A different person from Charlotte Latin Athletics is featured on the first Tuesday of each month with twenty questions to help the CLS community get to know some of our athletes, coaches, and supporters a bit better.
 
This month, freshman multi-sport athlete Liam McConaughy shares his experience with the arts and athletics, and explains how his struggles during the pandemic led to a pivotal discovery. Read on to get to know a bit about Liam, including an unusual special talent that most people don't know about.
 
1. You're a Latin lifer. Is that correct?
Yes, I have been here since preschool. The first year the Nest opened, I was there.
 
2. For those who don't know, tell us about your parents. How did they meet?
My mom, Chrissy, teaches 8^th grade math. My dad, Neil, teaches fourth grade. They met at a teaching conference and Mom was already working at Charlotte Latin then, so after they got married, Dad started working here too.
 
3. And you have a sister, Olivia, who graduated from Latin in 2020. What's your relationship like?
We were always each other's best friend. We may get in fights, but we always love each other. It's like always having a friend over at your house and when she moved away to college it was hard for me. We text some, and we Snapchat and FaceTime a lot. I send her good luck messages before a show and she sends me good luck before a match. She's funny and she gets my sense of humor. And she's really kind.
 
4. Olivia was on the dance team and was heavily involved in the performing arts. Do any of her performances stand out to you, and do you two appreciate each other's interests?
I liked Beauty and the Beast. She was the lead and it was a really good production overall. We argue about our different interests, but in a fun way. We argue about who's the athletic one. My dad played football in high school and college, and Mom was in the marching band at NC State, so it's a good mix in our family. We're all so different, but I feel like it makes us closer. I definitely know more about the arts than I would without Olivia's involvement, and it's the same for her with the sports.
 
5. Did you ever try to follow in her footsteps and perform on stage?
Oh yeah. I did Seussical in fourth grade. I did Mary Poppins in fifth grade and the play in sixth grade. I was not good at the acting stuff. I was too scared and I did not enjoy it. I did Mary Poppins because it was the All-School production and I wanted to do it with my sister. Then I did the play in sixth grade because some of my friends were doing it. But it's a lot scarier to go out on stage and act and sing than it is to go out on a mat and wrestle.
 
6. Has wrestling always been your sport?
No, I didn't start wrestling until sixth grade. I played soccer when I was around three years old and I would always come off the field crying because I hated it so much. Then I started basketball around age five, and I was pretty good at it, but I was always too small. In third grade, I started baseball and I really like baseball. I played for Latin in seventh grade, and I also played middle school football in seventh grade. But in sixth grade, I started wrestling, and by eighth grade, I was focusing on that.
 
7. So what prompted you to try wrestling?  
I had Mr. Wolfe in sixth grade and I loved his class. He kind of got me into wrestling. I was a pretty scared kid and Mr. Wolfe opened me up to be more out there. I didn't love wrestling at first, but it grew on me and became really fun. I feel a peace of mind when I'm doing it. And I like to win.
 
8. What was your initial impression of the sport, and how has that changed?  
I thought wrestling was a little weird. I thought you could just take someone and throw them, but there are so many moves you can do and so many different ways to do them. It's a thinking man's game. It's muscle too, but if you're thinking about what you're going to hit, it's very technical.
 
9. You said that it's less scary to go out on a mat and wrestle than it is to perform on stage, but you're still very much in the spotlight when you're competing. How do you prepare for that?
I just put in my earbuds and think about my match and what I'm going to do. I try to step on the mat with my mind and body in sync and just be calm. I approach each match thinking that I'll just go in and do my best and they'll do theirs and the better wrestler will win.
 
10. Do you have as similar approach to football? What made you return to that sport this year?
Football is definitely different. It was fun to be on the team to start high school. It was really good to meet new people and make more friends in the Upper School. I enjoyed playing in the games, although I didn't get to play as much as I wanted. It was a good opportunity to get better and learn, so I could be better in the future. It definitely helped me be prepared for wrestling season, and wrestling is actually a big part of why I returned to football. When I first started wrestling, I wasn't really confident in myself, but the sport has helped me. Now, I feel a lot more confident in everything I do and it's a big part of why I returned to football.
 
11. How has the transition from Middle School to Upper School been for you?  
It's been good overall, but it hasn't been easy. I've always had a math brain and it's just come easily to me, until this year. It was a big difference going into honors geometry, and I was struggling. I switched into regular geometry so I could focus on all my subjects and keep my grades up. Taking Latin has been fun. It's my first year doing it because I took French in Middle School, but the class is fun and Ms. McQuaid is a really good teacher.
 
12. What's your most challenging subject?
Generally, I feel like English is the toughest for me. I actually have a reading disability. For a long time, I just thought that I couldn't read and it was really frustrating, but I went through testing in seventh grade and it helped me so much. I got diagnosed with OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) through the testing process. I had a really hard time during the pandemic, especially when it first started. I was a germophobe and I was terrified of getting it. I was overly careful and my OCD was really bad. Getting medication to treat that has helped me a lot.
 
13. Have you set any goals for yourself – this season or more long-term?
Before the season started, I wanted to try to win the conference championship. But now I have a higher goal to try to win at states. I also want to try to wrestle in college.
 
14. Any thoughts about what kind of career you might like to pursue?
Probably something with finance, because I'm good at math and it makes good money.  
 
15. Let's finish up with some fun questions. What's your favorite sport to watch on TV?
Probably football, because I am a Fantasy Football fanatic.
 
16. Who is a sports figure you admire?
I was a big fan of Kobe (Bryant) before he passed away. He was so motivational for me.
 
17.  What's your favorite sports movie?
I like all of the Rocky movies.  
 
18. What is a talent or ability of yours that most people don't know about? 
I can balance a spoon on my nose for, like, an entire day. I guess I have a balanced nose.
 
19. If you could have a talent or ability that you don't already have, what would it be? 
I would want to be a professional eater. Like Joey Chestnut. And Matt Stonie. He eats everything.
 
20. What is your favorite holiday and why?
The whole Thanksgiving and Christmas time period. I love spending time with my family over winter break and my birthday is December 29^th.
 
Happy early birthday, Liam!