Meet an Austin Rise FC founder: Rachelle D'Amico

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).

I knew from a young age that soccer was a special sport. It’s a game that brings people across the entire world together with just one ball. Whether you are a player, coach, fan, sponsor, or referee there is something about the game that becomes part of your identity.

I found my love of soccer at the age of four playing recreationally on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. Growing up in a small Canadian town had its benefits, like living minutes from the Pacific Ocean, but not many opportunities for higher-level soccer. Only when my family moved to the suburbs of Vancouver B.C. did I have the opportunity to try out for select teams. And when I did, I had to start at the bottom tier of competition at a club called Golden Ears.

But from the beginning, the club technical director was impressed and advocated for me to play at Metro, a club that played at the highest level of youth club soccer in the region. Metro head coach Brad Grant -- uncle to Canada national team and Portland Thorns forward Christine Sinclair -- took a chance on me and guided my development for three years, helping me earn a college scholarship in Milwaukee.

I was a four-year starter and earned 1st Team All-Conference honors at Cardinal Stritch University in NAIA competition. I also earned my Bachelor’s in Business Administration with a minor in Sports Management and got a taste of pro sports in two years interning for the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals.

I went into sales immediately following college as a rep for Mondelez brands like Oreo, Cadbury, and Ritz, and like so many female athletes, I assumed my competitive days of soccer were over. I moved back to Vancouver and joined an open division of women’s soccer, where the level just wasn’t very good.

I married my husband Jeremy and we had our two little boys. We bounced around to Chicago and Seattle before finally landing in Austin in 2019. I joined the Round Rock Women’s Soccer League, which has been amazing for year-round play and offers different divisions for women. And while playing there I was invited to try out for FC Austin Elite.

'A no-brainer'

Making the team with Elite ignited my passion for soccer again and opened my eyes to the opportunities semi-pro women’s soccer can offer. It was this magical place that combines current college players, post-grad students and aspiring pros. It took a few weeks to comprehend how I could with players 10 years younger. But I also felt like I was finally appreciated for my talents, and in 2021 I even found myself playing center back next to current Racing Louisville FC defender Satara Murray.

When the time came to form Austin Rise FC, it was a no-brainer to follow my teammates and coach to become a founder. I want to help create opportunities for future generations of women in the sport. Austin Rise FC is a place for anyone willing to work hard to pursue their goals on and off the field. And having a WPSL team in Austin will provide a place to play before, during, and after college, a place to train and compete, and a place for anyone who felt overlooked, underserved, or burnt out at a previous point in their career. While I want to field a talented team, it’s equally important that Austin Rise FC become a shining example of women’s soccer in Austin, and across the nation.

Volunteering in our community and becoming a role model for young girls is also extremely important for me. I currently coach U8 Academy girls with Pflugerville FC and love being a leader and showing them soccer can be a lifelong game. And watching children play is always a welcome refresher of how much love and passion goes into the game. I’m very privileged to impact women’s soccer in Austin across so many age groups.

Austin Rise thanks everyone who has supported us, and we can’t wait to give Austin the women’s soccer team it deserves. Austin is a soccer city and we can’t wait to hit the pitch this summer!