A report from MSN.com.
Ice hockey may not be the first sport associated with Hispanic athletes, but 12-year-old Estella Vazquez is helping to change that.
Vazquez plays for Team Puerto Rico and is one of the few young Hispanic athletes making a mark in the sport. “Whenever I speak Spanish, they know what I’m talking about,” she told 1010 WINS. “It’s kind of like a family. I’m closer and connected to them more.”
More than just a player, Estella has taken on the role of an ambassador for Women’s Hockey Life, an organization which focuses on highlighting, promoting and supporting women’s hockey around the world at every level. She’s working to get others as excited about hockey as she is. “You just gotta teach it to them,” she said. “Once we get that in their head, they’ll understand.”
Estella’s journey began at a young age when she became hooked on hockey after watching the New York Rangers on TV with her parents and playing NHL 15 on PlayStation. She first started as a skater but eventually returned to her true love—being a goalie. Over the years, she’s played for local teams like the Westchester Vipers, the Danbury Hat Tricks, and now the Stateline Hawks, reaching state finals multiple times.
Her dream is to see ice hockey grow in Puerto Rico and other Latin American countries so they can be represented on the international stage.