Meet an Austin Rise FC founder: Bethany Cyrtmus-Davaul

This is one in a series of first-person articles from founders of Austin Rise FC, the latest Austin-area women's semi-pro team, starting WPSL play in 2023. The Striker invites you to meet the founders at a special live podcast event and USWNT watch party on Sunday, Feb. 19 at Hopsquad Brewing Co. (2307 Kramer Lane, 78758).

As co-founder and treasurer of Austin Rise FC, it’s a wonderful privilege to be supported by The Striker, Austin Co-Ed Soccer Association and so many other organizations in the Austin metro area, sharing my love of the game and, here, the story of where it came from.

My story is rooted in being transgender and a trans athlete. Despite knowing this on some level since my early childhood, it’s something I lacked full understanding of — or the words to describe it — until I reached my late 20s.

In July 2016, just after I’d turned 28, I saw a YouTube video from another transgender individual sharing their story and experience. I absolutely knew at the moment that my own story was similar, and I could finally explain it. I began hormone therapy research for about six months, then starting the therapy in February 2017, which I’ve continued since for the past six years..

So, much of my story about falling in love with sports came before that, as someone who competed on co-ed or boys’ teams.

I began playing soccer at the age of four, and throughout my youth, I played nearly any sport I could get involved with: golf, hockey, basketball, baseball, football, track and cross country in addition to soccer. I made the varsity soccer team as a freshman, but burned out on the sport my senior season and wound up on the cross country team. That wasn’t so bad, though! We had one of the best seasons in our school history with both the boys' and girls' teams reaching the state finals. I also played golf my senior season to close out high school with a third varsity sport. 

I was also always a serious student and learner, and I was also competitive at that. In eighth grade, I mapped out my entire high school class curriculum, aiming for what would give me the best chance at being valedictorian. And I nearly reached that goal, finishing as salutatorian (the second-ranked student) and taking so many AP classes that I began college at the University of Wisconsin with sophomore standing. 

I played intramural soccer in university and high-level pickup and leagues for many years after. It was in late 2018 in Chicago — about a year and a half after I began hormone therapy — that I discovered the world of semi-pro soccer and began extra training in order to play semi-pro or possibly even work my way up to the professional level abroad. In 2019, I moved to Austin to be closer to my partner (now wife), and then that summer began playing semi-pro soccer with FC Austin Elite in the UWSL, where I earned Southwest All-Conference Team honors. 

The following winter, I went to play for CFF Maritim for the second half of the season in Spain’s third division, the Primera Nacional League. I had scored three goals in six games before our season halted abruptly due to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. I returned to Austin and played again with Elite in 2022, experiencing a great season on the field under coach Lessa, which was spoiled by the now well-known episode of misconduct within our ownership.

Though it was an unfortunate situation, it also sparked me, coach Lessa and four other teammates to create something new for women’s soccer: Austin Rise FC.  

We have been working incredibly hard for the last seven months and are so excited to bring something fresh and exciting to the women’s sports landscape of Austin. We can’t wait to have you all out to our games this summer!