Crystal Dunn is proud to represent the young Black female soccer players nationwide. The star athlete has teamed up with Allstate to create a mural in Chicago to encourage inner-city youth to participate in soccer.
The mural depicts a girl wearing a soccer jersey, standing in front of a whiteboard with drawn-out plays, all above a painted goal.
#AllstatePartner Some of my best memories are on the field, but not every community has enough to learn the game. That’s why I’m honored to work with@Allstate and @blackstarUS_ to help rethink access to soccer instruction through our new coaching mural. #soccer #youthsports pic.twitter.com/YRN9LELqaK
— Crystal Dunn | Soubrier | (@Cdunn19) September 28, 2023
Recently, Dunn stopped by rolling out to discuss the mural and inspire the next generation.
What is the U.S. women’s soccer team working on in the community?
The U.S. Women’s National Team has partnered with Allstate. They’re an incredible organization [that is] working to really improve and advance the involvement of youth in sports, and how kids get to interact with each other to play and grow the sport, but also making it easier for kids to really enjoy the game.
The sport of soccer definitely is somewhat of a suburban sport where you just always feel like you need a lot of land, a lot of grass, or some places to play. I think Allstate, Blackstar, and the artist Dwight White, being able to put this coaching mural up in Chicago, is such a great way to shed this message of, “You don’t need a big field, you don’t need a whole lot of friends and teammates to even think about getting better [or] playing soccer.”
I think it’s really an amazing thing to be able to figure out a way to just be able to enjoy the game, get better, and just kick the ball around by yourself.
What was it like for you, growing up in New York, finding places to play?
My family is from the inner city of New York. They moved me and my brother out to Long Island when I was about 2 or 3. If I had not made that move out to Long Island, I don’t think I’d be playing soccer because it was that hard to be exposed to the sport and be able to feel like you have those resources to be able to play.
What do you think about being a Black female soccer player and influencing an entire generation of young girls?
I feel like, as a woman of color, somewhere along the line, you may have to be the first but you’re fighting your hardest to make sure you’re not the last.
I think that’s really where I find myself. It’s uncomfortable to be the first, it’s uncomfortable to break that barrier down or feel like you’re asking for something or feeling like you’re like, “Man, I’m here, but why am I feeling like I’m fighting for things that [I] shouldn’t have to be fighting for?”
I think through that fight, you realize, “OK. I’m going through this so those coming after me don’t have to fight as hard. They don’t have to fight for the little things that I’m asking for.”
