Calen Carr's junior season in MLS did not turn out as planned for the University of California product. After earning playing time in his rookie season of 2006 and more than doubling his number of starts and minutes played in 2007, Carr suffered a setback in 2008. The speedy forward suffered a severe knee sprain in early July, sidelining him for the remainder of the season. Carr has a history of scoring goals for the Fire in crucial matches, including a dramatic game-winning assist on Oct. 21 against Los Angeles to help Chicago advance to the 2007 MLS Cup Playoffs and tallying three goals during the Fire's 2006 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup championship title run. Now that Carr is back in form, the Fire coaching staff will be looking for a fully-recovered Carr to once again bring his speed to the Fire attack in second half of 2009.
What was it like growing up in northern California?
The bay area is a really cool place to grow up, especially Berkeley. It was part of the free speech movement in the 1960's, and it's always been a central hub for free thinking and creative people. It was a really interesting town to grow up in. With the university there, there were always interesting and intellectual people to be around and talk to.
How did it influence you to grow up in the surrounding Berkeley area?
It was great - you get to hear a lot of different perspectives on life. After growing up there and going to college there, I was able to experience it for myself. It has helped shape me to have a lot of the opinions I have today.
When did you start playing soccer?
I started playing soccer when I was five. Nobody in my family before me played soccer. One summer, my mom brought me to a soccer camp and I kept going back week after week. Before she knew it, it had been nine weeks in a row and I knew I wanted to keep playing - and I have been ever since.
What are your parents' ethnic backgrounds?
My dad is aboriginal Australian, which is like native Australian, and my mom is a mix of a few European races. I guess that's pretty rare around here, although there is a girl on the Red Stars that is also half aboriginal Australian, which is pretty cool.
Have you ever traveled to Australia?
I've been there once to visit some family. I have a big family over there - five half-siblings, lots of cousins, aunts and uncles, and grandparents. It was cool to reconnect with them, and I would love to live there one day. I got my dual citizenship there a few years ago.
How would you describe your clothing style?
The one thing I like to shop for is shoes - I really like bright shoes, whether they are soccer cleats or Nike high tops. Besides that, I'm not a big shopper - luckily my mom didn't drag me shopping too much when I was a kid.
What's the most expensive pair of shoes you've ever bought?
The most expensive pair of shoes I've ever bought is probably a nice pair of Cole Hahn dress shoes.
How has it been coming back from your injury? What's been the most difficult part about it?
There are a lot of tough parts about coming back from injury. I think the toughest part is being patient and making sure you do everything the right way. There's a balance between pushing yourself to the max but also being smart about staying healthy at the same time. It's a credit to the trainers and coaches who have really supported me and given me all the resources I've needed through this injury so I know that when I come back, I will be fully ready to help out the team.
