Reflecting on an Unforgettable Professional Development Trip – Sydney 2025
It’s hard to believe it’s already been three months since our team returned from the GCSCP’s annual Professional Development Trip — and what a trip it was! Now in its fourth year, this incredible experience was once again made possible with the support of RDK Sports International, and this year’s journey to Sydney was our biggest and most exciting yet, with 14 staff members in attendance.
Sydney has become a staple for our development trips, and for good reason. As the home to a significant number of elite sporting teams and high-performance facilities, it offers unmatched access to some of the best minds and environments in professional sport. For those of us who had attended last year, excitement was high to revisit this thriving hub and explore the newly opened, state-of-the-art facilities — and meet with some truly inspiring people along the way.
Two Days of Insight, Inspiration & Innovation
This year’s itinerary was packed with value from start to finish. Across two intensive days, we were treated to:
- Exclusive behind-the-scenes facility tours
- Intimate discussions with high-performance and executive staff
- Specialised lectures on training, rehab, and leadership
- Team bonding over unforgettable dinners and drinks
Here are some of the highlights.
Thursday: Strength, Strategy & Synergy
We kicked off the trip with an intimate dinner and Q&A session with Nathan Spencer, Strength & Power Coach for the St. George Illawarra Dragons. Nathan generously shared stories from his time in the NBA, along with his expert insights into building strength, size, and power in athletes.
A key focus was the use of VALD performance technology — a data-driven tool used to measure training intent and performance outcomes. This is the same cutting-edge technology we use in our Hope Island and Oxenford clinics, helping us design personalised training and rehab plans and make evidence-based decisions about when a client is ready to return to sport.
Another standout moment was our conversation with Dr. Jake Michael, Head Coach of the NSW Institute of Sport Kayaking Team. Dr. Michael shared his perspective on what truly makes a great coach, how to build passion and drive within an organisation, and how to support people not just through sport, but through life. His journey from elite athlete to clinic practitioner to high-performance coach was incredibly inspiring and offered countless takeaways for both clinical and sporting settings.
Friday: Behind the Curtain at Elite Facilities
Friday was a full-on day, starting with a rare opportunity to observe the Parramatta Eels training session and captain’s run at their brand-new $70 million Centre of Excellence — the largest rugby league facility in the world.
What stood out most wasn't just the impressive tech and architecture, but the deliberate design that promoted unity and inclusivity. Office spaces overlooked training grounds. Recovery areas blended into gyms. Injured players were not separated from their teams. This integration builds a sense of togetherness and mutual purpose — something we aim to emulate in our own practice, where social inclusion plays a critical role in rehabilitation.
Later, we visited the Penrith Panthers Centre of Excellence for a guided tour with Dr. Tom Lovell, the club’s Head of Performance. Naturally, we asked: “What’s the secret to their back-to-back NRL premiership wins?” And while there wasn’t a single magic answer, key themes emerged: investment in junior development, strong support for athlete families, and relentless attention to the 1% improvements — all signs of a truly cohesive and values-driven organisation.
Our final stop for the day was the Blacktown Exercise & Sports Technology (BEST) Hub, a sprawling multidisciplinary facility offering everything from public green space to an elite biomechanics lab and Australia’s largest altitude room. We capped the day off with a well-earned dinner at The Pump House, where conversation flowed as freely as the food and drinks.
Saturday: From Clinics to Clubs — Where Science Meets Practice
On Saturday, we delved deeper into the crossover between Strength & Conditioning and Sports physiotherapy, visiting Athletes Authority, Sydney FC, and the NSW Waratahs.
Much of the discussion focused on the growing role of data in sport — from GPS tracking and strength testing to wellness metrics and training loads. We explored how these metrics guide planning across different phases of the season, and how they mirror the same principles we apply in our clinics:
- Needs Analysis – What does the athlete (or patient) need based on their sport, position, or lifestyle?
- Meaningful Measures – What should we track? How often? How do we interpret the data?
- Strategic Planning – Depending on the season or recovery phase: do we focus on performance, maintenance, or recovery?
These principles are core to how we structure sports screenings, rehab programs, and return-to-play protocols at GCSCP.
The trip wrapped up with dinner and conversation with Richmond Saliba, a seasoned expert in both rehabilitation and high performance. Richmond spoke openly about what truly matters in health and sport — warning against the dangers of over-testing and stressing the importance of long-term planning, particularly when working with youth athletes.
His insights into Long-Term Athletic Development (LTAD) really resonated. This model emphasises strategic planning over several years to foster sustained growth, avoid burnout, and reduce injury risk — exactly the type of thinking we integrate into our care philosophy.
Takeaways That Will Shape Our Practice
This year’s professional development trip was one of our most enriching yet. From performance tech to coaching philosophies, facility design to long-term planning, we’ve returned with fresh knowledge, actionable ideas, and a renewed passion for what we do.
We're already excited for what next year has in store. Until then, we're putting these learnings into action — helping our clients achieve their best, both in sport and in life.