ALEXANDRIA, LA – Louisiana State University of Alexandria has announced its 2026 Hall of Fame Class to be inducted on February 14 in The Outpost.
Among the inductees is former LSUA women's soccer player Chandler Kammerer.
A four-year member of the Generals' back line, Kammerer appeared in 67 games from 2014 to 2017. She registered eight goals and one assist for 17 total points. She tallied a pair of game-winning markers, one in both 2016 and 2017. Kammerer earned All-RRAC First Team honors in 2017, as well as an LSWA All-Louisiana First Team selection. She was a member of the 2017 RRAC Regular Season Championship squad and was named the RRAC Defensive Player of the Year for 2017. Kammerer was selected to the LSUA Women's Soccer All-Decade Team this past summer.
LSUAGenerals (LSUA): When you received the call from Assistant Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics Tyler Unsicker, what was your reaction?
Chandler Kammerer (CK): I was actually kind of thrown off initially because I was wondering why he was calling me as a previous coach over there. You know, I thought he was maybe just reaching out to, you know, update me on something going on with the program. And then he led on saying, you know, I'm just calling to inform you of the first women's soccer inductee into the Hall of Fame named Chandler Kammerer and I was very shocked to hear that. I don't think my excitement came off as it was going on inside to him, but I was really, I was really excited and surprised.
LSUA: How did you end up at LSUA?
CK: Really, the sport of soccer and college, obviously. You know, I was a senior in high school and my dad went out into all my games and recorded me and set up a little recruiting website for me and put my profile on there. And then, you know, I got reached out by Coach Poropat at the time.
And you know, we got on a phone call and with the help of my dad again, he wrote up a couple questions for me to ask. And you know, I visited in April of 2014 and then signed while I visited there. And then July 31st, we made the trip down and.
That was the journey.
LSUA: You don't hear many people signing while they're on their visit.
CK: Yeah, well, I don't know. It was just, you know, I saw the campus, I met all the people. And when they say Southern hospitality is real, it really was and is. But also, I think it being the first year of the soccer program really was a winner for me because being a part of something brand new, I didn't know what I was in for, but it ended up being really exciting and great. So, it was really, really cool to be a part of the first-year program.
LSUA: What do you miss most about your time at LSUA?
CK: I think really just the community of being a student athlete. I mean, you know, not only are you with the soccer girls just about every day of your, you know, time at school.
But you meet all the other student athletes and you spend so much time with them and they really become like family to you. So just having that instant, you know, community and friends right there is, I think that's what I miss the most.
LSUA: Looking back, would you do anything differently in your time at LSUA?
CK: That's a great question. Um. I don't think I would, only because, you know, between the great and the not so great, it turned out exactly, I believe, how it should have been.
So no, I don't think I would I would change anything.
LSUA: Do you have any advice for future or current student athletes at LSUA?
CK: If I were to say anything to current future athletes, I think it would be just to enjoy the moment, really. When people say the four years or however long you're there, you're there for will fly by. It really does. And you'll look back and be like, Oh my gosh, that was so long ago.
So every day, whether it's a tough practice or, you know, you had a tough game or a bad game or, you know, even the good games, enjoy every moment of it because it really will go by in the blink of an eye and you never want to look back and be like, oh, I should have done this, I should have done that. So really just enjoy the moment. And when you're in the moment, kind of soak in it and just give it everything you've got.
LSUA: You had a quite a few moments at LSUA from being on the first team to the regular season championship in 2017, but do you have a moment or two that that sticks out to you as your most memorable?
CK: I believe those most memorable moments are in that season of 2017 where we did do so well. Um I mean, we went undefeated at home and then yes, we won regular season conference and I think my most favorable moment is the game against.
Huston-Tillotson, where we won the conference, us and Huston-Tillotson, we were tied for conference. So, whoever won that game would move on. So, we won. And you know, I actually had the two winning goals during that game.
And also, the fact that my dad was actually there. So, he came down and visited, you know, being from Maryland, didn't really have a ton of family to support me on the field. But he actually came down, made a visit and then was there for that whole moment. And you know, just that day entirely. It was awesome, but I remember it from beginning to end.
LSUA: During your time at LSU A or even after you graduated, did you ever imagine that you would end up in the Athletics Hall of Fame?
CK: What? Who even thinks of that? I didn't even know it was possible, to be honest. So no, going in, you know, coming to play soccer at LSUAI didn't even think about winning the things that I've won.
Nevertheless, you know, winning and getting inducted into the Hall of Fame at LSUA. So no, I didn't know it was possible and that's not really a goal that I shopped for, but here we are and I'm very appreciative.
LSUA: In that same spirit, how does it feel to be the first women's soccer player inducted?
CK: Oh, I think it goes back to the original question. I'm just surprised and amazed and very grateful to be able to have my name on that and to kind of be almost like, I guess, a face for the women's soccer program at LSUA. Because it's such a wonderful program, we've had so much talent come through. I've played with, helped coach and you know, just walked on the sidelines some amazing talent that's come through and for me to, you know, have one that is very cool.
LSUA: You were a first-team All Red River Athletic Conference selection, part of the 2017 Regular Season Championship program, and that same year you won the Red River Defensive Player of the Year, as well as being a member of that first crop of LSUA players. Apart from your talent, what would you say was the biggest reason for your success?
CK: So if you look at that, all of that kind of came in my senior year, 2017 season. I would say that there was a big shift that summer going into my senior year. You know, you're about to graduate. What are you going to do? What are you going to do after soccer? And I kind of reflected on that and I believe there was a big shift in being more intentional and kind of just making things better for myself. And I think I went into it with the mindset of.
You know, I don't want to look back and wish I could have done more, could have done better. So, I was definitely more intentional with how I showed up to practice, how I showed up to class, how I led my teammates, and I really believe that intent got me the success.
That I really wasn't, you know, shooting for, but at the end, that's what it got me.
LSUA: The building blocks that you, I think you finally realized as a senior that you probably didn't have as a sophomore or a junior.
CK: Yeah, and I think, you know, maybe all along I had the tools, but I wasn't properly, you know, putting them in place and putting my focus exactly where it should have been.
LSUA: Can you catch us up on what you've been up to since you graduated from LSUA?
CK: So after graduating from LSUA in 2018, I kind of stepped into the health and fitness world and was a health coach, personal trainer for several years and then kind of felt another shift in my like passion or the way that I went about the passion for caring for others and I actually went back to nursing school at LSUA in 2022, started my clinicals spring of 23 and then I just graduated about a year ago now last December with my nursing degree and.
Ever since then, I've been working at a local hospital, Cabrini, in the neonatal ICU.
LSUA: Even sticking around the area, even came back to LSUA a second time.
CK: I've been sticking around the area. I did, 'cause it's so great. Yeah, it was. It was a good. The nursing program's wonderful.
LSUA: And you were an assistant coach for a season or two here, right?
CK: Correct. Yeah. After I graduated initially, I helped Nya as an assistant coach. And then when Mark Hammons came back to lead the women's team, he asked me to be an assistant coach as well. And that was awesome. Being able to team up with him and lead the girls, it was fun.
LSUA: That's all the questions I have. Is there anything else you'd like to add? Anything we left out?
CK: I don't think there's anything specific that I'd like to add other than a big thank you to everyone, you know, who had a voice in making this decision. And you know, to my family, to my friends, to my teammates, I really think that's it. A big thank you to everyone who's helped me get here.
