Sounders FC camp highlights, Day 10

Today's Sounders FC Q&A is with newly-arrived forward Quavas Kirk, who was drafted into Major League Soccer at age 16 in 2005.

Kickin' it with ... Quavas Kirk

Pos.: Forward

Age: 20

Ht.: 6-1

Wt.: 190

Hometown: Aurora, Ill.

Last club: D.C. United (MLS).

Question: So how did you end up leaving D.C. and joining Seattle?

Quavas Kirk: "I can never really explain how I end up in places, I just end up there. I guess D.C. didn't like my style of play. They liked me as a person but didn't like me as a player."

Q: With a unique name like yours, do you have a nickname?

QK: "I just go by 'Q.' I was 'Big Brown' in D.C. That was from Ben Olsen [ex-teammate]."

Q: How did you get your first name?

QK: "My dad named me. It was actually a beach in Trinidad and Tobago. He's from Trinidad and Tobago, so he named me after the beach. It's actually called Las Cuevas Beach. Mine's just spelled 'Q-U-A-V-A-S. Quay-vus.' But everybody thinks its 'Quah-vas.'"

Q: Have you been to Seattle before?

QK: "I've only been to Seattle one time, and I haven't been out in the city of Seattle. I was just in a hotel. So I don't even know what it's like, but everybody tells me it's pretty nice. I'm ready to get out there and see what it's like."

Q: What do you think of the Sounders FC colors?

QK: "Come on now, these are some fly colors right here. Nice and bright. You got to be able to see me when it gets too dark. You need to see at least the jersey running around here. The jersey and a smile."

**

Day 10 highlights:

• After a late workout at nearby Ventura College upon arrival in Southern California Monday, Tuesday was the first two-a-day set of practices. That will continue all this week at Oxnard College.

• Seattle had several new faces at practice — Kirk, defender-midfielder Ryan Caugherty (last club: FC Unirea of Romania), forward Jeff Clark, a rookie from Concordia College (Calif.); defender and third-round draft pick Jared Karkas, forward Vini Oliveira (SuperSearch winner), midfielder Ryan Pore (last club; Kansas City Wizards), Bosnian defender Nicola Andelic and goalkeeper Jordan King (University of California-Riverside). Midfielder-forward Lamar Neagle from UNLV is on the roster but not with the team, goalkeeper Jordan Jennings has been dropped from the roster and defender Mandou Bojang will rejoin the club in Seattle when it returns later this month.

• There were enough players to form three teams of 9-on-9 plus goalkeepers Tuesday morning. Blue team: Defenders Evan Brown, Tyson Wahl, Karkas, and Patrick Ianni, midfielder Steven King, forward Steve Zakuani, forward Roger Levesque and midfielders Leighton O'Brien and Khano Smith. Orange team: Forwards Kirk, Oliveira and Clark, midfielders Pore, Caugherty and Sanna Nyassi and defenders Zach Scott, Adam West and Kyle Schmid, the son of coach Sigi Schmid, who was with the team Monday. Green team: forwards Fredy Montero, Nate Jaqua and Sebastien Le Toux, midfielders Osvaldo Alonso and Brad Evans and defenders James Riley, Taylor Graham, Nathan Sturgis and Danny Jackson.

• Kyle Schmid isn't just a camp body, he'll get a longer look. The younger Schmid played college soccer at Cal-Irvine.

• Ianni was limited in the afternoon practice, which ended in near darkness.

José Miguel Romero: 206-464-2409 or jromero@seattletimes.com