By Dan Ninham
Brynn Chosa is an enrolled member of the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa. She is a senior at North Woods High School and is a varsity volleyball and basketball athlete.
“I played for Minnesota North Volleyball Club for six years and I’ve had numerous coaches over the years,” said Brynn Chosa.
Chosa’s cultural background influenced her approach to sport in a positive way.
“My background influenced my approach in sports by my family members,” said Chosa. “My older brother and cousins all played basketball growing up and were always in the gym. I’ve been in the gym constantly since before I could walk. I grew up playing basketball.”
“I spent lots of time with Cade, Darnell, Bryce, and Darius who are my brother and cousins playing basketball. They worked very hard and it showed me that if I work hard enough it will pay off. They used to get a ton of awards and accolades and it inspired me to be like them.”
“I even wanted to be better than them which I think has fueled my work ethic at the start of my career. I also started playing basketball with the Nett Lake Eagles that was ran by Brandon Benner,” added Chosa.
“My uncle Robbie Goggleye helped coach us and he also helped me find my passion for basketball,” said Chosa. “He was hard on us but it just made us stronger ball players.”
High caliber student athletes deal with challenges that don’t become obstacles in their athletic careers. Using indigenous core value/s may help deal with it in a positive way.
“A time when I had to overcome a significant obstacle was during my sophomore year of volleyball,” said Chosa. “I wanted to quit and I lost all my love for the sport. I hated everything about volleyball that year.”
“I was taught to not quit something in the middle of doing it and to push through. So that’s what I did, I finished out the season and persevered through the challenges,” added Chosa.
She continued to talk about dealing with making a major decision.
“I was also always taught to be respectful to everyone around me, no matter how they treated me or anyone else,” said Chosa. “I made sure to always respect the coaches and players, even if I had a tough time.”
“Going through that situation, my mental health wasn’t the best,” said Chosa. “After that season I took a step back from volleyball during the spring time. And during my junior year I had relearned to love volleyball again. My mom Amanda, some of my teammates, and my coach Kaileen were some of the key people who helped me overcome this challenge.”
Chosa has many notable highlights and achievements in athletics.
She varsity lettered in basketball eighth to 12th grade and volleyball from 10th to 12th grade. Being a two time basketball and volleyball captain brings responsibility. She’s also won team honors as a volleyball defensive player of the year and All Arrowhead Conference and nominee for player of the year in basketball.
She’s had a state honor being recognized as 2024-2025 breakdown athletes for basketball and volleyball. She was on Team Minnesota at the 2023 North American Indigenous Games in basketball and her club volleyball team placed third at Nationals in Orlando, FL.
Her favorite achievement was going to the MN state volleyball tournament her senior year.
Being an Indigenous athlete means being someone special in the community.
“Being an Indigenous athlete to me is being more than an athlete,” said Chosa. “It’s about being a role model and someone the younger kids can look up to. I want native kids to look at my sports achievements and believe they can also do it. I also want native kids to realize that they can be passionate about their sport and their culture.”
Others are watching Chosa when she doesn’t realize it. She has advice that she would give whenever that happens.
“My advice is to always work hard on the court and in the classroom,” said Chosa. “Make sure your school work comes first and then athletics. Hard work pays off in the long run.”
“And another thing is to enjoy every step of the way, whether it’s bad or good moments because you can always learn from them,” added Chosa.
North Woods HS two sport athlete Brynn Chosa’s future looks bright today and tomorrow.
