Campbell County’s Elliott Warner: ‘Storming, norming, then performing’
ALEXANDRIA, Ky. — Elliott Warner learned to play soccer with the ‘help” of his seven brothers and sisters.
“My sisters went easy, but my brothers liked to remind me they’re the athletes of the house, I guess,” said Elliott with a laugh. It would be these skills and his determination that would make him one of the top players on the Campbell County High School boys soccer team this past season.
The competitive nature of the sport was what initially drew Elliott to play more seriously. That, and the fact that it’s one of the only sports where you use only your feet, he said. Elliott played in an indoor soccer league during middle school and joined the CCHS team as a freshman. One of the most impactful phrases in his athletic career was a motto his coaches repeated during practice.
“They say, ‘We’re storming, norming, then performing,’” Elliott said. He explained that this phrase means there are bumps in the road whenever a new team comes together (storming), then you find your rhythm and what feels normal (norming), before finally advancing as a team and playing at a higher level (performing).
“I feel really lucky to have the support system I have,” Elliott said. “Not just my family, but my family at Campbell County [High School]. The bond is just incredible, and it’s just been a joy to be a part of … just Campbell County Athletics as a whole.”
When it comes to role models, Elliott said he liked to model his play after Kylian Mbappé, a professional player from France who currently plays for Paris-St. Germain in Ligue 1. Elliott confessed that when he first started playing, his field vision wasn’t great, which is why he chose to study how Mbappé moves during a game.
“He’s a striker, but I liked how quickly he moved,” said Elliott, who played right back or right wing occasionally. “Not just when he had the ball, but when he didn’t. I liked how he tried to move and be open for other players.”
In addition to playing soccer, Elliott was also a member of the track and field team as a sprinter. He mainly competed in the 100m, 200m and occasionally the 400m dash.
Having just wrapped up his senior year, Elliott said he intends to go to University of Louisville to study engineering. Even though he won’t be playing soccer for a college team, he said he hopes to join a club league to continue the joy he’s found through the sport.
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