Episode 102 – Charlotte Keane, Alison Alcock and Bradley Neate

Massage & Myotherapy Australia CEO Ann Davey chats with Director Charlotte Keane and recipient of the National Sporting Organisation Scholarship Woman's Tennis Association (WTA) Alison Alcock about their experiences working at professional tennis events. Also in this episode, 2026 National Conference presenter Bradley Neate previews his upcoming breakout session.

2026 National Conference website: https://tinyurl.com/yxu2d2mt

Transcript

Intro

SPEAKER_02 0:00

Hi, and Davy here from Massage of Myotherapy Australia, and in this month's Connect episode, I chat with Charlotte Keane, who worked at the Australian Open, and Alison Alcock, the recipient of our national sporting organization and her experiences of working with the WTA. If you're thinking about applying for the scholarship, this is the episode not to miss. Enjoy.

SPEAKER_00 0:34

Hi,

Bradley Neate Conference Promo

SPEAKER_00 0:35

manual therapists. My name is Brad, and I'm one of the instructors at the Massage and Myotherapy Conference this year, leading a practical workshop called The Body's Story. And this is a somatic narrative approach to working with and transforming the relationship with pain. And so oftentimes, as manual therapists, we're trained to fix pain, to fight pain, to fear pain. And oftentimes, this can lead to a sense of frustration and futility for both the patient and the practitioner. And so in this weekend workshop, we're gonna go through a lot of information, but I'm gonna help students decipher what is a structural pain and then what might be pain that's originating from some sort of mind-body disconnect. And so students will gain the skills to be able to start to understand how to approach pain through a more of a listening lens and more of a somatic narrative approach. And so we'll be going through the seven horizontal myofascial bands, addressing things such as interoception, exteroception, body armoring, and somatic holding. And how can we help our patients to explore this somatic holding using language and using narrative? And so, again, this is another skill that many of us weren't taught. How do we open the relationship and the conversation with pain so that the person can be seen, heard, and felt. And so I'm very excited about this workshop, and I would love to see you there. So come say hi to me at the conference as well. I really value this community, and so I will see you soon. Bye.

SPEAKER_01 2:39

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Charlotte Keane and Alison Alcock

SPEAKER_02 3:15

Hi, welcome to this episode of Connect. I'm Ann Davy, CEO, and I'm here with Charlotte Keane, who's a director, and Alison Alcock, is that how you say it? Alison Alcock, who's the recipient of our scholarship. So welcome guys. It's good to chat. Thank you. So Charlotte, I'll start with you. So you've been um working at the um Australian Open for several years now. So what do you think you've learned the most out of that experience, if anything, other than working really, really hard and really long days?

SPEAKER_04 3:52

Um, I think I've learned how to be a team player at a high performance event. Like you, um, I wouldn't say I'm a big, like I have a massive ego or anything like that, but you have when you go, when you start working with a team like that, especially in our profession, I think you can go in and you feel like you know you've got all what all the tools that you've got to offer. But when you get into something like that, you realise that every uh practitioner has their lane. So, you know, like there's it's a shared care of the athlete. So some of the things you might do regularly in clinic aren't something that you do at the AIO, for example, because certain things would be in the physios department, other things might be with the sports doctor or the tendon specialist or sports recovery. And so you learn that your component of what you can do, it might not be the whole um like everything that you can do in your job, but the bit that you do is really important and it helps the whole um all the team members work successfully.

SPEAKER_02 4:53

So Alison, I see you agreeing. Was that your experience? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Was it overwhelming for you or have you worked in the sports space before? I think.

SPEAKER_03 5:06

Yeah, I've worked on a lot of sports before, and probably I've done a lot more sport than clinic. Um, but I think that's what really um what interested me in the scholarship was I'd never done tennis before and I've done a lot more Olympic Paralympic sports as opposed to professional sports. I've done more some professional sports, but more like rugby. I've never done tennis before, and I know nothing about tennis. Um, and I kind of enjoy that exactly as Charlotte was saying, that behind the scenes, seeing the behind the scenes and being part of that team and being a part of that thing that's bigger than yourself, kind of thing. I like I really enjoy that part of it, and so yeah, that's what kind of attracted me to the scholarship is to see it in a different sport and a different environment.

SPEAKER_02 5:45

Yeah, I think it's a good point because the majority of our members and possibly our viewers is they work alone. So then when you're in that environment, you can bounce off ideas, discussions, issues, challenges, all those sorts of things. So it would make a big difference to your working life. And I guess you know, it's not a typical day in the clinic when you're working with these elite sports teams at all.

SPEAKER_04 6:14

And it's also important to be really open-minded. Like, you know, that's what I was talking about ego. You have to leave egos at the door, you have to go in and just be like part of the team, and that's an important part of the success, I think, of the behind the scenes.

SPEAKER_02 6:29

Yeah, and did you find that hard, uh um, Charlotte?

SPEAKER_04 6:33

Because you Well, I was finishing my Bachelor of Health Science degree for myotherapy when I started, and I think because we were referred to as massage therapists in the um at the tennis, like I was like, oh, I'm a myotherapist. Like I can even remember saying that when I got introduced. But then I realized it doesn't really matter, like it doesn't matter what your name is. It's it's important really that we are like we're soft tissue specialists in that in that area, and we can do an amazing job to help with athletes' recovery, and I was fine with that. So, but there was a bit of a learning curve to understand how that was different to working. I I work a lot in clinics, so working on and and I run, I have employees and everything. So yeah, I had to had to kind of think about a different way of approaching it and not, yeah, just the whole leave the egos at the door thing is really important, I think. Yeah, so Alison, was it the tennis very different from rugby?

SPEAKER_03 7:28

Um, I think the biggest difference for me was that it was the actual federation, like the Women's Tennis Association, that provided all of that. And so then the athletes came in. So when I've worked before, you've been part of an like my background is sports science as well. And so then I've come in as soft tissue. And so this was probably I think this was the first tournament or event I'd done where I was just soft tissue. So again, similar to what um Charlotte said, like I've done it alongside my other roles before, but in this role, I was very much that. But then I also think you've also got to be very ready to just jump in and do whatever's required on at the time as well, because anything sort of happens, an athlete comes in, the physio needs a help, so you end up holding something while they tape something, you know, like or you go and fill the ice up, or you go do the heat readings because you just do whatever's required. So I think there's that whole you stay in your lane, but then you've also you know when you go out of your lane to go and help other people as well. And that's kind of where I really enjoy that team aspect as well that Charlotte um was talking about. Um I forgot your question now, sorry, I went off on a tangent.

SPEAKER_02 8:36

Well, no, you did answer correctly. Um I was going to say that's something that has come up in previous discussions on this, is the the temperature reading of the courts. I think everyone sort of gets a little bit excited about that because nobody really realizes. And when you're a therapist, it's not something that is in your everyday life. And I know past recipients have said that they've they've always mentioned doing the temperature reading on the courts, so but we should do it at that point. Do do a shout out to Sue Gillespie, who is the coordinator of the therapists for the Women's Tennis Association, because without her we wouldn't have the scholarship, which is really great. And she's a bit um like a massive support, isn't she? She contacted you and before you went, correct?

SPEAKER_03 9:28

Yeah, it was amazing. I think I think that like in terms of the whole process, it was really good. Like I found out that I'd got the scholarship, it was the week before Christmas and the Adelaide International. I think I flew there on the 8th of January. So it was kind of all very, but you know, from um Massage Myotherapy Australia contacting me to say that I'd got the scholarship and then hand on over to Sue. And then I literally spoke to Sue that afternoon and she took me through everything that we had to do. And so I've like that I found really useful, like in terms of the training that you did online before you went in, so that you knew like the WTA, one thing I did notice compared to other sports is they had really specific protocols that were followed no matter what the tournament is around the world, and they were really very specific, you know, the tape goes on this way on the sports drinks, or this goes like this. And and you could look at that and go, that's really pedantic. Like, what does it matter? But what I realized when I saw it in action was uh it meant that when an athlete comes in and asks for the physios to strap their ankle, whether they do that at the Adelaide International or the Sydney International or one in America or one in Dubai, they get the same thing every time because it's standardized across every tournament. And so I think the way that they do that is really good. And then even the processes of you know, where you keep your notes so everyone's got access to them and the heat readings so everyone can access them if they need to, and just the way that they ran things and you know, collect made sure you were qualified and insured. I work for sports where they don't check that, like you know, they so I think the whole process of that was really good, and Sue was a massive part of that and checked in when I was there, made sure everything was good. So, yeah, massive shout-out to Sue. She was amazing.

SPEAKER_02 11:10

Oh, good. So for any future possible applicants, you know, they're going to be very well supported, even if they've never worked at a sporting event. So you talked about the the learning modules before you even got there. Was that a like was it very onerous or was it um just something that you got through?

SPEAKER_03 11:34

Yeah, no, I think it's um yeah, some of it is like it always is, and some of it I'd done before in other roles, um, but it was just so I like we have to do anti-doping the Australian version for our course, but because WTA is American, so it was all stuff that I'd done before, but it was a different course because it was a different trainer, which is fine. Like again, you've just got to do it, and you understand as long as you understand why that is, it's important. So um, yeah, but Sue set us up to do that, so it was just a matter of smashing through it, sort of thing.

SPEAKER_02 12:03

It works like clockwork, doesn't it? And I guess when you know, for Sue organizing all these tournaments all across the world, you you need to have some sort of structure, well, a very good structure. So it sounds like it was.

SPEAKER_04 12:16

Is it the same at the AO, Charlotte? Yeah, it is the same. Um, although it's a tiny bit different. But I started the how I got into the AO was with Sue Gillespie as well. As well, well I know I did a WTA event after like COVID. Um, and it was they had it at Melbourne Park because it was like obviously, and it was hard to find therapists at that time because of you know, all the flight disruptions and COVID restrictions. So she contacted me through um knowing me through the association on LinkedIn and said, we need help, can you help? And that's how I got into doing, and I did a WTA event and I met the team from the Australian Open. So they kind of they um bookended the end of my tournament with the WTA, and so I think I was there for like seven or eight days, maybe seven days solid, and then the AO team were coming in ready to start for their for AO 2021 or whatever it was, and so I got to meet them then, and then that's how I got they got to know me and they knew that I'd done a good job, and that's how I got into helping, and they probably needed someone at the time. So it was just lucky timing, but that was also through Sue. So I also did those WTA modules at the start, but then now with the AO I do um other ones, but they're very similar with um like um be you know making sure about knowing about things like child abuse and sport and things like that, and um, yeah, the the doping. And we've got a special app that we download on the phone to know if any medication might be um not suitable during competition or out of competition, even like you know, panodoles and things like that. There's a whole lot of things athletes have to check to make sure that they're not going to breach any um any drug um rules or anything.

SPEAKER_02 14:11

So in years gone by, you um were very excited because you got to meet Billie Jean King. Was there anybody there she are? Thank you to meet.

SPEAKER_04 14:21

Um I I you kind of the thing I like about the tennis is it's super professional. So the other thing that's really drilled in to us at the AO is we are to, you know, you don't think ask for things like an autograph or a photo with players or anything like that. So our treatment room, so I'm in the women's training room and it's a safe space for the athletes, so they're very relaxed. It's quite an honour to be around them. You could be with someone, well, I say they're relaxed, but they can also be showing a range of emotions depending on how they're feeling in their tournament because it's a lot of pressure on tennis players, it's just them uh and it's a lot of money, and there's a lot of there's not so much money if you don't win, and things that I'm I suppose they have a lot to fund to be able to travel around the world, and they're very young players too, so you know, we can all look at the people um on the tally and think, well, they're very you know, they're not behaving very well or something if they have a tantrum and throw their racket, but I guess there's a lot of pressure on them too, because they're young people, a lot of them, and it's yeah, it's a lot. So the treatment room is super professional. Um, I sure I walk past, I like you know, I we walk past really closely to some really famous people, but you treat them like they're just anybody, like obviously professionally, but you don't blink an eyelid, but inside you go, oh my god, that's blah blah blah, you know. But you're just like walking past professionally and smiling away, and how can I help and all that sort of thing? But shaking Billie Jean King's hand um a few years back was a really special.

SPEAKER_02 15:47

So yeah, because she's one of the founders of that tournament.

SPEAKER_04 15:51

She is the founder, yeah, of the WTA, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 15:54

Yeah, so huh. So I guess what advice would you give anybody either of you or both of you, can um anybody considering applying for the scholarship? I mean, if you've never worked in sport, you've never worked at a tournament, um, you know, if like um I would suggest there would be apprehension if you've never done it. So how would the scholarship have supported you, Alison? You know, if you'd never had the the previous experience and just sort of got, you know, like you said, it was a matter of weeks from being told you've had been awarded the scholarship to that afternoon talking to Sue and having to do online learning modules, organized travel, all of that sort of stuff. It's very worthwhile.

SPEAKER_03 16:45

Yeah, absolutely. I think if you want to do sport and you want to get that sort of behind-the-scenes experience, then there's definitely no better way to do it. I felt really supported by Massage Myotherapy Australia and the WTA. Um, Anthony Khalil, as well, who was the core massage therapist on site. Like massive shout out to him from the moment I walked in. I just felt very welcome and part of the team, and there were no dumb questions kind of thing. I could, you know, he showed me the ropes and where things were and how it all worked for that tournament. But, you know, I was very comfortable asking where things were or how does that work and things like that. So I think definitely I felt very supported and the process. Like if I'd never done a sporting event before, I still think that with those people there supporting you, it would be amazing. I think for anyone, so if anyone is keen to do it, then I definitely recommend it. I think you have to like long hours, you have to love it, you have to, it is a privilege to do it. Like it's not just because you're a sports fan, like you're actually there to do a job and it is hard work and it is chaotic sometimes. You don't know what's going to happen from one moment to the next if someone gets injured and they come in and they cry. And like Charlotte said, it can be like an environment as well where it's not always a nice place to be because there's stuff going on and it's not always they don't always win. There's stuff that happens and things, and so I think if you and sports not for everyone is what I found as well. Like some people think they want to do it and then they do it and they hate it because they like turning up knowing I've got six clients today and I'm gonna finish at five o'clock or whatever time it is. Like, especially with tennis, if it goes to three sets or it go, like you could be there till gone midnight. Like, and that's okay. Like, that's part of why you do it because I kind of enjoy that environment where every day's different and um you don't really know what's gonna happen next. Something might happen, you might get asked to go and do something else. Um, I kind of enjoy that, but that's not for everyone. So I think if you kind of enjoy that unknown and you're just willing to jump in and do whatever's required and be part of that team, then I absolutely recommend it. It's such a great experience, and I think there's lots of things you can take back with you afterwards that you learn from it. But um, yeah, I definitely recommend it for anyone who's interested in that environment.

SPEAKER_02 18:58

Yeah, and it's a good starting point if you haven't, because you are so well supported, and Anthony's have been around for a long time as well, and you know, he's done some things for the association in years gone by, and he's super supportive, which is great. So, and Charlotte, do you want to add anything to that?

SPEAKER_04 19:18

Yeah, well, when I started um with the WTA tournament, I had Lily too that helped me, and like it was just really nice that you had people that had lots of experience doing the tournament that could, or like doing tennis, for example, that can just like it is really funny about no questions a silly question. At the start, you're like, they'll say, Go and get the player schedules, and you're like, Oh, where are they? And I don't know, everything feels really daunting, and and yeah, and also if you're good at what you do away from that environment, and then you come into this, you're kind of like, Oh gosh, it's like being the first day at school again, and you have to, you know, keep asking questions. And I I really enjoyed recent years because it's really flowed. We haven't had a big change in our team, and so everybody knows what to do, which is really nice. But one thing I'll say about applying for scholarships, um, I will we always get quite a lot of people that do apply, and never be like, um, even if you don't get it one time, keep applying, but also it's also kind of like you know, you've got to walk the walk and talk the talk. If you want to be noticed in our industry, you have to you have to show up and you have to um show people that you're worthy, you know, because I think that's how I got my um introduction as well, because of the way that I conduct myself and you get known for your professionalism. And I think that's really important to remember. So don't be don't be um yeah, put off if you get knocked back a few times, you know, you just keep going. Maybe you can get like a local tennis club or something you can help with and um do some you know volunteer work or or or whatever, um, and then try and build that little bit of expertise so that you look a bit more attractive when you apply for the scholarship because there's like the interest in the tennis or whatever is there, and then um that whoever's judging it might go, oh actually, this person is showing to you know they're really wanting to um get some experience in this area.

SPEAKER_02 21:11

Yeah, that's really good advice because this this one is particularly popular as well, this scholarship, and I think if as you said, if you're you've shown an interest in your CV that you are supporting local sport but haven't been you know, this is sort of an opportunity to get into the professional sports, then that's a big tick for the assessors. So rather than I'll suck it and see, and you know, if you have no understanding, as you said, Alison, it is a very different environment clinic. So anyway, well, on that note, congratulations again, Alison, and thank you for your efforts. Like the journal article in the most recent one gives a little bit more information, and um I think you know, we were As long as Sue's happy for us to offer the scholarship, we're going to continue. So viewers watch out. Later in the year we will advertise it again. And thanks Charlotte and thanks Allison. Thank you. Thank you.