CHLOE WOODSON may be young, but she’s experienced a lot at her age — some good, some bad. On most days, she’s a regular 5th grader enjoying the things that the majority of kids her age love: Takis, playing outdoors, and hanging out with her friends.
And then there are days in which Woodson is reminded of how cruel the world can be. At the age of ten, she experienced racism from adults and her teammates.
“Stuff her like a turkey.” “I was playing in a game when I heard an adult say that. I just stopped and looked at her. I didn’t understand what it meant, but I knew it wasn’t a good thing” said Woodson.
“Hang her with a rope.” “I felt underestimated because my teammate thought she could say that to me and nothing would happen. It made me mad and uncomfortable,” said Woodson.
Five years ago, in Baltimore Maryland, Robert Dunn was protesting the death of Freddie Gray as he participated in the Black Lives Matter movement at the age of ten.
Cut to a scene today, Chloe Woodson is also ten-years-old. At a young age, she has learned that politics often leaks into the world of sports.
In the end, she’s focused on one thing — becoming a WNBA player. Says Woodson, “I want to go to the WNBA so that I can give back to my community.” Although it sounds like a big dream, it’s possible for someone who works as hard as she does. Woodson plays with heart and courage.
She also wants to help other girls be more confident in themselves. Through the game of basketball Woodson has been able to build her own confidence and believe in herself.
Woodson attends Carnegie Elementary School where she loves her teachers and the supportive environment. While she’s only in elementary school, her resume is quite impressive.
Woodson has opened a halftime show for the Oklahoma City Thunder and shot a commercial for the NBA team. She was also a Reebok player of the game in Kansas City, Missouri. Oh yeah, we already mentioned she’s only ten-years-old.
Her game is inspired by Dennis Rodman, a former NBA player that many kids her age probably aren’t familiar with. “I like the way Dennis Rodman played. He was good at defense and rebounding.” Woodson also confessed that she liked his colorful hair.
Playing like a girl is something that she takes pride in. Says Woodson, I play aggressively for my age. I’m not scared to play hard.”
