Coming into preseason for soccer wasn’t the same last
summer. As you see on the right side, this a picture of my team and I sprinting
up the intramural hill here at Oneonta located right near the tennis courts.
Not the easiest thing to do… but what you don’t see in the picture is our
trainer Kevin Gregory at the tippy top of the hill timing us and watching us
fall to our faces (literally) by the finish.
This year we were lucky to have Kevin work with us as a strength and
conditioning coach throughout the season. He kept us in top-notch condition,
from waking up early hours on Monday morning and doing weights and circuits to
endless burpees and mountain climbers on the turf field during practice. We
knew it was going to be a fun practice when Kevin showed up and told us to get
on the line. Our goal as a team was to be the most fit team in the conference
and that was definitely accomplished by having Kevin working with us. Not only did
he work with us during season, but he does work with us on the off-season along
with several other teams here at Oneonta like Woman’s lacrosse. He’s a good
go-to for nutrition tips and pre and post routines for practices and
games. Even though Kevin isn’t on the
sidelines with us everyday on the off-season he holds workouts for us almost
everyday. Between long trail runs and cross fit workouts there is no doubt that
we aren’t in shape during the year. Alison Romer, sophomore on the Women's Soccer team, has been working out with Kevin the last couple of months to help increase her leg strength because she is prone to injury. "After working with Kevin, I feel a lot stronger and fit. Each day is a different challenge and I look forward to doing his workouts everyday to get better." Alison has had four knee surgeries in the past couple of years. Most people wouldn't have the determination that she has to get back on the pitch and play the game she's loved all her life-and Kevin has helped her achieve some of her goals.
Kevin was a student athlete at Oneonta State. He played on
the lacrosse team and stayed an extra year for his major and joined the
wrestling team. After school he juggled a few jobs but still realized he didn’t
land the perfect career choice. As a hobby he took part in Spartan races. When
he started he didn’t know that he would be such a competitive runner and a
nationally ranked Spartan racer. Not only doe he get to compete with the most
competitive athletes around the country but he gets to pursue his dream of
being fit and setting annual goals for himself. Not to mention that he is
married to Amy, an alumni soccer player from Oneonta who also engage
Kevin will continue to work with us next fall. Having the
ability to train with him is a privilege and it feels great to know that every
day he trains athletes to achieve to their greatest potential and will help
individuals meet their goals as a better athlete.
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