For those who follow the Dayton women’s basketball team closely, it is clear to see the impact that senior guard De’Sarae Chambers has had on the team’s success over the past few years.
The development of her abilities can be traced back to 1992 when she picked up a basketball for the first time at just three years old. Her father, Steve Chambers, who was a talented guard at Lubbock Christian University in Texas, served as a great inspiration during her youth. In fact, she chose number 10 as her jersey number because that is the number her father wore in college.
She used her athletic abilities to excel in many settings. She broke the all-time girls basketball scoring record at Mason County High School, became the first person at her high school to have their basketball jersey number retired, set a state record for the long jump as well as three high school records for the long jump, the triple jump, and the 4X100 relay, and received several very honorable awards leading up to her time as a Dayton Flyer.
After starting the first seven games of her senior season which seemed to be off to a promising start, she has suffered a couple of setbacks.
Chambers got a concussion back in October during practice. She was out for three weeks, taking impact tests, running drills, and making sure she could perform without getting light headed or having any side effects of a concussion. She returned after three weeks just in time and was able to play in the scrimmage against Kentucky.
Her more recent concussion happened in December during the Boston College game. She was going after a loose ball when she got hit in the head and dropped to the ground. It was her fourth concussion of her career.
Chambers has to wear a protective head band in order to avoid any further injuries. If she continues making progress she said she should be back in time for the tournaments.
Undoubtedly, basketball has served as a lifelong passion for Chambers. Over the years however, she has gradually developed an additional passion for something far more extraordinary. For the past two years, she has been visiting the children at the Miami Valley Daycare on a weekly base.
“Being around the children and having the opportunity to interact with them is one of my favorite things about being a Flyer,” Chambers said in an interview. In fact, she enjoys her interactions with children so much that she plans on developing a career out of it down the road.
When Chambers graduates, she first hopes to coach at her high school and win them their first ever regional championship. Eventually, she would like to pursue a career helping children develop their athletic abilities at boys and girls clubs.
University of Dayton Athletics Communication student Jordan Martin is writing a feature on each of the members of the 2011-12 University of Dayton women's basketball team throughout the season. This is his fourth feature story of the year.
