AUSTIN, Texas — Andrea Esparza and the Austin Torch have been helping to ignite change in the Capital City since 2018.
“When there isn’t a space designated for you, you create it,” Esparza said. “We are lighting a fire for ourselves, the future and the generations to come.”
The first professional women’s and non-binary ultimate frisbee team in Texas makes a weekly statement through their love of the game and for each other.
“We’re willing to have hard conversations, willing to put the work in day in and day out,” Esparza said. “It’s not just for yourself but for other people and [it] naturally creates this connection and a sense of community.”
Their message of inclusion has galvanized the local community to action, including funding their entire operational costs for the season and kick-starting a documentary to air in the near future.
“We all want to see it grow and see the players grow with the sport,” supporter Amelia Roebuck said. “That’s where all the support comes from. It brings us all together and all of these causes we care about.”
“It wasn’t just the Austin community,” filmmaker Hoag Kepner said. “It was opposing fans, just frisbee fans from around the country and that was heartening to see.”
At a time when young Americans are looking for a place to fit in, the Torch are teaching others it’s OK to stand out and have fun while you’re doing it.
“When I grew up playing sports I didn’t see that in the stands,” Torch player Sarah Levinn said. “I am a queer person, so to look around and see all the support and people embracing whomever you are is really empowering.”
The Austin Torch ended their season with an 18-17 win over Indianapolis and finished their 2022 campaign at 3-3.
