team O Coaching LLC was born.
My coaching business started in October of 2020 and we have been fortunate to work with great runners of all abilities here in the greater KC metro area.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Starting a small business during a pandemic has certainly had its challenges, but on the whole, I have been fortunate to find great people wanting to tackle a new race distance, achieve a new race performance, or just improve their own health and fitness.
One of the challenges I did not foresee when I started Team O was the perception that athletes need to be fit before hiring a coach. I have had lots of athletes I work with tell me their friends are interested in getting started but just “want to get fit first.”
The reality is that starting a new fitness routine is one of the more challenging aspects to navigate because often people can let their enthusiasm push them into injury by doing too much too quickly.
Having a coach when you are starting out can be very useful in navigating initial training intensity and training volume to stay healthy and on track to make progress.
We’ve been impressed with Team O Coaching LLC, 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?
Team O Coaching helps runners of all abilities and experiences work towards their goals.
Whether someone is new to running, striving for a new PR, training for a marathon/Boston qualifier, or gearing up for an ultra race, my goal is to develop an individualized training plan to meet each athlete’s ability and busy schedule.
My focus is to provide training that continually adjusts to athletes’ current performance and schedule. It is really what sets apart private coaching from rote training plans. I also enjoy helping athletes find success and achieve their goals.
Often I am known for coaching the marathon as I had 4 NAIA All-Americans in that distance but my training with the US Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association has specialized in endurance from 1500m up through the marathon.
Currently, I work with athletes racing distances from 800m through 50-mile races and ages 13 through 60. It is a lot of fun to have such a diverse athlete base.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
Reading has always been a valuable resource in my coaching career. Some of my favorite books are: Coaching for the Inner Edge by Robin Vealey, Waterlogged by Tim Noakes, Embracing your Potential by Terry Orlick, The little book of Talent by Daniel Coyle, Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman, How Emotions are Made by Lisa Barrett, The Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, Attitude 101 by John Maxwell, Running Science by Owen Anderson, Daniel’s Running Formula by Jack Daniels, and Inside A Marathon by Scott Fauble and Ben Rosario.
I also enjoy putting my energy into my own podcast the Team O Running Podcast.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.teamocoaching.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teamocoaching/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teamocoaching
Image Credits:
Kristine Janda
