A Sacramento recreational sports league is helping LGBTQIA+ community members and allies build friendships and find connection year-round.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Recreational sports league OutLoud Sports Sacramento is helping LGBTQIA+ community members and allies build friendships and find connection through kickball, dodgeball and other activities offered year-round.
On most Saturday mornings, Tahoe Park fills with cheers, competition and community, as players gather for OutLoud Sports Sacramento kickball games.
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“Pretty much most Saturdays, this is where we are,” said Nina Francesconi, who has played kickball with OutLoud Sports since 2021.
The league has grown rapidly during that time, expanding enough to require a move from its previous playing location.
“We actually had to change parks because the league expanded,” Francesconi said.
For Alexandra Orzeck, the league became an important source of community after she moved to Sacramento from Houston in 2019.
“It was the first place where I really met a whole group of people,” she said.
OutLoud Sports Sacramento is a recreational sports league for the LGBTQIA+ community and allies, that welcomes participants of all skill levels.
“If you really want to get out and be around people who are supportive and encouraging, this is the spot to join,” Orzeck said. “We have everything from beginner all the way up to intermediate, advanced, and there’s a team for all skill levels. Everybody here wants people to feel encouraged and connected.”
For Orzeck, that sense of connection was especially meaningful.
“As an adult, it’s really hard to make friends – especially if you attended university or college and kind of post-college era – and so getting out and being active and also meeting people who were in the queer community was really, really important to me,” she said.
The friendships formed through the league often continue off the field.
“We’re all, like, best friends and hang out outside of playing kickball,” Francesconi said. “Most of us didn’t know each other before playing kickball, and as an adult that’s something really special, that’s hard to find.”
The league’s growth extends beyond kickball.
At the Capital YMCA, players also compete in dodgeball, one of several sports now offered through OutLoud Sports Sacramento.
Dan Dutra, the league’s general manager, said participation has increased dramatically in the past five years.
“When I took over in 2021, we only had about 80 people in the league. That was only kickball,” Dutra said. “Now we offer dodgeball, volleyball, cornhole, bowling and kickball, and we have about 1,000 people now in the league.”
Dutra said much of that growth has come through word-of-mouth recommendations, “because they come, play, they like the atmosphere, they like what it brings.”
Dutra said he understands the value of that community from personal experience. After moving to Sacramento from a small Central Valley town, he sought out a sports community and eventually joined OutLoud Sports as a player before taking over the local organization.
“Sometimes as queer people, our only connection is at the local bar — and there’s nothing wrong with that at all, but you also want other things to be in common that you can do with other people,” Dutra said. “Sports bonds people, and I think sometimes growing up as queer, you don’t experience that, so it really brings me joy to bring that to our community throughout the year.”
The league’s reach also extends beyond Sacramento. Players can travel to compete in other cities.
“It’s nice to meet other individuals from other queer communities,” Orzeck said. “Connection is really, really not talked about enough and really, really vital for just the human spirit and for us to feel fulfillment.”
For those considering joining OutLoud Sports Sacramento, Dutra offers a simple invitation.
“I say contact me. I’ll talk you through it,” he said. “Come get involved. You’ll meet different types of people, and hopefully you’ll find that friendship you’re looking for.”
OutLoud Sports Sacramento offers a variety of sports throughout the year. Learn more at its website HERE or on Instagram or Facebook.
OutLoud Sports Sacramento turns games into lasting connections
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