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Ep131: Coco Gauff · Kidcast Daily

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  Welcome to Kid Cast Daily, where we bring news, trivia, fun
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  facts, and more just for curious kids like you.
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  Today, get ready to grab your tennis rackets and your coolest
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  sneakers, because we're zooming on to the tennis court to meet
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  someone amazing, Coco Goff. She's a superstar athlete, a
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  record breaker, and a role model for kids everywhere.
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  So, Are you ready to find out what makes Coco Goff so special?
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  Let's serve up some awesome facts.
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  First, let's talk about tennis. Imagine a giant game of ping
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  pong, but you're standing on the court and the ball is much
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  bigger and bouncier. Tennis is a sport where two
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  players, or sometimes 4IN double S, hit a fuzzy ball back and
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  forth over a net trying to score points by making it land in the
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  other side's court. It takes speed, quick thinking
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  and lots of practice. Now on to our star player, Coco
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  Goff. Her real name is Corey Goff, but
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  everyone calls her Coco. She was born on March 13th, 2004
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  in Atlanta, GA. That means she's still a
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  teenager just like some of you. But here's the wild part.
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  Coco has already made history in the world of tennis where most
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  players are grown-ups who've been playing for years and
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  years. Let's rewind to when Coco was
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  just a little kid. She started playing tennis when
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  she was only 6 years old. That's about the same age as a
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  first grader. Imagine picking up a tennis
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  racket for the first time and dreaming of playing in big
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  stadiums with thousands of fans cheering you on.
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  Well, that was Coco. She was inspired by watching
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  tennis legends like Serena Williams and Venus Williams on
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  TV. They were her heroes, and she
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  wanted to be just like them. But learning tennis isn't easy.
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  It's a bit like learning to ride a bike.
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  At first, you wobble, miss the ball and sometimes get
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  frustrated. But Coco practiced, practiced
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  and practiced some more. Her family cheered her on,
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  especially her dad, who became her coach.
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  Her mom helped her with school work because being a student
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  athlete means balancing sports and homework.
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  By the time Coco was 10 years old, she was already winning
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  tournaments for kids. She was like the kid who always
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  wins at recess races, but instead of running, she was
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  smashing tennis balls across the court.
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  She became the number one tennis player in the United States for
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  her age group. That's like being the fastest
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  sprinter in your whole school, but across the entire country.
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  Here comes a cool did you know moment.
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  Coco Goff is one of the youngest players ever to compete at the
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  famous Wimbledon tournament. Wimbledon is like the Olympics
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  of tennis, super fancy with players from all over the world.
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  In 2019, when Coco was just 15 years old, she became the
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  youngest player to qualify for Wimbledon in the modern era.
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  Most kids her age were just starting high school, but Coco
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  was already on TV playing against some of the best
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  athletes in the world. And guess what?
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  In her very first Wimbledon match, she played against Venus
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  Williams, one of her idols. Imagine if you got to play
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  basketball with your favorite NBA or WNBA star, or if you got
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  to sing on stage with your favorite pop star.
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  That's how Coco felt. She was nervous, but she played
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  with courage and energy. And the most amazing part?
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  She won. She beat Venus Williams in
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  straight sets, which means she won two sets in a row without
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  losing 1. Fans everywhere cheered, and
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  Coco became an overnight sensation.
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  But Coco's journey wasn't just about winning matches.
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  Sometimes she lost, and sometimes things got tough, but
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  she never gave up. She showed everyone that it's OK
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  to lose sometimes, as long as you keep trying your best.
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  That's a super important lesson, whether you're playing sports,
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  learning an instrument, or even trying a tricky math problem.
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  Let's talk about what makes Coco Goff such a great tennis player.
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  First, she's super fast. She zips around the court like a
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  cheetah chasing its prey. Her feet move so quickly that it
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  looks like she's almost floating above the ground.
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  Second, she's really strong. When she hits the ball, it zooms
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  across the court like a rocket. And 3rd, she's very smart.
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  Tennis isn't just about hitting the ball hard, it's about
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  thinking ahead and outsmarting your opponent.
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  Kind of like playing chess, but with running and swinging.
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  Coco also has something called sportsmanship.
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  That means she's kind and respectful.
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  Whether she wins or loses. She always shakes hands with her
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  opponents and thanks the fans. She encourages other kids to
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  work hard and believe in themselves.
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  Coco says that her goal isn't just to win trophies, but to
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  inspire kids everywhere to chase their dreams.
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  Here's another Did You know moment.
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  Coco Goff has played in all four of the biggest tennis
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  tournaments in the world. These are called the Grand
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  Slams, and they happen in Australia, France, England, and
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  the United States. It's like traveling to four
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  different continents just to play your favorite sport.
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  Not only did Coco play in these tournaments, but she also won
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  her first Grand Slam title at the US Open in 2023, when she
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  was just 19 years old. She became the youngest American
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  woman to win the US Open since Serena Williams.
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  That's like winning a gold medal at the Olympics before you even
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  graduate from high school. But Coco isn't just a tennis
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  star. She's got other talents too.
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  She loves to dance, listen to music, and hang out with her
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  friends. She's a big fan of superhero
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  movies and loves reading books. Even though she's famous, she
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  still has chores at home and has to do her homework just like any
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  other kid. Sometimes people ask Coco how
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  she stays so calm during big matches.
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  She says she takes deep breaths, focuses on the next point, and
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  tries not to worry about what just happened.
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  That's a great trick for anyone. If you're feeling nervous before
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  a test, a performance, or even a big game, just pause, take a
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  breath, and remember that you can always try again.
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  Coco Goff is also known for using her voice to help others.
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  She speaks up about things that are important to her, like
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  fairness and helping her community.
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  She encourages kids to be kind to each other and to stand up
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  for what's right. She believes that everyone, no
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  matter how young, can make a difference.
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  You don't have to be a tennis star to help others.
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  You can do it by being a good friend, helping your family, or
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  cheering up someone who's feeling down.
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  Let's recap some of the coolest things we've learned about Coco
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  Golf today. Coco started playing tennis when
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  she was just six years old and worked super hard to become one
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  of the best young players in the world.
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  She made history at Wimbledon by becoming the youngest player to
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  qualify for the tournament in the modern era, and she even
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  beat her idol, Venus Williams. Coco is super fast, strong, and
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  smart on the tennis court, and she always shows great
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  sportsmanship. She won her first Grand Slam
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  title at the US Open when she was only 19, making her one of
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  the youngest champions ever. Coco believes in helping others
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  and making the world a better place, and she encourages kids
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  everywhere to chase their dreams and never give up.
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  So, what can we learn from Coco Goff?
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  Whether you play sports, love art, enjoy music, or have a
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  favorite hobby, you can achieve amazing things by working hard,
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  being kind, and believing in yourself.
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  Don't be afraid to dream big, just like Coco.
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  Thanks for joining us on Kid Cast Daily, where we learned all
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  about Coco Goff, the tennis superstar who's inspiring kids
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  everywhere. Remember, every great journey
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  starts with a single step, or in Coco's case, a single swing of
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  the racket. Keep asking questions, keep
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  exploring, and we'll see you next time.
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  For more fun facts and adventures, Game set match Kid
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  Cast Daily.