Catamount Consulting Wants Tradespeople to See Themselves as Athletes
Construction workers, heavy equipment operators, welders, and miners rarely describe themselves as athletes. But Scott McKenna, Stacy Spector, and Jason Spector believe they should.
The Warrensburg, New York-based team behind Catamount Consulting has spent years working alongside companies in construction, mining, and manufacturing, helping improve workplace safety and leadership. Along the way, they began asking a simple question: Why don’t we prepare tradespeople the same way we prepare elite athletes? That question evolved into what Catamount Consulting now calls the “Industrial Athlete” mindset—a philosophy that encourages workers to train not just for strength, but for longevity, resilience, and peak performance.
“We started to look at it through lenses of training, leadership training, peak performance in the same way that you would train an athlete,” Jason Spector said.
The Toughest Athletes Aren’t Always on a Playing Field
For Stacy Spector, redefining what it means to be an athlete starts by recognizing the physical demands many tradespeople face every day.
“When you say the word athlete, most people will think of a professional football player or UFC fighter or Olympian,” she said. “But if we actually take a look at some of the people in the trades, construction, mining, general industry, I would argue that there are some of the toughest athletes out there.”
Climbing structural steel hundreds of feet in the air, working in extreme heat, operating heavy equipment for 12-hour shifts, or lifting materials day after day all place enormous demands on the body. Yet unlike traditional athletes, many workers receive little guidance on how to prepare before the workday begins or recover once it ends.
That’s where the Industrial Athlete philosophy comes in.
“An industrial athlete to us is someone who intentionally trains their body, their mind, their character, so they can show up safely, consistently, effectively at work, but more importantly, at home as well,” Stacy Spector said.
Rather than viewing aches, fatigue, and injury as unavoidable parts of the job, Catamount Consulting encourages companies to help employees think proactively about hydration, nutrition, sleep, mobility, emotional regulation, and recovery.
Changing a Culture That Says to “Just Tough It Out”
One of the biggest challenges, according to the Catamount Consulting team, isn’t physical—it’s cultural.
For decades, many workers have accepted pain as simply part of earning a living. McKenna, Stacy Spector, and Jason Spector believe that mindset deserves to be challenged.
“It’s always been a little bit of an outdated mentality of suck it up and work through the pain,” Stacy Spector said. “That doesn’t work so well.”
Instead of waiting until injuries happen, Catamount Consulting teaches organizations to think more like sports teams. That means preparing workers before the shift starts, tailoring movement to the specific demands of each job, and providing practical tools that help people manage stress before it affects judgment or safety.
The concept even changed how the team thinks about traditional jobsite “stretch and flex” routines.
“We started playing around with this idea of readiness for work,” Jason Spector said. “This should look like a football team or a soccer team getting ready to take the field.”
The goal isn’t simply preventing injuries. It’s helping workers feel better at the end of the day so they can enjoy life away from work, whether that’s coaching Little League, spending time with family, or simply waking up ready to do it again tomorrow.
Performance Starts Between Your Ears
Although the Industrial Athlete philosophy begins with physical preparation, the conversation always returns to mindset.
Catamount Consulting regularly works with leadership teams on emotional resilience, ownership, and self-awareness—qualities they believe separate high-performing organizations from average ones.
“If I identify as an athlete, I’m already stepping toward ownership,” Jason Spector said. “If I don’t identify as an athlete and I identify as somebody who’s kind of managing and just doing what I do, getting my paycheck, that’s a victim.”
For McKenna, those ideas are captured in what Catamount Consulting calls its “Three Truths of Performance.”
“People are flawed. Mindset is everything. Everyone needs a coach.”
Those principles have become the foundation of Catamount Consulting’s work in Warrensburg, New York, where Scott McKenna, Stacy Spector, and Jason Spector continue helping organizations rethink workplace performance. As businesses across the Capital Region and beyond search for ways to improve safety, retain skilled workers, and build stronger teams, they believe the answer isn’t just better equipment or better policies.
Sometimes, it starts with helping someone see themselves differently.
Not just as someone who punches a clock—but as an athlete preparing to perform.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an “industrial athlete,” and why does it matter?
An industrial athlete is a tradesperson, technician, or skilled laborer whose body is their most important tool. Just as professional athletes train to improve performance and prevent injuries, industrial athletes benefit from strength training, mobility work, proper recovery, and ergonomic techniques. By treating workers like athletes, companies can reduce workplace injuries, improve productivity, lower workers’ compensation costs, and help employees enjoy longer, healthier careers.
How can businesses reduce injuries among tradespeople?
Reducing injuries starts with creating a proactive safety culture instead of reacting after accidents occur. Businesses can invest in ergonomic assessments, movement coaching, injury prevention training, stretching routines, and education on proper lifting techniques. Regular wellness programs and job-specific conditioning also help employees build the physical resilience needed for demanding work environments, leading to fewer lost workdays and better overall performance.
Which industries benefit most from the industrial athlete approach?
The industrial athlete model is valuable anywhere employees perform physically demanding work. Construction, manufacturing, warehousing, utilities, HVAC, plumbing, electrical, landscaping, municipal public works, transportation, and logistics companies can all benefit. Organizations that rely on skilled trades often see improvements in employee health, retention, morale, and operational efficiency when they prioritize injury prevention.
Why is injury prevention better than injury treatment?
Preventing injuries helps workers avoid pain, lost wages, and lengthy recovery periods while saving employers significant costs related to insurance claims, overtime, hiring replacements, and reduced productivity. A preventative strategy also helps retain experienced employees, supports workforce longevity, and creates a safer workplace culture that benefits everyone.
