By Scott Metz
The dynamic duo of Rylan and Nyah Chandler at Wichita East High School are more than sisters- they are teammates on the Basketball Team at Wichita East High School, and their father, Ryan Chandler is coach of the Girl’s Basketball team.
Rylan Chandler is currently a sophomore at Wichita East High School. Her sister, Nyah Chandler, is currently a junior at Wichita East High School.
Both can be considered veterans at the sport, with Rylan having started taking up playing basketball in Pre-K at the YMCA, and Nyah having picked up the sport in Kindergarten.
For Rylan, her favorite part of playing basketball is, “competing, winning and creating life-long friendships with teammates.”
Nyah states that her favorite part of basketball is “having the opportunity to play with my sister since 2nd grade AAU Ball, Middle School and now High School.”
It’s clear that for both Rylan and Nyah, the person that has inspired them both in life the most is the same person: their father, Ryan Chandler. Rylan accounts “My Dad has inspired me by working out with me at a young age creating mental toughness allowing me to compete to the fullest when on the court. Nyah echoed similar sentiments about her father, stating: “My Dad has definitely inspired me. He has been tough on me since a young age, starting in 1st grade, pushing me to my limits, never letting it be easy, giving me a strong mental mindset. My Dad has always pushed me to be better in all things I do academically and athletically.”
However, when asked who their favorite NBA player is, there is a difference of opinion among the two siblings. Rylan says her favorite player is “Kyrie Irving, of the Brooklyn Nets because he is shifty and gets to the rim and finishes.” For Nyah she stated, “My favorite basketball player is Kobe Bryant because his mindset was strong and he had the mamba mentality.”
When it comes to their favorite memory thus far in the sport of basketball, Rylan stated, “My Under Armour AAU Circuit team gives me the opportunity to travel far distances, play against the toughest competition, as well as to meet new people and coaches.”
For Nyah, her favorite memory thus far in basketball was “during my 8th grade our team set a goal to go undefeated and we accomplished the goal of winning the Wichita City League Championship.”
Besides playing basketball, Rylan runs track in spring.
In terms of academics, Rylan’s favorite subject is English, while Nyah’s favorite subject is history.
After graduating from high school, both Rylan and Nyah plan on attending college.
