December 17, 2024 – United Soccer League Championship (USL)
El Paso Locomotive FC News Release
EL PASO, Texas – El Paso Locomotive FC defender Kenneth Hoban was officially recognized with a special proclamation from El Paso City Council at City Hall for his achievement of becoming the youngest professional signing in club history at 15 years old.
Accompanied by family, friends and members of the Locomotive organization, Hoban was presented with a proclamation by Mayor Oscar Leeser and District 3 City Council Representative Cassandra Hernandez that December 17 would be known as “Kenneth Hoban Day” to commemorate his accomplishment and showcase that the dreams of becoming a professional athlete can happen in El Paso.
“This is a big moment for me,” Hoban said after the recognition. “I did not expect this, and I’m truly honored to have been given the opportunity to be recognized by the City of El Paso. This is something I will always remember.”
Born and raised in El Paso, Hoban was Locomotive’s first official signing as preparations begin for the 2025 season under new Technical Director Ray Saari and Head Coach Wilmer Cabrera.
Hoban is the first player in club history to go through each step of Locomotive’s Youth Soccer pathway, starting off in Locomotive’s grassroots soccer programs and working his way through the team’s Club Soccer, Academy and USL Academy U-20 teams, even signing a USL Academy Contract for the 2024 season at 14 years old.
Hoban was a standout defender throughout the year for Locomotive’s fully funded USL Academy U20 side, recently earning All-Tournament Second Team honors following his participation at the 2024 USL Academy Finals. He was a key contributor to the U20s second-place finish in the USL Academy League’s Cactus Division in which the team ended the season with a 7-2-1 record and +9 GD (22 GF/13 GA).
Hoban has also been a member of some of the U20s most notable appearances in recent years, including the Academy’s first USL Academy Finals in 2023 and the 2024 Dallas Cup Final.
“This is a big honor to celebrate Kenneth and the work that everybody in this organization has done to get to this point,” Locomotive Academy Director Ivan Militar said. “With the help of the City, Locomotive has achieved a lot, and this proclamation is one of them. I am very proud of Kenneth as he is an excellent player, but an even better person. He sacrificed a lot, but he put everything into becoming the best player he could to earn the opportunity to become a…