Engagement Insider
DAVIE, FL December 26, 2013 – Former Receiver Chris Chambers was fast on the field, and he has been equally swift in successfully transitioning off the field since leaving the NFL just a few years ago.
Just as he built his brand with the Miami Dolphins, he now has rebranded his name in South Florida as Founder and CEO of The Chamber, a sports training, fitness, and therapy facility.
Located just minutes from the Dolphins training facility, the former All-Pro has returned to his NFL roots after also playing with the San Diego Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs, and he is glad he did.
“I wanted something like this for Florida,” said the 2005 Dolphin Team MVP, “and my objective is to build a serious brand, which we have already done by exceeding our expectations in just 14 months, and we expect this growth to continue.”
Additionally, and equally impressive, is that it is not all about business for Chambers, who has also established a growing foundation called C.A.T.C.H. 84 (Children Achieving Through Community Help plus his uniform number 84), which is devoted to inspiring people and youth through sports.
“This Foundation is near and dear to me,” said the Ohio native, who remembers his Cleveland area roots by holding a local all-star football event each June, which is in addition to Florida fundraisers with organization like Big Brothers Big Sisters.
Together, these two entities have a synergy that complements each other, not unlike the synergy that got it all going in the first place.
“I was taking care of my body more as I worked to keep my career going by trying out for the 49ers, and met a young trainer from Ireland,” recalled Chambers. “But it didn’t work out with San Francisco, so even after training for a few months, I was at a crossroads and decided I was done with the NFL.”
But not done with training, as he teamed up with the trainer from Ireland named Andrew Hanley, and together they launched The Chamber, where Hanley is now the Director of Performance.
“We were fortunate to find space at a medical facility in a good location right off I-95 north of Miami,” remembered Chambers, adding, “and it had both an indoor and an outdoor area that we could use for training, which was perfect, so I got with my advisors and we moved forward.”
More like fast-forward, as word spread quickly of The Chamber’s work with famous athletes like Denver Bronco Wes Welker and Jacksonville Jaguar Lee Evans, as well as former baseball player Manny Ramirez, which has already led to dramatic and diverse growth.
“We now work with athletes of all ages in all sports, where we are as likely to be helping a 7-year-old in tennis or teenager in lacrosse as we are to preparing a prospect for the NFL Draft,” noted Chambers, who is already preparing football players for the upcoming May 2014 draft, just like last year for the NFL Combine.
“Given my time in the League, I can act as a mentor to our clients in addition to just training them,” he added, ”so this approach has earned the respect of agents who want to bring their clients here.”
But these clients are hardly the only ones experiencing The Chamber.
“We really are about Youth Training from ages 7 to 18, which probably comprises about 60% of our overall business,” Chambers said, “so we work hard to retain them as well as out adult fitness clients, and our objective is to soon double our number of memberships.”
An achievable goal for this amazing athlete, who received both a football and basketball scholarship to be a Badger in Wisconsin, which now helps him in his business.
“We like variety, and in addition to fitness, offer physical therapy, acupuncture, massage, and now even concussion testing,” exclaimed Chambers as he recalls his choice to locate in a medical facility, just one of all the right moves he has made.
“The decision to leave football created a serious transition for me, but by combining my passions for fitness and teaching our youth, it is working out well,” closed Chambers.