Russell Gaither (MS APK ’22)
Working to better athlete development
Russell Gaither, M.S. APK ’22, serves as a performance specialist where he has helped players develop in performance nutrition, mental skills, and strength and conditioning. Orlando City Soccer Club competes in Major League Soccer which is the top professional soccer league in the United States.
Q & A With Russell
What makes you good at your job?
The ability to listen, adapt, be empathetic, and yet lead with conviction and deep personal values. This field isn’t filled with a lot of people that have done a lot of deep character development.
If you’re willing to grow in your emotional intelligence and listening skills, you will produce a more holistic philosophy of work, care, and service that will build trust between players and peers, which will serve you well in your career.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
While my job is to help players increase performance, I genuinely care about developing authentic men who feel valued and invested in. Soccer is what gets us all in the same room, but developing men who have strong character, values and work ethic is what gets me the most excited. I’ve found that when you couple a good training program with the ability to care for players mentally and emotionally, their performance on the field also increases.