You think Mirra Andreeva winning the BNP Paribas Open women’s singles title at 17 is impressive, wait till you hear about Asha Holland’s prodigious journey and how she became an industry-renowned hip-hop DJ starting out at the tender age of 11 and traveling around the country to perform at gigs at just 13 years old. 

That’s right. “DJ Osh Kosh”, as she’s known to her legion of fans, first discovered her passion for music at an early age making mixtapes with her mom’s DJ friends, working friends’ birthday parties and baby showers, as well as developing her skills at the nearby community center where she grew up in Columbus, Ohio.

Holland booked her first DJ gig at age 11 with her young hairdresser mother serving as her chaperone. “I was able to travel and be exposed to seeing different things at a very young age,” Holland said. “I was able to see that there was more opportunity besides just in my own neighborhood and I was able to figure out exactly what I wanted to do and how I would do it.”

There was a time in Holland’s life when living in Los Angeles felt like it could only be in a dream. But after spending her youth moving back and forth from Columbus to Cleveland, Holland eventually moved to Atlanta in 2007 to attend school after visiting with relatives.

She made her way to Los Angeles and in 2015 launched her Dreamers Youth organization based in South Central Los Angeles that has served thousands of Southern California youngsters providing workshops and camps on various subjects and activities like writing, aviation, golf, swimming. And, of course, tennis.

Holland developed an interest in tennis after moving to L.A., inspired by Erika Bond from the All-Love Racquet Club, and introduced the sport to her Dreamers Youth program. Dreamers Youth has done three events with All-Love and recently took part in All-Love and USTA SoCal’s Black History Month event, The Cookout, in February.

Last March, the Burbank Tennis Center was the site of a well-attended first clinic put on by Dreamers Youth where tennis was taught to the youngsters, many for the first time. Holland said her organization plans to do more pop-up and social events combining music and tennis in the near future.

But tennis wasn’t always Holland’s go-to sport even though she grew up in a tennis family where her grandfather and all of her uncle’s played tennis. “I used to think tennis was not so cool and I was into other things like basketball,” she said. “After I moved to L.A. I went to a few clubs and rallied and thought tennis is pretty cool and I have to get involved in this. It’s fun and it’s a great way to stay healthy and to stay out of trouble.”

Holland believes firmly in the mantra: “If you dream it, you can be it” and is asked what being a dreamer means to her. “Imagination and whatever your mind thinks of, know you can accomplish it. I think just being a dreamer and being a believer in the unreachable is just the way to go. As life goes by, don’t ever get stuck saying, ‘No, I can’t do this’ or ‘I can’t do that.’ Just have the opposite attitude.”

As Women’s History Month comes to a close, Holland has a simple message to all the young women and girls who continue to dare to dream. “I think the women and girls are killing it right now,” she said. “We know we can do anything and believe whatever we set our minds to.”

For more information, check out www.DreamersYouth.org.