Athletic trainer alumnus bends it with Beckham

When Oakland University alumnus Kurt Andrews helped lead his team to the 2012 Major League Soccer Championship during his first year as assistant athletic trainer of the LA Galaxy soccer team, his family gathered around their TV, trying to get a glimpse of him. 

“He was surrounded by his teammates,” recalled his mother, Kimberly. “We tried to see him, but there were a lot of people in the way.” Andrews celebrated the victory surrounded by his team, after a year of perseverance. 

The 2008 School of Health Sciences graduate welcomed the experience of helping his team go from last in the league to winning the MLS title, beginning with his experiences at Oakland. 

“We went through a lot of adversity last year as a team,” Andrews said. “Being in last place really helped us put everything into perspective. It brought us closer together as a team because the guys really had to do some searching to find out how we were going to turn the year around.”

While working for the LA Galaxy, Kurt was able to work with world-renowned soccer player David Beckham, someone Andrews has idolized since elementary school. 

“It was an absolute pleasure and honor to have been given the opportunity to work with David Beckham. He was the definition of a true professional in all aspects of life,” Andrews said. 

“I learned a lot from him in just talking and watching him handle the pressure of being him on a daily basis. He was a very nice and genuine person, he was very humble, and nothing but respectful to us as a medical staff and as human beings. He is a prime example of what a classy person should act like and was a great role model to me and the other guys on the team.” 

As a student, Andrews majored in Exercise Science and worked with the men’s soccer and women’s volleyball teams. He pursued a master’s degree at University of Arkansas where he earned a Master of Arts in athletic training and worked with professional NFL Football players before going on to help the LA Galaxy. 

“OU is the reason I went into athletic training because I bounced back and forth between many majors before finally deciding what I wanted to do with my future. I knew that I wanted to be in medicine and I played and loved sports so athletic training gave me the best of both worlds.”

Andrews comes from a line of OU students and alumni. His mother and her sister are alumnae; he has five siblings who have attended OU, and another about to begin this fall. 

OU's Exercise Science Program offers a variety of degrees and certificates offered to students interested in fields in exercise and health improvement. Students learn about maintaining healthy lifestyles, stress management, and substance abuse avoidance as well as fitness. For more information, view the website.