Why I Stopped Fixing injuries, and Started Building Athletes
I've been taking care of athletes since 2014. For most of that time, I met people at the point where something had already gone wrong. A tight back, a cranky shoulder, a hamstring that "just went" at training.
I loved that work, and I still do. But somewhere along the way I realised I wanted to be there earlier. Not just patching athletes up, but building them so they're harder to break in the first place.
So here's the news: ScoutCo is now a strength and conditioning business first. Here's how I got here, why it fits who I am, and where I want to take it.
Where it started
ScoutCo began as Scout Coaching & Therapy, and the therapy side came first. With my Diploma of Remedial Massage, I spent years in sports therapy: remedial massage, cupping, injury management, predominantly supporting rugby league teams on the sidelines. The business grew when I qualified as a personal trainer, predominantly to support my work as a sports therapist. I’d incorporate my knowledge in psychology casually into my conversations with clients to maximise performance outcomes and mental wellbeing. That mix taught me something that you can’t learn from one discipline alone. When an athlete enters my studio, I’m not just looking at the sore muscle. I’m looking at how they train, how they recover, how they sleep, and what’s going on in their head. Most of the time, the injury is the end of a story that started weeks, months or years earlier.
Why Strength & Conditioning
An hour of treatment can make an athlete feel better. Twelve weeks of good training (with wrap around support) can change what their body is capable of.
I kept seeing the same pattern. Athletes would come in sore, I’d get them moving again, and a few months later they’d be back with the same problem. Nothing was wrong with the treatment. What was missing was the work in between: building strength, managing load, and having someone who knows them keeping an eye on the whole picture.
Strength & Conditioning is where I can do that work. It’s proactive instead of reactive. And it lets me bring everything I’ve learned in the treatment room, and in my own rugby career, onto the training floor.
Why it fits me
I didn’t come at this pivot from one direction. I came at it from four, and each one shapes how I coach:
ASCA Level 1 Coach and Cert IV in Fitness. The foundation - programming, technique and progressive overload done properly.
Diploma of Remedial Massage. I know how bodies break down, so I program to keep them in one piece. Technique comes before load, every time.
BSc Psychology (Hons). Training is as much mental as physical. Head noise, motivation and confidence all show up under the bar.
Nutrition Coaching Certificate. You can’t out-train poor fuel, and poor sleep, so we look at those too.
Then there’s personality. I care about people, not just their numbers. I’ll hold you accountable, but I’ll never shame you. I know when to push you, and when you might just need a wee cuddle. And after over 20 years of playing rugby, I love a team, which is why I created the Lift Club Community.
That’s what “treating the person, not just the athlete” means to me. It was true when my core business was sports therapy, and it’s the heart of how I coach now.
What ScoutCo looks like now
The heart and core business of ScoutCo is now our 12-week coaching packages. You can train with me online from anywhere in the world, or come into the ScoutCo Studio in Logan for one-on-one evening sessions.
Every client gets a program written specifically for them - where they are currently at in their training and what their goals are. I take into account your challenges, your lifestyle and take every opportunity to set you up for success. Every client is onboarded to the ScoutCo app where they will find their program, weekly check-ins, Lift Club Community engagement board, as well as other features to keep you on track and motivated. Sports Therapy, PT and Mindset Coaching are very much still here - supporting the main event.
I coach athletes of all kinds: rugby league players, novice power lifters, boxers, runners and people returning to sport after years way. I have lived experience of pregnancy, postpartum, significant weight gain and loss, and chronic arthritis - and welcome others who share this experience to come and let me program for you!
What I hope to achieve
Fewer injuries, longer careers.
Confidence that lasts (well-past retirement).
A community worth belonging to.
Coaching that sees the whole person.
Work with me
If you’ve been patched up one too many times, or you’re ready to see what you’re actually capable of, I’d love to help. Spots are limited so that I am able to give every client the support they deserve. Have a look at the coaching packages or head to the booking page to register your interest.
Let’s work together
Kirst xo