El Paso Locomotive FC Academy Announce Third Ever College-Bound Graduating Class
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- El Paso Locomotive FC Academy announced today its third ever college-bound graduating class, with seven Locomotive Academy players moving on to play collegiate soccer to further develop their academic and athletic careers.
"Each year, we see a rise in college commitments within our organization and we have now graduated 21 players to play college soccer at all levels," Academy Director Ivan Militar said. "We are believers in education and the power of education... this is our main goal, our main pathway that we believe in and we emphasize that to our players. We want to not only celebrate and motivate what is happening right now..., we also want to emphasize that this is just the beginning of the road."
The rise in college commitments from Locomotive's Academy over the past three years is a showcase of the investment from MountainStar Sports Group (MSSG) and its mission to improve the quality of life and promote economic development in El Paso through sports and entertainment. From adding over 200 kids within the club and establishing a new girls program to introducing youth teams in Las Cruces, El Paso Locomotive FC Youth Soccer is establishing a wider footprint to help provide young players across the Borderplex with future pathways towards success.
The El Paso Locomotive FC Academy 2024 Graduating Class is as follows:
- Brandon Carrillo* (18) - Freed-Hardeman University (NAIA), Henderson, TN
- Alex Estrada (19) - Midwestern State University (NCAA DII), Wichita Falls, TX
- Diego Gamboa* (18) - Western Texas College (NJCAA), Snyder, TX
- Sebastian Licon* (18) - Wabash College (NCAA DIII), Crawfordsville, IL
- Antonio Robles* (18) - Bethany College (NJCAA), Lindsborg, KS
- Diego Uribe (18) - Sul Ross State University (NCAA DII), Alpine, TX
- Cesar Villa (18) - Northeast Texas Community College (NJCAA), Mount Pleasant, TX
"This is one of my favorite events we do each year, to honor these young men and the individuals who have come before them," MSSG President Alan Ledford said. "It is a really cool part of the Locomotive Youth Soccer and Academy program that Ivan [Militar], Alex [Pozo] and our Youth Soccer team have developed over the course of our six year history."
Founded in 2020, the Locomotive Academy was created to provide unrivaled competitive opportunities for youth players in the Borderplex region. The Academy fields seven teams between 13-19, including a fully funded U-20 USL Academy program, and competes in three youth leagues: the Elite Club National League (ECNL), USL Academy League and the El Paso Premier League (EPPL). Through its league competitions and participation at various tournaments and showcases throughout the year, the Academy strives to provide players with direct exposure to numerous college and scouts while playing against some of the strongest youth teams in the country.
In addition to working with numerous colleges across the country, the Academy also grants players a pathway to train and play alongside the Locomotive senior team, giving the young athletes an opportunity to learn and develop alongside professional athletes and coaches through USL Academy contracts, the only youth soccer organization in El Paso to offer such opportunities.
To learn more about the Locomotive Academy, head to eplocomotivefc.com/youthsoccer.
