A 13-year-old has made U.S. sports history!
Republic FC, a professional soccer team based in Sacramento, CA, announced that Da’vian Kimbrough has inked a contract with the team — making him the youngest athlete in American professional team sports — according to a news release. In addition, it’s Kimbrough’s first professional contract.
“Da’vian’s journey with Republic FC is just beginning,” Republic FC President and General Manager Todd Dunivant shared in a statement. “He is a remarkable talent who has committed to his dream of becoming an elite player, from competing with players in older age groups and thriving at top competitions, to stepping on to the first team training grounds.”
Dunivant continued, “We are honored that the Kimbrough family and Da’vian have chosen Republic FC to support his professional pathway, and we look forward to taking the next steps together.”
The announcement notes that Kimbrough “will be added to the club’s first-team roster pending league and federation approval, and continue his development as one of the team’s high potential players in the academy.”
Prior to making history, Kimbrough onboarded Republic FC’s Academy in 2021 and has since become the sixth player from the institution to secure a professional contract with the club. What’s more, when he was a guest player during the 2023 Bassevelde U13 Cup he won the Most Valuable Player award.
“A young player’s path is never the same as the person seated next to them,” Head Coach Mark Briggs said. “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.”
As he is a part of Republic FC, Kimbrough is also eligible to compete for the team in USL Championship matches.
