By Charles Louis Dominguez ’14
THE ROUNDUP

Through Biology, numerous freshmen are introduced to Mr. John Chambers at the start of their Brophy career.

Oftentimes, they know him simply as an instructor or only hear murmurings of his role as  athletic director.

Although he’s a fixture on campus, plenty of students still know him merely as a science teacher, as opposed to the multi-faceted faculty member his profile proves him to be.

“In Brophy athletics, I oversee 11 freshman, varsity and JV sports and four club activities,” Mr. Chambers said. “I oversee the coaches, the games, practices, budgets and all the other activities that are involved in putting a sport together.”

He first came to Brophy in 1969 through a desire to teach and coach. At the time, he taught history and coached football, basketball and baseball.

He has held multiple positions since, including Dean of Students.

Currently, Mr. Chambers teaches two periods of Biology in addition to overseeing the whole of the athletics program.

“I think that all of our sports are in good shape,” Mr. Chambers said. “They’re doing things the right way, which I think is a model for all the different schools that we contact.”

“Probably the most difficult part is dealing with problems sometimes with coaches and athletes and coaches and parents,” Mr. Chambers said.

Still, he said he finds great reward in working with coaches and athletes alike.

“For the most part, it’s a positive experience… the most rewarding part is actually working with the different coaches, seeing them develop their teams and programs the proper way… also, obviously, dealing with athletes,” Mr. Chambers said. “That’s the most rewarding, to see them develop from their freshman year to their senior year – some even going farther on.”

In addition to teaching Biology and watching over athletics, Mr. Chambers also moderates the Gourmet Cooking Club. For him, cooking is an interest that extends past the scope of Brophy.

“Cooking’s a joy for me; it’s something that maybe I’d like to pursue as I leave Brophy and retire,” Mr. Chambers said. “That’s one of the options I’m looking at.”

Mr. Chambers doesn’t limit himself to one type of cooking and says he finds joy in experimenting with recipes and seeing how different ingredients can change outcomes.

“I like to try new recipes,” Mr. Chambers said. “Whenever I see a recipe on TV or find it in a book or magazine, I like to try it, just explore and see how it works – see if it tastes the same or make it taste different; that’s kind of the way I like to work.”

Many students on campus said they have been influenced by Mr. Chambers.

“I liked Mr. Chambers because he puts his heart into what he does and really cares about his students and athletes,” said Brendan Bohannon ’14.

Others had positive things to say of their experiences in his class.

“I enjoyed his class freshmen year and his leadership is inspirational,” said Mark Jendrisak ’14. “He’s a humble man who evoked my interest in biology.”