El Paso Locomotive to Start Youth Soccer Program

The El Paso Locomotive FC announced plans to start a youth soccer program consisting of teams of several age levels.  The intention is to foster and grow local talent to provide a better opportunity for area athletes to reach soccer’s top levels, whether it be college, The Locomotive, or MLS.  If enough interest is shown, the Locomotive would also be interested in expanding their youth program to include young women’s teams.

I’m sure this is welcome news for parents of soccer obsessed kids in El Paso.  During non-pandemic times, it was easy to see that soccer was easily one of the more popular youth sports in the area, and the demand for this type of opportunity seems to be growing.

There have been local athletes that have gone on to play and play well in Major League Soccer.  This includes current Locomotive player Omar Salgado who was the number 1 pick in the MLS draft and San Elizario native Ricardo Pepi who at 17 is currently playing with FC Dallas.  Those players had to leave town and build their skills up in other cities though.  The Locomotive's program hopes to allow for local players to stay in the area and build their skills up here in El Paso where their family and friends can watch and provide support.

The teams will feature top invited talent in the U16, U17, and U18 groups with more teams planned for younger grade levels.  Local coaches have also already been identified to be a part of this program.  For more information, contact Bob Bigney, Locomotive FC Director of Youth Soccer at bbigney@eplocomotivefc.com or you can also visit eplocomotivefc.com/youthsoccerclub