Hear Kinney and Fellow Fire Draftees
On Sunday afternoon, we managed to catch up with Elon alumnus
Steven Kinney just minutes before he boarded a flight to Mexico. Kinney, selected by the Chicago Fire in the 2010 Major League Soccer SuperDraft, has spent the last month in training camp out in Phoenix, Ariz. He will be spending 10 days training in Mexico followed by a few days in Mississippi and then New Orleans before returning to the windy city.
How is playing professional soccer different from playing at the collegiate level?
SK: It’s a lot quicker; the speed of play takes some getting used to. There have been two games so far. I didn’t play in the first one, but played all 80 minutes in the second.
What is your training schedule like?
SK: During training camp we do the exact same thing each day. I wake up at six a.m., take a shower and get my ankles taped. I eat breakfast and then train until lunchtime. After lunch I take a nap, then wake up for night training. I have dinner, I go to sleep and do it all over again. There were 34 guys in Phoenix and the weather was 70-75 degrees every day so it was perfect for playing.
How will training in Mexico be different than what you do in Arizona?
SK: It will be a lot of the same in Mexico with some games mixed in. I’m not sure of the entire schedule at the moment.
Random question time! Who is your favorite soccer team?
SK: Arsenal or Barcelona because of the style of soccer they play. They possess the ball and play true soccer; they don’t go out and try to run each other over.
What is you earliest soccer memory?
SK: I remember being five or six years old, back when I played soccer five minutes from my house instead of across the country! In those days, we used to have snack time at half time!
What do you miss most about Elon?
SK: I miss my friends and the guys on the team, but this is an adventure so it’s good.
