Chambers emerges as key figure in USU Soccer’s golden era

The drive from Fort Collins to Denver is long, and for a while, it was a constant part of USU Soccer forward Kaylie Chambers’ life. An hour and a half down I-25, practice with the Colorado Rush, then another hour and a half back home. For two years, she and her family made it work until finally, they decided to move closer for Chambers’ soccer.​     ​​     ​ 

“I went out there and practiced with them and was like, ‘Oh, this team is actually really good. We have a lot of potential,’” Chambers said. “So, I decided to do it. I made the drive for like two years … and finally I was like, ‘I can’t do it anymore.’ And then my mom was like, ‘Well, we can move.’ So, we just moved to Arvada, which was closer.” 

Kaylie Chambers, 7, checks for Utah defenders around her right before a throw-in at Chuck & Gloria Bell Field on Aug 28.

That move was just one in a series of choices, sacrifices and commitments that shaped Chambers’ soccer journey. From competing in U.S. National Team ID camps to winning championships at Utah State, the path has been built on persistence and family support. 

Her mom Julie Chambers remembers how quickly sports took hold. 

“Her first ball was a soccer ball, and that was probably at one year old,” Julie said. “By 18 months, she was hitting a ball off a tee, and before she was two, she was hitting a ball that was pitched to her.”  

Kaylie was athletic across the board — softball, swimming, dance, soccer — sometimes playing softball tournaments and soccer matches on the same day. By 11, she was playing on a U14 softball team while still excelling in soccer. When she was 12, a coach told her it was time to pick one. Chambers chose soccer. 

Kaylie Chambers, USU forward, keeps the ball away from Tylie Miller, UVU defender, on the Chuck & Gloria Bell Soccer Field during the game against UVU on Sept. 18. -Photo by: Claire Ott

That choice meant year-round competition. She played for the youth club Arsenal in Fort Collins before joining Rush, where the expectations were high. Some of the training included juggling 100 times with a weaker foot before being allowed to start, fitness tests at a young age and long weekends at regional tournaments.  

Rush reached a national final, and Chambers trained under coaches who would later lead college and USL W League programs at the pre-professional level.  

“Honestly, the connections and friendships I made — we were very close,” Kaylie said. “The culture I had at Rush is very similar to here at Utah State. The memories from the long car rides, the plane rides, all of these events we had together as a team made our bond stronger.” 

The sacrifices weren’t only hers. Julie said the family structured everything around travel, training and games. Eventually, they relocated.​     ​ 

“She carpooled eighth grade and ninth grade, and then once she could drive, I said, ‘We have to move down to Denver because I don’t want her on the freeway by herself,’” Julie said. 

By high school, Chambers was already on recruiting radars. Arkansas called in eighth grade, and later, BYU began checking in weekly. The family thought Provo might be the destination.  

“We let some of the relationships go with other schools because BYU was telling her, ‘You’re number one, you’re number one,’” Julie said. “And then they ghosted us.” 

The pivot came quickly. USU head coach Manny Martins reached out not long after, and though the family admitted they barely knew the Aggies had a program, the official visit changed everything. 

“There was just something about it,” Julie said. “We almost instantly knew this is where she was supposed to play. Manny told us, ‘We might struggle a little bit your freshman year, but by your sophomore year, we’re going to win a championship.’ And they did.” 

Chambers arrived in Logan in 2022 and immediately felt the difference in skill level.  

“My mindset going in — I was terrified,” Kaylie said. “This is a whole new level of playing, like nothing I’ve ever experienced. Everyone’s good, everyone has the ability to start, and I’m just a little freshman. I’m 5’2 as a striker, which isn’t really preferred. But I came in like, ‘I’m going to work hard, and I’m going to prove I deserve a spot on this team.’”  ​     ​ 

She leaned on older players, especially senior forward Nicole Hadlock-Hardy, who she calls a role model.  

“Her positivity, the way she led through love and kindness, helped me a lot,” Chambers said. “I don’t know where I would have been without her.” 

The hard work paid off. As a sophomore in 2023, she helped Utah State win the Mountain West tournament, the program’s first under Martins. The Aggies repeated in 2024, and Chambers was named tournament MVP. Along the way, she earned all-conference honors and the school’s Sagebrush Award, given for impact on and off the field.  ​     ​ 

“That not only speaks about the stuff I do on the field but off the field as well,” she said. “It shows the kind of person that I am.”  

Her development has mirrored the rise of Utah State Soccer. When she and her teammates once handed out flyers for a game, some students didn’t even know the school had a Division I team. This past year, the Aggies broke attendance records at the Chuck & Gloria Bell Soccer Field, climbed into the top 10 nationally and sent multiple players into the professional ranks.  

“Now people are starting to know and see that we’re actually good — that we deserve the fans and the hype,” Chambers said. 

Chambers has also broadened her experiences through the USL W League, spending summers with the South Georgia Tormenta FC, Minnesota Aurora FC and Utah United. With Utah, she won the 2025 national championship.  

“It’s kind of another look at what the next level would be like,” Chambers said. “It’s made me think about playing at the next level, and it’s something I want to try. If it doesn’t work out, it is what it is, but I at least want to try.” 

Off the field, she studies kinesiology, fascinated by anatomy and sports performance. She sometimes shares what she learns with teammates or trainers, and she has begun mentoring younger athletes through a program called Athlete to Athlete.  

“She’s not the loud leader on the field, but she leads by example,” Julie said. “She’s always been humble and dedicated. That hasn’t really ever changed.” 

The Aggies’ results this season have been uneven, and while Chambers has seen several scoring chances narrowly miss, she hasn’t wavered in her approach. 

“In the moment you might think, ‘Dang, that should have gone in,’” she said. “But when you look at film, it’s, ‘How can I do better next time?’ Sometimes you just credit the goalie. Then after practice, you do five good reps, and you’re done. That’s about all you can do.” 

From the long car rides out of Fort Collins to back-to-back Mountain West titles in Logan, Chambers has built a career on steady growth and resilience. She has been a central figure in USU’s rise and a player her teammates and coaches point to as a standard for culture and work ethic.  

As her college career winds down, her future may include professional soccer or mentoring the next generation. Whatever direction it takes, the foundation she has laid is owed to a mix of sacrifice, family support and a quiet determination that has carried her from Colorado to center stage in Logan.