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FOOT WORK QUEEN
# Scribed : Kenya Hawkins
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IN HIGH SCHOOL I GANG BANGED , SO WHEN YOU GANG BANGING , YOU CAN ’ T GO IN CERTAIN NEIGHBORHOODS . IF YOU HOOPED , HOOPING DID GET YOU THROUGH SOME NEIGHBORHOODS ,
It ’ s a beautiful New Year ’ s Eve afternoon on the South Side of Chicago and I ’ m about to have lunch and catch up with “ OL SKOOL ” AKA The Dance Hall Queen of Chicago . Affectionately known too many as Tammi . As Tammi crosses the street horns are honking and Tammi is waving . Tammi is known throughout the City for her tenacity on the Court and Dance Floor . I met Tammi during my hooping days at Dyett Park District . Back in the day Dyett would have basketball camps for young girls that wanted to ball . I remember seeing this girl killing drills and breaking ankles during scrimmage games at Dyett . Immediately , I said to myself “ I ’ ve got to get to know her , she cold .” Tammi used her skills on the court and motivation to escape gang banging and make a way for herself . A teen mother from 43rd and Evans to playing Semi-Professional Basketball and auditioning for the Queen Bee to become a background dancer . As much as Tammi has gained she taken some losses too . In 2014 Tammi lost her only child to violence on the Low End not far from her childhood stomping grounds . Yet , she still enters any room , gym , and party with the confidence that only an “ OL SKOOL ” Hoopa can . Tammi says “ One way or another I ’ m going to make a name for myself . And that ’ s what I have , my name is going to always ring … - Tammi Where are you from ? How was growing up in your area ? 43rd & Evans , it was okay , I stayed in a big white house , down the street from the projects and Carter G . Woodson Elementary School . I grew up hooping at Forrestville park behind Woodson South School . How did you get introduced to basketball ? My mother played sports she got me started . In addition to Ms . Fleming and Mr . Notree . Since I was a Tomboy I always played sports . Mr . Notree ad Ms . Fleming got me more into it . But what really got me to really pursue it was a boy telling me it ’ s a boy sport , not a girl sport . So that motivated me to keep playing , too prove to guys that women can play too . How much did being athletic help you growing up ? It helped me tremendously , it helped me because if I was mad I ’ d take that energy and use it on the court , softball field , whatever sport I was playing at that time . I took that anger and put it toward something great .
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