As March -- Women's History Month -- gets underway, women are continuing to break boundaries in professional sports.
One example is Ashton Washington, the first female scout for the Chicago Bears, where Washington says being the first comes with a fair amount of pressure.
“There becomes a pipeline,” said Washington, who's official title is Bears Player Personnel Coordinator. “A rotation where, if Ashton comes in and sets an example, then we’re more willing and open to hiring more females.”
Washington, who grew up in Houston, said football runs in her blood.
“If you’re from Texas, football is like a religion,” she said.
Washington turned her passion for football into a future job opportunity, when she began interning with a local TV news sports department and then writing about high school prospects.
However, many of her opportunities to start in football didn’t come with a paycheck.
“At the time, all my friends and family members thought I was crazy,” Washington added. “They’re like, what are you doing? What’s the point of all this.”
The point was, Washington said, to learn as much as she could, and it paid off.
Washington first started in the industry working with the XFL, then with a familiar face in then University of Illinois head football coach, Lovie Smith.
In her interview, she made a point to stand out.
“I put on Illinois colors,” Washington said. “I did my nice orange, nice blue and the first thing he said when I hopped on the Zoom call he said, 'I like the colors. I see what you did there, Miss Ashton.'”
From the Illini, then down to Texas Tech, Washington was building up her skills when it comes to recruiting young players. Eventually, it led to a call from the Bears about an internship, and ended with her becoming the first female scout in the team’s history.
Now, Washington has advice for young women and girls who want to pursue a career like hers: It’s ok to say your dream out loud, even if people say you can’t.
“When you hear stuff like that, that’s when most dreams die,” Washington added. “Never let the opinions or comments of others let your dreams die. If you want to do it, go get it.”
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March 14, 2023 at 10:22PM
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‘If You Want to Do it, Go Get It,' Chicago Bears' First Female Scout Says - NBC Chicago
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