St. Louis FC’s Joey Calistri was living the dream. Born and raised in the Chicago suburb of Deerfield, Ill., Calistri grew up playing for the Chicago Fire Juniors and Fire Academy. While attending nearby Northwestern University, he spent summers playing in the Premier Development League for the Chicago Fire Under-23s.

“The summer before my senior season at Northwestern, I did my internship in the Fire’s communications department,” the 24-year-old forward/midfielder said. “I pretty much grew up in and around the Chicago Fire system.” In December 2015, Major League Soccer’s Fire signed Calistri to a homegrown contract. He made his professional debut that next spring, coming on as a substitute in the 81st minute of the season opener at Toyota Park against visiting New York City FC.