By Spencer Gonzales

Less than a year ago, it was announced to the softball world that a new team would be coming to the Northwoods League based out of Wausau, Wis. In the months that followed the announcement, the organization went to work on all the necessary preparations, the uniforms, the branding, the merchandise – everything that goes into physically making a team its own entity. 

But when it comes to sports, what makes a team isn’t the colors worn or the name across the front of the jersey: it’s what all of these symbols represent. All of the tangible identifiers and visual styles mean nothing without a culture that backs them. For organizations in their first year, it’s this intangible, complex idea of culture that proves to be the most elusive thing to obtain. Yet, for the Ignite, their team identity came as naturally as a game of catch.

Day one on the practice field was as normal as it could be for a new group of players. A lot of eagerness, excitement, but also awkwardness.

“I remember we were all playing catch and… everyone was a little mute,” Riley Stiles remembered on that first day. The silence continued for a moment, but all it took was a little nudge from Coach Estrada and her staff to get the conversation going. “They were like ‘Hey, you can talk. It’s okay to talk.”

And talk they did for the rest of that first practice. New teammates talking like old friends in the outfield, playful jeering and chirping with coaches and players alike.

“It kind of just came naturally. [The coaches] allowed us to have that space to grow and learn about each other,” said Hannah Trzinski on that first practice. “I think that we honestly just got lucky and blessed to have a group of girls who all get along really well and play the same kind of softball…I love it. It’s really unique.”

By the end of the session, there was a palpable buzz in the air at Athletic Park. The groundwork for that ever-elusive culture, that teams sometimes spend a season or more building, was already laid out.

It didn’t take long for the Ignite to start building upon it on the field, as they triumphed in their first-ever game with a run-rule victory over La Crosse. It was at that point that Mia Johnson knew Wausau had something special.

“I’ve never seen a group of people so cohesive together on a field after [only] three practices, being able to see that come together so quickly.”

Following the historic victory on opening day, Wausau faced early-season challenges during a tough stretch on the road. These situations can quickly create turmoil and drama for a team unequipped to handle such obstacles, but for the Ignite, it was their can-do attitude that kept them together.

“When we’re down, we’re ready to fight back and not just stay down… We fight back, we respond,” said outfielder Reagon Proud.

And even when the team may fall short, it is their trust in each other that fuels them.

“Everybody knows that everybody’s giving their all… We always stick together, no matter win or loss,” pitcher Maren Sauvageau said.

In games throughout the season, it’s that hustle and determination that the Ignite have prided themselves on. That trust amongst teammates stands out most about the culture to infielder Kaylee Frydenlund.

“We always have each other’s backs, and if one person can’t get it done, the next person will. The trust we have in each other is something that’s cool to see.”

The Ignite’s bond on the field has grown as the season has gone on, and it has been bolstered by the team’s time spent together away from the game. Away game bus rides feel like family vacations, as players walk up and down the aisles catching up with one another and sharing laughs. Everyone has their usual seat, but no one is glued to it. Rather than the usual cliquiness that one may find in any organization, the sense of unity between all of the Ignite players feels warm and natural.

“We’re all sisters already,” Proud warmly stated when asked about the team’s chemistry.

The words “sisters” and “family” get thrown around quite a bit in sports. For Wausau, the weight of those words is fully realized and fully meant when used by players. It‘s this genuine sense of closeness that allows them to lean on each other for anything.

“As someone who lives 14 hours away [from Wausau], there was a time where I was like ‘wow, I’m really missing home,’ but the girls here really gave me a sense of belonging from the get-go. It was just a family the day I got here,” said Kinsinger.

“We all come from different parts. We all have different experiences. We come from all over the states, and we’ve just come together as a family,” Stiles said.

While it was easy for the players to create a strong bond with one another, they understand that it was the coaching staff, Jasmine Estrada, Olivia Richardson, and Maclai Branson, that fostered the growth of the Ignite’s culture.

To Kinsinger, the situation in Wausau isn’t something that is found every day.

“Coach Estrada is building something awesome. Every girl that she brought has their own great attributes that contribute to the culture here. It’s like no other program I’ve ever been a part of.”

“Not only are they here for us as coaches, but they’re here for us as people,” Stiles had to say about the staff. “If I ever needed something, I know that all three coaches would be there for me… I think that’s an aspect that just brings the team together.”

And so, halfway through their first season in the Northwoods, the Ignite already have something as unique to them as the logo on their visors. Wausau’s culture of softball is one built on unity. The trust, effort, and hustle on the field are equally important as the genuine care these players and coaches have for each other off of it. A true sisterhood, where success is measured not just in wins and losses, but in their growth as athletes and as human beings.

These players and coaches came to Wausau just over a month ago as different people, from different states, all with one thing in common: a love for the game of softball. In early August, when they all say goodbye to continue their journeys elsewhere, they will leave sharing much more than the game; they will all have shared a part in building a culture with the Ignite that will last for years to come.