EL PASO, Texas – El Paso Locomotive FC’s U16 Boys team made history earlier this month when it lifted the trophy at the 2023/24 US Youth Soccer National League P.R.O event in Oceanside, California. With the result, the young Locos clinched a historic berth in the USYS National Championships, which will be held in Orlando, Florida this July.
Led by Coach Marc Roach, the U16 team will be the first ever Locomotive Academy team to compete in the National Championships, one of the country’s most prestigious national youth soccer tournaments, providing approximately 185,000 players on over 10,000 teams from US Youth Soccer State Associations the opportunity to showcase their soccer skills against the best competition in the nation while emphasizing teamwork, discipline and fair play.
“We are very excited to have punched our ticket to the National Championships and make history for our club,” Academy Director Ivan Militar said. “The U16 team has a core group of players that have been with Locomotive Academy since its inception, so I am especially thrilled for those players and their families. It is a fantastic group that has come a long way to become a true force in competitiveness, talent and effort.
Roach led this team all year with humbleness, a strong sense of discipline and a lot of love. The entire community of the U16 team deserves this success and we could not be prouder.”
The U16s went on an incredible run in the P.R.O competition, dominating opponents in play and outscoring them on their undefeated path to 2024 National Championships. See results below.
RESULTS
El Paso Locomotive FC 3-0 win vs AC Brea (Round 1)
El Paso Locomotive FC 2-0 win vs CDA Slammers (Quarterfinal)
El Paso Locomotive FC 5-1 win vs Matrix Mavens (Semifinal)
El Paso Locomotive FC 3-0 win vs Aspire FC (Final)
ABOUT THE 2024 USYS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
The 2024 USYS National Championships, presented by New York Life, will be held at the famous ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida between July 23-28. For more information about this year’s Championships, click here.
ABOUT USYS NATIONAL LEAGUE P.R.O
National League P.R.O. features the top-finishing teams from both the Elite 64 Playoffs and the Conference Playoffs — bringing together the best teams within the National League from both club-based and team-based formats. Each qualifying team plays at one of the two National League P.R.O. events.
The National League P.R.O. events hold competitions for boys and girls teams in the 14U, 15U, 16U, 17U and 19U age groups.
For more information about P.R.O and the USYS National League pathway and structure, click here.
ABOUT THE LOCOMOTIVE ACADEMY
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/youth-soccer.