Ulysus Torres Joins El Paso Locomotive FC as Director of Youth Soccer

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USL El Paso Locomotive FC

Ulysus Torres Joins El Paso Locomotive FC as Director of Youth Soccer

May 21, 2025 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
El Paso Locomotive FC News Release


EL PASO, Texas - El Paso Locomotive FC announced the hire of Ulysus Torres as its new Director of Youth Soccer. He will take over for Ivan Militar who is stepping down from the position after three years.

Torres, an El Paso native, comes to the club from FC Westlake in Austin, Texas where he served as the College Placement Director and Elite Girls Assistant Program Director. He attended Franklin High School and graduated from George Fox University before receiving his master's degree from University of the Cumberlands in health education and sports science. He has worked with Locomotive youth soccer previously as the head coach for the U17 boy's side back in fall 2020.

"It's a very surreal thing for me being back in El Paso," Torres said. "This entire process has been a realization of a vision that I have always had from a professional and personal standpoint to be able to one day give back to the community I grew up in and that I care deeply about."

In his time with FC Westlake, Torres saw a healthy majority of the athletes he worked with receive scholarship offers to continue their careers at the next level. He hopes to tap into the existing infrastructure of the youth soccer program while also continuing to strengthen community ties and partnerships.

"There's so much that's already been built here by Ivan and his staff here," Torres said. "We're still pretty young in comparison to other clubs. For me, it's the relationships that will allow us to continue to have our sights on future successes and reflect on why we're doing what we're doing."

Torres looks to take advantage of the soccer landscape of the Borderplex region, one he knows well as someone who came up through it.

"I don't think it takes an El Paso native to speak on the talent levels of this city," Torres said. "Anywhere I go, people know about El Paso and the quality that comes with that. Whether it's the professional or collegiate level, people understand what the city can produce in terms of talent."

Torres has been in office with Militar for the past few weeks to observe the inner workings of the program. In his time with the club, Militar has overseen dramatic changes to the infrastructure of Locomotive youth soccer. The program has tripled in size since the summer of 2022 and achieved new heights with inclusion into the ECNL Regional Legaue and ECNL.

"When Ivan came to the organization three years ago, we were a fledgling youth soccer group," Locomotive general manager Andrew Forrest said. "He transformed the landscape of all of youth soccer in our purview but also helped positively change youth soccer in the Borderplex. He has been professional and bullish on high-level soccer in the Borderplex region."

Militar coached the U20 Academy squad to consecutive USL Academy Finals and reached the final of the 2024 Dallas Cup at Toyota Stadium, the first time an El Paso-based side had done so. Five Academy players have signed first team contracts during Militar's tenure while over 30 went on to play at the college level.

"I think we have gotten to a point where we are now in the big leagues," Militar said. "Now, we are in the business of youth soccer completely. We have laid the foundation, and now, it's time for Ulysus to come and build upon that and make it even stronger."

Militar and his wife, Wendy, recently had their third child. They will be moving to Richmond, Virginia where Militar will serve as the ECNL director for Richmond United.

"It was a black canvas when I got here, and three years later, I think we have achieved a lot of things," Militar said. "I consider myself very lucky, and I'm very grateful to have met people that I have in my time here in El Paso."

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