Discipline, accountability, and academics molded Washington at Bowling Green
Chelsee Washington arrived at Bowling Green State University as a very skilled soccer player. But, her time as a Falcon has developed the Texas native into a more well-rounded individual, on and off the pitch.
Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, Washington was a club star for Solar Chelsea SC and Dallas Texans SC before deciding to attend the MAC school in Northwest Ohio. “Bowling Green was the perfect fit for me to develop all areas of my game while competing under an outstanding coach for my last three years,” Chelsee explained. “Prior to BG, I came from a well-known, competitive soccer city in Dallas that I did excel in, however mostly based off of my talent. When arriving and molding as a player under my head coach, Matt Fannon, I was able to acquire an extremely high work rate that allowed me to truly grow and thrive as a player. From then, I was able to display both my talent level and newly developed work ethic that allowed me to find success both on and off the field during my years at BG.”
Washington won the 2019 MAC Offensive Player of the Year and the midfielder finished her NCAA career with 21 goals and 23 assists. When asked about her favorite memories with the Falcons, she answered, My favorite memories on the pitch include both MAC championship celebrations following our penalty kick shootout wins during my junior and senior seasons. Off the field, I will always cherish the community of Bowling Green and the tight-knit family atmosphere that made it my home away from home over the years.”
Off the field, she is equally as talented and hardworking as she is wearing soccer boots. She’s going into her final semester with a 3.68 GPA, having completed all of her coursework. She said, “My current major is Criminal Justice with a minor in Sociology. I found that being a student as well as an athlete allowed me to acquire a very good sense of time management and multi-tasking skills that I will be able to utilize no matter what I am doing in life. I thoroughly enjoyed being able to be challenged off the field in my studies and learning about a variety of topics unrelated to my sport helped to expand my horizons.”
Now, those horizons could expand to the professional ranks. She would not be the first person in her family to get drafted in a professional sport as her second cousin is former NFL defensive lineman Glenn Dorsey. She said she’s grateful to have such a great athlete in her family line. What would an NWSL club get if they decide to draft her on January 16th? “I believe that selecting Chelsee Washington means to welcome a player who is extremely disciplined and always looking to get better,” she responded. “I am able to bring championship experience to the next level with an unwavering desire to win and compete every day. As a midfielder, my strengths include my speed with the ball, my aerial dominance, and my physical stature.
“Off the field, I hold myself and others to an extremely high standard and will always hold my teammates accountable to be the best versions of themselves as I personally do the same day in and day out. With familiarity of being overlooked, I use this as fuel for motivation to be able to excel at the professional level.”
No matter what happens on draft night, the evidence is overwhelming that Chelsee Washington will continue to learn and grow as a person and as a player.
