Mountain Brook sophomore Sara Carr talks to Coach Haven O'Quinn during a game earlier this season. (Dennis Victory/preps@AL.com)
MOUNTAIN BROOK, Alabama -- Apparently, no one told Sara Carr about the “middle child syndrome.”
According to an article on the EverydayFamily web site, “middle children often feel left out and invisible, a contrast from their older and younger siblings.”
“While older children get the benefits of all of the ‘firsts’ a child accomplishes, younger children benefit from the emotional impact of being the baby of the family, often being spoiled and coddled. Middle children, however, often feel as though they have nothing special that is just ‘theirs,’’’ the article states.
With two older brothers and two younger sisters, Carr falls smack dab in the middle of her siblings. But she’s anything but invisible. In fact, she’s a budding star on the Mountain Brook volleyball team — and she’s just a sophomore.
Listen to how Mountain Brook volleyball coach Haven O’Quinn gushingly describes Carr.
“My gosh, I could go on and on about her,” O’Quinn said. “She’s a natural born athlete. She’s got all the physical attributes and work ethic. She’s got a great vertical jump and a great reach. She’s just special. She’s our go-to player.”
A 5-foot-11 outside hitter, Carr was honorable mention All-State as a freshman. This season she leads the Spartans in kills with 379 while sporting a 33.2 hitting percentage. She also leads the team with 83 aces and is second on the team with 243 digs. She has 15 blocks.
Carr comes from an athletic family. Her dad, Dr. Gregg Carr, was a star linebacker in high school at Woodlawn and in college at Auburn, and played four seasons in the NFL with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 2008.
Her older brothers Evans (football and wrestling) and Jordan (lacrosse) played sports in high school. They had more to do with her becoming an athlete than her dad.
“My parents wanted us do some physical activity and when my brothers were outside playing, I’d go out there and play with them,” Sara Carr said. “Both of them inspired me to become an athlete.
“I started playing volleyball in the fifth grade, as early as I could.”
Her dad might not have been the primary influence on Carr becoming at athlete, but he assists with her mental approach.
“He’s always talking to me about things he’s observed and some of things his coaches used to say, and about being a leader,” Carr said.
Carr also plays basketball for Mountain Brook and can’t decide which sport she likes best. “It depends on the season,” she said.
Her future most likely is in volleyball and Carr knows it.
“I really want to play volleyball in college at Auburn, but it depends on if I get a scholarship,” Carr said.
O’Quinn has no doubts Carr will play volleyball in college somewhere, especially since Carr continues to make marked improvements every time she steps on the court.
“I was talking to (Mountain Brook athletic director) Terry Cooper and he said, ‘It’s amazing to me that you see her every couple of weeks and she’s gotten better,’” O’Quinn said. “She’s a smarter player than she was last year and she has more tools on the front line.”
Carr traces her improvement to summer workouts. O’Quinn challenged her players to get into better physical condition and become stronger. Carr took the challenge to heart.
“I’m pleased with how she pushed me,” Carr said. “I’ve improved my conditioning and that’s helped me play better.”
O’Quinn didn’t expect anything less from Carr, given how driven she is. When O’Quinn gives the team the weekend off, Carr drags her older brother out to the driveway to hit the ball with her.
“She’s a great competitor,” O’Quinn said. “When the whistle blows, she’s out there to kick butt. She likes to win and she likes to have fun. She’s our spark. Our team feeds off her energy.”
Mountain Brook entered this week with a 30-11 record and was ranked No. 5 in Class 6A. The Spartans will play in the Blaylock Tournament Friday and Saturday at Homewood.
Carr believes the Spartans can make a deep run in the state playoffs. The team has only one senior, Claire Gorman, but has a strong junior class, led by libero Julia Smith and middle blocker Abby Garrett.
“I’ve never been on a team with so much chemistry,” Carr said. “Everybody on the team is so close.
“From the beginning of the season, our goal has been to get to the state tournament. We all know we have the talent to get there, it’s just a matter of if we’re on at the time.”
