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- [00:00]
A
Youth sports in America are at a crossroads, and I'm here to help lead the conversation forward. I'm Greg Olson. Each week we're sitting down with top athletes, coaches, and more to talk about what's working, what's broken, and what's next. Welcome to you think.
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B
What is up? Chloe, how are you?
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C
I'm great. How are you?
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B
It's so good to see you. Thank you so much for joining.
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C
Of course. Thank you so much for having me. I'm so pumped to be a part of this.
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B
Amazing. Okay, so you grew up in Darien, Connecticut. You're there right now. Most people don't know this, but it is a hot spot for women's lacrosse. Why is that?
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C
I mean, I think when you're born in Darien, you just have a stick in your hands from the woman you can start walking, which is kind of crazy. I definitely think it goes to Lisa Lindley, who has been the head coach at Darien High School for I don't even know how long, but I've just known Darienne lacrosse and always affiliated it with Lisa Lindley. She's just instilled so much confidence in these young girls. And when I was little, at least, I would always dream of playing for Lisa Lindley. So I had to go in the backyard and work my butt off so that I could be a part of that program and be a part of the dynasty that Lisa Lindley's created. So I definitely credit her to creating this hotbed because it wasn't always one.
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B
I love that. And I read this somewhere. I don't know if it's true, but you started playing lacrosse when you were in fifth grade.
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C
I started later in second grade. I started with that UNC shaft in fifth grade.
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B
Right. Which is crazy. That's what I saw. That's what I saw. So do you still have the same stick shaft as you did when you were in fifth grade? Is that true or did you change? Yes, that is true, actually. Insane. Okay. Wow. That is incredible. And I guess the second question is, is I know you're a pretty family oriented person. Your sisters, Ashley and Nicole, they both play lacrosse and they played at UNC last year. You won a national championship with them. What was that experience like to have them by your side?
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C
It was so surreal. I mean, we would dream of moments like that in the backyard, but never actually think that it was going to come true. So everything through injuries, through, like, the COVID red trip year that Ashley received, it kind of just like everything came together in that one. One moment that everything does happen for a reason. Like I think that's definitely been something that has been true to our family is just like patience waiting. Like your journey is already created for you. So just like patience and learning like the little lessons throughout the process. So throughout that I think we learned a lot about ourselves and each other. And being able to hoist a national championship with my two older sisters was just a truly a dream come true that I will never forget.
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B
You speak about your parents. I think when people see you, especially parents in the lacrosse space, they see you as the best player in the country right now. What did your parents do right in your eyes?
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C
I think that my parents let me do all the hard work. So they were, I mean I, I have to admit I was a very self driven little kid in the backyard. But my parents definitely just never put pressure on me. They never told me to go in the backyard because it's kind of the thing where like your parents tell you to take the trash out and you're going to take the trash out, but now you don't want to take the trash out. So I think my parents did a really good job of just kind of like letting me find my own path. They allowed me to try every sport. I stuck with soccer for a while and they were in full support of that. You know, a few, few years later I caught the lacrosse bug. But they were just extremely supportive and never said that my dreams were too big. I mean, I would say some crazy stuff in the backyard to my dad and he would kind of just laugh at me. But he was in full support of everything that I wanted to accomplish and it still continues to be my biggest supporter.
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B
I love that. And in regards, do you say that you were in the backyard a lot? Like, what type of kid were you? When did that start?
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C
I was always like just needing to move or do something or fidget with something. So that definitely, I think translated to my time in the backyard. I constantly just like couldn't be sitting around watching tv. Like I had to be moving. And my love for the game started so young, which I definitely credit my sisters to. Ashley definitely opened my eyes all the creativity of this. And Nicole was a gymnast until eighth grade when she decided to switch to lacrosse. So she was a little behind her peers, so she had to catch up very quickly. And that just showed me how her hard work translated so quickly to the lacrosse field. So I think the combination of seeing, you know, the hard work translate and Ashley exposing me to the creativity, like the Kayla Traynor highlights Michelle Tumelo highlights all of those incredible players. Just like my love for the game was just so, so strong and I just wanted to be playing the sport every second of every day when I was little.
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B
Kayla Trainor. Oh, my gosh. I think I still watch her highlights for fun.
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C
Me too.
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B
The stuff that she does is ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous. I think most people might not know this is that you came in in 2023, you were the number one recruit and in that class, and you suffered a stress fracture in your foot that made you miss out on your first year at unc. What did that setback or that taking you out of your freshman year teach you?
- [05:39]
C
I mean, it taught me so much. Again, kind of like with everything happens for a reason, I definitely was struggling mentally along with physically during my freshman year. Just, it's almost like your identity gets stripped of you. Like everything I know has always been on the lacrosse field. Like, that's kind of where my confidence, my swagger came from. So to have that stripped of me definitely was challenging. Just kind of figuring out who I was off of the lacrosse field. So I definitely learned a lot about myself. I started journaling, I started meditating, which if you told me a year before that that I would be doing that stuff, I would have laughed in your face. But I definitely just had to kind of get in tune with like, who I was. Like the Chloe off the field rather than the Chloe that you see on the field. And I think that I definitely reshaped my lifestyle. Like, I definitely had to look into nutrition, my over training tendencies, because that was ultimately what led to my stress fracture. So there was just like a bunch of things that I learned. And you know, leaning on my different support systems was also incredible. Just seeing like, who was there for me in that moment. And those are relationships that I cherish forever just because they were in it with me even when I was at, you know, maybe not my. My best or my highest. So I definitely learned a lot and I'm very grateful for the injury, which I hope to like share that with a lot of other young girls who are struggling with injuries because it's not easy. But if I could tell you, like the amazing things that would happen after that injury, like, it all just seems worth it in that moment.
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B
I was going to say what was. I think the best part about that story for me is that you came back in your red shirt freshman season, you win a national championship, you win the tour ton basically the Heisman of women's lacrosse. You do it alongside your sisters I think when people watch you play, you're just so fearless. Like, no moment is big enough for you. Where does that come from? And, like, where do you kind of want to tell young girls to compete? No matter what that looks like?
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C
I would say the biggest thing is, like, never be smaller to appease anyone else. Like, never play less because of maybe, like, who your coaches or who your teammates are. Like, just be yourself and embrace it, and everything else will fall into place. Like, I am extremely fortunate to have the most supportive teammates I have ever been surrounded by on my UNC team and along with the coaching staff, who, you know, is very patient with me. I might do some crazy things, but they kind of just laugh and let me. They trust. It's a lot of trust. Like, it's just trust in each other, trust in the hard work that you've put in. So I think that through my hard work, a lot of my teammates trust me more just because they know I've been working, you know, in the backyard and maybe hours after practice. So that'd be my biggest thing, is just, like, earn their trust on the field.
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B
I think when you pull back the curtain for UNC women's lacrosse, it is the. It's a dynasty. It is truly the representation of women's lacrosse right now. What makes you guys so great?
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C
Our culture, hands down. I mean, every person, like, whether you're on the field or off the field, has such an incredible impact on our team, whether they know it or not. Like, I think that that's the biggest thing that Jenny emphasizes, and she's done an incredible job just developing the culture and allowing us to be ourselves unapologetically. That's kind of something that Riley, Casey, I think, in 2020, 2025, really emphasizes. Like, be yourself and do not apologize for being yourself. Like, everyone is different, and we're going to embrace each person for their, you know, positives or things that, you know, they might be working on. Like, we're gonna just totally embrace every part of you. And that's definitely been a big part of our culture of just, like, you know, even on the field, like, your pros and cons, everyone, like, our coaches always emphasize, everyone brings something to the table. Everyone has a superpower, and your superpowers are all different, which is beautiful, because, like, I might be better at one thing, and my teammate next to me is better than something that I'm not great at. And that's why we come together and we make that a hundred percent. So I think that's the biggest thing of just, like, the standard that the coaches have created, and we've really taken that as teammates and emphasized it, and definitely, I think, created the culture from that statement of just embrace everyone and be yourself unapologetically.
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B
You speak of your coaches. Coach Jenny, who is an ambassador for you think, and Coach McCool, who you play with. What role have they played in your development?
- [10:16]
C
I mean, they. I owe everything to them, honestly. Marie McCool is our offensive coordinator, so we get to hang out a lot of practice. She has just been incredible of just, you know, I mean, completely teaching me how to play college lacrosse. You come in from high school, and the college game is just a completely different game. I mean, where your talent can translate. There's just so much that you have to learn about the systems and kind of the pace of play of the game. So Marie was definitely very supportive and patient with my learning curve. I definitely am someone who does not like the learning curve. I'm not very patient. So when I don't pick things up, I get very frustrated. But they've just done such good job of having so much confidence in me and especially Jenny. Like, I remember there was one moment I came in, and I was like, I'm not feeling like I'm playing my best. She's like, you're fine. Like, you, I trust. Like, everything's going to fall into place this season. And I was like, wow. Like, that little confidence just completely changed my mindset of everything. Like, I was stressing about uncontrollables and kind of. This was right before the season, so I was kind of getting nervous about the pressure and expectations and her just having that confidence in me and just allowing me to understand, like, this is all a part of the journey and the. The learning curve again. It just made me feel so settled in that moment, and I was like, okay. Like, I kind of trust Jenny with my life. Like, if she's saying it, then I totally believe it. So I kind of just needed to hear her say that. And she's been such an incredible mentor for me that that's just been like. I've been so grateful to have had her in my life, and especially with Marie and all of the things that she's taught me because she's gone through it as. As a UNC lacrosse player playing for Jenny Levy. So it's been great learning from the both of them, and I'm just so grateful to be where I am.
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B
That's incredible. We truly love her at you think the best. Last question here. World championships are coming up. What's got you most excited.
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C
Oh, my gosh. I mean, the entire experience, one playing alongside the best players in the country, that is always something that I look forward to. I think Chu is explaining exploring Tokyo. I've heard it's the best city in the world. So I'm really excited to try some sushi. I'm really excited to try some. I'm really interested. Whoa. I need to, like, cut. Okay, now I'm really excited to try some sushi. My family and I are gonna go Mario karting or go karting. I. I don't even know. So I'm really, like, excited to see the culture and also know face other countries who are. Who are working hard and putting in the same work that we are overseas. So I'm just excited for the whole experience and to hopefully hoist a gold medal.
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B
What makes playing for USA so special for you?
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C
For me, being the youngest, these are girls that I literally watch their highlights on repeat when I was probably in, like, fifth or sixth grade. So now to be alongside them playing, like, it gives me a whole different appreciation and greater appreciation for the sport and just my journey along with it. Like, I'm so honored. I don't think that they understand, like, how much of an honor it is to play alongside them. They've all been playing alongside each other for quite a while now, so to kind of be thrown in the mix last year was very intimidating. But my second year in with the US Rosters and the girls, like, I'm definitely finding my confidence with them. And they've been so incredibly welcoming, which has also been the biggest thing. Like, they don't have to do that. And they have just been such incredible leaders and welcomed me. Like, I'm, you know, someone that's their age, so it's been really incredible Just being a part of that experience and being able to play with my idols, that's incredible.
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B
And also, I have heard that Tokyo
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C
is, like, one of the best things, right? Yes, that's what I'm hearing. So I'm really excited to go over there.
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B
Yes. You have to, like, I think they're like, seven elevens are even, like, fake. I don't know if you've seen seen that. Yes.
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C
Like, snacks. Oh, my God.
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B
That's going to be so amazing. Thank you so much for joining. We are so grateful to have you here, a part of our mission at you think you're incredible. As always, so well spoken and I cannot wait to watch you at the world championships and next year for your junior season. It's going to be fun.
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C
Thank you so much for having me. I had such a fun. Yes.