Sacramento Republic signs youngest pro athlete in American history
His name is Da'vian Kimbrough. His age is 13.
And his job is professional soccer player.
The United Soccer League's Sacramento Republic this week made Kimbrough the youngest professional in American team sports history, signing him to a full contract.
Kimbrough — who is 13 years, five months and 13 days old to be exact — signed with the team also known as Republic FC after playing in its Youth Academy for two seasons. He's also been taking charter courses through the academy, and has been homeschooled since he was age 9.
"I want to thank my parents and grandparents and my coaches and the academy," Kimbrough with a brace-filled smile his introductory press conference Tuesday. "They helped me grow to be the player I am. I thank them for believing in me."
He began his career with the Vacaville Club Soccer North Bay Elite as a 7-year-old, and has played in higher age groups since.
At 5-foot-11, Kimbrough is a striking presence on the pitch, with a speed, skill and IQ that's generationally elite. His numbers back that up. A striker, he put away an astounding 61 goals in two seasons with the youth academy, while his team went 30-1-0 in MLS Next competition.
The signing is far from a publicity ploy according to Republic FC, but whether Kimbrough will receive playing time soon remains to be seen.
"It depends on when he’s ready," head coach Mark Briggs said. "His first session with the first unit, yes, you could see he was a kid, and you could see there were some nerves, but then you could see right away his brain starting to work, and he was able to figure it out. The kid is something special. Now the hard work really starts. It’s time to knuckle down.
"A young player’s path is never the same as the person seated next to them. Da’vian has shown tremendous focus, commitment and dedication, as well as a willingness to embrace the challenging road ahead of him. Over the last two years, he has demonstrated his tremendous potential, and our goal is to continue to support and help him grow as a player and person."
