LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Since joining the Louisville City FC Academy in 2020, Bullitt East soccer star Colin Elder’s goal has been clear.
“The main goal is to be with the first team full time,” Elder said.
That was realized on March 25, when the 18-year-old subbed into LouCity’s home opener against El Paso Locomotive FC. And if that was not enough, Elder’s day got even better: he attended his senior prom that night.
"That's the biggest crowd I've played in front of, so it was an amazing experience,” Elder said.
His road to that special day has been one most expected. Elder is Bullitt East’s all-time leading scorer with 90 goals and committed to play college soccer for Bellarmine University.
He recently signed a USL Academy contract with LouCity, which allows players to train with and play for a professional team while retaining their NCAA eligibility.
“Growing up, I went to the games, we had season tickets with my friends,” Elder said of joining LouCity’s academy. “That is something I knew I wanted to be in because I knew it was going to give a pathway to being on the first team.”
Academy Director Mario Sanchez said fellow staff member and former LouCity star Luke Spencer noticed Elder’s potential early. The organization looks for a mature mentality as much as talent in their young players when considering who can train or play with the pro team, something they discuss with LouCity head coach Danny Cruz.
“They have to be ready to fight, compete for everything, and then just take pride in everything they do,” Sanchez said. “You can't be successful in life and on the soccer field if you don't have the right mentality.”
That started to click for Elder coming into this past summer.
“You can't just go into practice, joke around and not expect to be the same every single day,” Elder said. “You have to go in mentally prepared and prepare yourself for what the game and practices are going to be like.”
Sanchez saw him start a long goal-scoring streak on the Academy team, which led to Elder getting an opportunity to spend preseason with LouCity’s first team.
“He'll try to score a goal in any way possible,” Sanchez said. “Any game we played in, he found a way to score, whether that's hitting a really nice shot, a tap or him literally running somebody over.”
“The difference between my academy practices and that was the consistency,” Elder said of training with LouCity. “They perform at a high level every single day. And that's something that we try to do at the academy level, but it's a big difference because this is their job.”
He wants it to be his, so he made it a goal to get to that first team this season. Working through that process is nerve-wracking enough. Now, just factor it in with being a high school senior who needs a prom date.
"I was pretty nervous because most of my friends have girlfriends,” Elder said. “So, I was trying to find somebody that would go with me just as a friend."
He found a date and then circled another as prom approached. Spencer called him to say to he would be on the LouCity first team’s roster for the home opener against El Paso.
“Anytime, as an academy director, we see a player even make the bench, that is a big deal,” Sanchez said.
“I was in shock,” Elder said. “I didn't really know how to react."
Another reaction was important though: his date’s. The game was on the same day as his senior prom.
"She's also an athlete,” Elder explained. “So when I let her know, she was like, ‘Okay, if I had an opportunity like that, I would also take it. So, I can't be too mad at you.’”
Luckily for Elder, the game was at 3 p.m., so he could make it to celebrate with his friends afterwards. Unluckily for LouCity, it was a 3-0 loss to open the club’s home schedule. However, the Bullitt East product subbed into the match in its late stages.
“I was a little nervous at first,” Elder said. “But once the first ball got in play, I just relaxed and played my game."
“If they get on, that's showing the faith that Danny has in these guys and ultimately, can they push that even further and continue their career,” Sanchez said.
But that wasn’t immediately on Elder’s mind after the game. He had to shower and make his way to prom. So, he got ready to trade his purple and black kit for a red and black tuxedo, actually making it to Captain’s Quarters in time for dinner and pictures with his group of friends.
"They were kind of surprised that I made it in time,” Elder said with a laugh. “They were just congratulating me, telling me how awesome it was.”
That continued at the actual dance, where students and faculty members kept coming up to him to offer congratulations. Elder also kicked for Bullitt East’s 6A state champion football team and is glad to share another major athletic accomplishment with the Chargers.
“I think it's great for the community because they're so into sports and they take pride in everything,” Elder said. “It really just keeps on building our school because that's what one of the main things our school is based on, how we perform it, athletics. So, I think that is really setting a standard for the upcoming classes.”
Sanchez said when he was hired the emphasis was "always to allow local kids to have the opportunity to dream to play professionally and to play for their local teams"
It all helped lead to an unique memory to motivate Elder to continue working towards his professional dreams.
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