The first Tuesday of each month, we interview someone from Charlotte Latin Athletics with twenty questions to help the CLS community get to know some of our athletes, coaches, and supporters a bit better.
 
Our June 2024 edition introduces our new Head Athletic Trainer, Andy Russo. A native of Virginia, Andy will be joining us this summer from Lucy Beckham High School in Charleston, SC, where he's been the Head Athletic Trainer since August 2021, just a year after the school opened. Prior to that role, he was an athletic trainer with the College of Charleston for nearly five years while completing a Master of Arts degree in Sports Management from The Citadel. He is newly engaged and excited to be moving to Charlotte with his fiancé, who will be switching her allegiance from the Bucs to the Hawks as an alumna of that green school down the road. Read on to get to know a bit about Andy in this month's Tuesday 20.
 
1. You got engaged just a few days after you interviewed for this role. What can you tell us about the proposal?
That was a big week! I was in Charlotte on Monday for the interviews, then went back to Charleston and my parents and brother secretly flew down on Thursday. That afternoon, with my parents in the room, I got a call from Sara Onstad offering me the job at Latin. I went home that night and asked Amelia, "Hey, do you want to move to Charlotte?" That was pretty cool and we were both really excited. Then Amelia's birthday was coming up that Sunday, so I told her I'd planned a birthday dinner with friends that Friday. I drove to Folly Beach because that was one of the first places we'd hung out together and we like to take our dog, Ziggy, there for walks. So I took her to the same cut out we always use and had a friend positioned to take pictures. She might have been suspicious when we started walking on the beach, but she was definitely surprised to find out both of our families were there and we got to all celebrate together.
 
2. Your fiancé has a bit of history with Charlotte Latin. What can you tell us about her?
Her name is Amelia Menzies and she is a 2011 graduate of Country Day. She played tennis there and is good friends with Ashley Hall (CLS Class of 2011 and daughter of recently retired tennis coach Dale Hall). I already told her that she's going to have to trade her CCDS green for navy blue and she's totally on board!
 
3. What about you, where did you grow up?
I was born and raised in Virginia Beach and went to Cape Henry Collegiate, a small independent school. My graduating class had 76 kids. It was a great place to grow up and shaped a lot of who I am. I'm a pretty laid back and easygoing person, which I think is a product of growing up at the beach, where life moves a little slower. I spent my summers at the beach with friends, surfing, riding bikes, and just hanging out. My brother and I had a lot of the same teachers at school, and they all knew that I drove us both in my little red Ford Ranger, walked him down to Lower School, then went back up to Upper School.
 
4. It sounds idyllic. What did your parents do?  
My mom is a piano and guitar teacher, so both my brother and I had a musical background. She also subbed at school and she was always around for us and involved in whatever we were doing. My dad works in HR, so luckily, I have always had someone to review resumes and edit cover letters. My parents were always there for us and although I didn't really appreciate that growing up, I do now. They are very supportive.
 
5. Were organized sports a part of your upbringing?
I always loved sports. I'd play street hockey with my friends, and two-hand touch football in the park. I was always outside and very active, and I taught myself how to surf with help from my friends in middle school. I played basketball from fourth through ninth grades and then everyone else caught up to me in terms of height. Baseball was my sport. I was a pitcher and an outfielder, and I was on the team that won our school's first-ever state championship in 2010. That was my junior year, and I knew I wasn't going to play in college, so I felt like I'd reached this pinnacle. Then I had an opportunity to go on this surf trip to Nicaragua, but my parents said if I wanted to go, I had to figure out how to pay for it. So I spent that whole year working to save up money and didn't play baseball as a senior. I have great memories of the sport, though. My dad taught me everything about baseball when I was growing up and it's always been something we were able to share.
 
6. Other than your dad, did you have any coaches or mentors who were particularly impactful?  
Tracey Pinkin. My senior year of high school, there was a conflict with my class schedule that led to me taking Introduction to Anatomy. It was taught by our athletic trainer, so it was more like an intro to athletic training class and it was my favorite class of all time. It's what sparked my interest in this career path. I think it was both the subject matter and the way Tracey taught it. Anatomy and physiology are very complex, but she taught it in a way that was really approachable for high school kids to learn. She was the first mentor I had in terms of someone who was in the field that I wanted to be in and was a good role model. I still keep in touch with her. She's Tracey Pinkin-Hamilton now.
 
7. That class sparked an interest that led you to James Madison University. Was your college decision an easy one?   
I remember the first time walking on the JMU campus in late June or early July and it was nasty hot outside. The air just felt gross, but I didn't care, I still thought it was awesome. Everyone was so kind, saying hello, and taking time to talk to us. I met with people from the athletic training program and they sat with me and answered questions and seemed to genuinely care about me and my decision. It was the same way for my brother, who just graduated from JMU. When he was a prospective student, the journalism professors met with him for two hours. When you're there you feel like you've been there for ages and when you leave, you feel like you're part of something bigger. I often try to explain why it's so special but it's just something you have to experience. The culture and the people make it what it is.
 
8. Once you started the program for athletic training, did you ever reconsider your choice?
I never had any doubts but there were points where I thought, man, this is hard. We'd go to class basically from 8-12 and then be in clinic hours from 1-6, so we were in class and then "working" every day. Plus, if you were assigned to a JMU team, you were there for all home games and practices and sometimes traveled with them, so it required a lot of us in terms of time management and just time in general. It was hard at first, but I appreciate that I had that experience. It's a sink or swim type of thing and it really prepared me to handle difficult situations.
 
9. How did you land in Charleston after graduating from JMU?
I knew I wanted to be at a beach, but not necessarily back home. Charleston is a cool place and I had a connection through JMU with a guy at the College of Charleston. I was working days there while I was doing my master's at The Citadel through night classes. I had a professor who owned the Charleston RiverDogs and is great friends with Bill Murray, and he made it very approachable to learn about the business and marketing side of sports by sharing his real-life experiences. It was really cool to hear his perspective and I enjoyed seeing a different side of athletics and getting a broader view than just my corner of the industry.
 
10. What was life like as an athletic trainer at the College of Charleston?
I worked with men's soccer, then went to tennis, then volleyball, then baseball, which was cool to experience my sport in a different way and as an adult. I bounced around a lot and was often traveling five days a week. Amelia and I had just bought a house and I wanted to be home more, so I decided to look elsewhere and found out about the high school.
 
11. How was that transition?
I never thought I'd be in a secondary school setting, but I love it. There was only one athletic trainer there before me, the year the school opened, but she went on maternity leave so I was able to come in and create a program. It definitely tested me. There was a lot I had to figure out right away, because I didn't have time not to. It's really cool now to be able to say I helped start all of this and built it up.
 
12. Did you ever think about coaching?
I wanted to coach, but never really had the opportunity. Being in the high school setting now has given me the opportunity to be in this great middle area of being a fan and supporter of the kids and the teams, while also being able to instruct and guide them. I can offer perspectives on their training from a health standpoint, and sometimes kids are more receptive to hearing that from me than from their coach.
 
13. What's the most challenging part of being an athletic trainer?  
Adaptability. You have to be able to adapt to anything, in general. Schedule changes, travel plans, game-time decision-making. You have to be okay with change and be able to turn stuff around when you aren't necessarily expecting it.
 
14. And what's the most rewarding aspect of the job?
Knowing that what I'm doing is leaving a positive impact on student-athletes. Both at the college level and in secondary school. I tell people I'm a professional helper. I know that I can have an enormous amount of impact and influence on young adults and I need to be a role model – be a good person, show up on time, always look out for others around you. It's an honor that parents trust me to care for their kids when they're not there.
 
15. How do you think Charlotte Latin will differ from Lucy Beckham High School?  
I think the community feeling sticks out to me right away. Everyone seems familiar with each other, supporting each other, pulling the rope in the same direction, so to speak. There's a sense of community at Beckham, but it's a young school. The roots that connect people at Latin are one of the strongest factors that I noticed and I'm really looking forward to being part of it.
 
16. Alright, let's finish up with some fun questions. What's your favorite sports movie?
Probably Miracle on Ice. That's one I could watch over and over again and never get tired of it.
 
17. What is a talent or hobby of yours that most people don't know about?  
I won the Virginia state spelling bee as a fifth grader, so I was always considered the resident spelling expert.
 
18.  If you could have one super power, what would it be?
I think probably teleporting. It would be useful because I could get places quickly for my personal stuff, like go to the beach in the morning and be back at Latin for afternoon practices, and also for work. I could be in the SAC and if someone needs me out on a field I could get there right away.
 
19. Who is a sports figure you admire?
Honestly, I really admired Bill Walton. I thought he was so cool. He was always a funny, happy guy who never seemed to let things get to him, regardless of the situation. I really love listening to The Grateful Dead and he was a huge fan, so seeing that intersection of him being a pro athlete and also just a fan of a band was a neat cross section of life. I also just think he was a cool individual who looked out for other people and never seemed to have a bad day.
 
20. What did young Andy want to be when he grew up, and what would your dream job be today?
I wanted to play pro sports when I was little. I think from the start, it was always something in athletics. Being at Latin is a dream job. It's somewhere I can see myself for a really, really long time. I'm so appreciative that this opportunity came my way and that it worked out. I feel very lucky and very thankful.

Bonus question: Is there a date for the wedding? 
May 24, 2025