Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Warner.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Melissa. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Thanks for including me in this awesome series. Let’s see, I got to where I am today in a very roundabout way. I played soccer for as long as I can remember, so being an athlete was always an identity that I clung to. I moved to San Diego from Boca Raton, Florida when I was a sophomore in high school and played for University City High School as a goalkeeper, before going to Occidental College in LA to play. I earned soccer accolades and was the captain of my teams throughout the years. Being a keeper, you naturally have to have a leadership role on the field. However, off the field, I had no idea “what I wanted to do with the rest of my life” for years and did not have the same tenacious attitude that served me so well on the field.
I majored in psychology in undergrad and graduate school because understanding human behavior has always fascinated me. I worked with kids with autism for about five years after graduating from Oxy. I absolutely loved working with these kids, each child was unique and the challenges were far overshadowed by the rewards. However, I couldn’t see myself doing in-home behavioral therapy for much longer. I spent several years testing different job and career paths.
To say it took me a while to realize the potential of soccer coaching as a full-time career is an understatement.
I started Warner Athletics soccer training in San Diego as a “side-gig”, really. I started training 2 or 3 clients in 2014/2015 as something that was fun and fulfilling, but I never dreamed that it would pay the bills. Today, I run my own soccer training company that I am completely passionate about. Through Warner Athletics I’ve trained hundreds of players from a variety of club, high school, and college teams; I’ve run training programs alongside respected college coaches, and currently have the pleasure of leading the goalkeeping program for Mesa College Women’s Soccer. I am thankful to have an array of coaches around me to learn from and train with while running my business.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The road was not an easy one, but that’s what makes it so gratifying, I think. I have had days where I felt like I was on my own little soccer ‘island’ and completely isolated from my peers. Running and managing your own business is like having a living breathing thing you are responsible for. It’s a lot of pressure, and there really are no “days off”, but I wouldn’t have it any other way!
However, something that I had to remind myself of often is that you cannot accomplish everything all at once. Success doesn’t come overnight, it comes after days, months, and years of small positive actions and improvements. It is less scary, as a business owner, to focus on little wins over a period of time, rather than needing everything to be done at once. I sometimes would feel overwhelmed because I felt like I needed to do everything all at the same time. I’ve taken a few steps back and just like in training, if you focus on doing the basics really well, then you become successful. One step at a time.
For those just starting their journey, my advice comes in a few parts. First, be patient with yourself. As they say, Rome wasn’t built in a day. Second, ask for help – or even better, try to find someone that understands what your goals are and bring them along on your journey. When they win, you win. Collaboration is where great ideas come from. Lastly, don’t stop learning. Read, watch, & listen. You can always learn from others, regardless of the field they’re in.
We’d love to hear more about Warner Athletics.
Sure, Warner Athletics is a privately owned, 1-on-1 soccer training company I developed because I noticed a need for it. We are club neutral and work in collaboration with club teams. Soccer players train with their teams, but often lack the individual attention to improve their mechanics, that’s where I come in to help. I’m a Soccer Development Coach. I mostly do private 1-on-1 soccer sessions with players of all ages and skill levels around San Diego County. We do small group and team sessions as well. In addition to Warner Athletics training, I am the Goalkeeping Coach for both the Mesa College Women’s Soccer Program and Point Loma Surf. I like to keep myself busy and coach as many athletes as I can!
Having been a keeper the whole of my soccer career, I specialize in goalkeeper training and also in what I refer to as whole player development. I believe that my background as a Behavioral Therapist with kids with autism provided me with the tools to not only shape behavior but also elicit growth and confidence in my players. I am proud that my brand, Warner Athletics, has a positive coaching style. I believe you can have high standards as a coach, but also give constructive criticism. It’s important to feel like you can make mistakes in practice, as a player. Failure is critical for improvement, and if my players do not feel like they can make mistakes, they will never achieve their full potential.
I make it a priority to know my athletes, both on and off the field. Each session is specific to the player’s needs. I run field sessions based off of a curriculum that I develop for each individual player with their specific goals in mind. I observe my athletes play in competitions and apply what I see to their program. I keep in touch with my players throughout the week, we set goals and timelines, we talk about their future – soccer-related or not. Not only that, but I have been invited to birthdays, graduations, and special family events. I take my job title as a coach very seriously and it has provided me with much more fulfillment than I ever imagined. I absolutely love going to “work” daily. I remember the impact that my coaches growing up made on me and I hope to have the same influence on the players that I coach.
We’re interested to hear your thoughts on female leadership – in particular, what do you feel are the biggest barriers or obstacles?
I think my opinion may not be a very popular one, but here goes: I think we, as women, are the biggest barriers for ourselves. Women run this world and young girls have many empowering examples of what women are capable of these days. We just won the World Cup. Women are running households. Women are running businesses. Women are strong and powerful. I think we need to lift each other up more and prioritize conveying confidence to younger generations. All too often, we apologize for our ideas, we downplay our intelligence, we aren’t assertive enough. It’s okay to be proud of what you’re good at! I believe that we can support each other rather than find the flaws in each other. Once we can do that, there is no stopping us. We need to be more demanding, and show the world what we know and what we do.
Pricing:
- $30 Friday Night Workshops (clinics)
- Private Training Prices vary
Contact Info:
- Website: www.WarnerAthletics.com
- Phone: 949-554-3471
- Email: Melissa@WarnerAthletics.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/warnerathletics/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WarnerAthletics/
Image Credit:
Todd Bryan, Lina Al-Hakkak
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