Among the thousands of shots Coppell senior golfer Andrew Chow has taken in his life with a notable amount of power in his swing, a very small few have been hit into the water. 

But in those few times it does, Chow takes what would typically annoy a player in stride, sending a smile back to his teammates along with a self-deprecating joke. 

With the next shot, he comes back with a vengeance. 

“I’ve seen a lot of good things from him out on the golf course,” Coppell coach Jason Spoor said. “He’s hit some great shots. But some of the moments that stand out to me are just how he reacts. He can shake off adversity really well, and that’s kind of one of the things I always remember when I think about [Chow]. He always kind of takes a situation that would frustrate a lot of other kids and puts it in perspective.”

That resilience comes in part from his years involved in the Young Life and the Young Men’s Service League. With Young Life, Chow found a group that influences him to live and act positively.

“I’ve learned a lot through it as far as leadership skills go and how to be a good influence and it made me think about the sort of impression I want to leave on the younger kids on the team,” Chow said. “It’s been a big influence as far as staying safe and the people I hang around with, who are a good crowd.”

With the Young Men’s Service League, Chow mainly volunteers at RISE Adaptive Watersports, in which he helps children with special needs participate in and enjoy sports. The program also introduced him to soup kitchens at which he volunteered and donations centers at which he put together bikes for the less fortunate. 

“Through that volunteering, he got a servant mindset, which is putting others first,” Spoor said. “Sometimes the game of golf is tough. It’s probably the hardest sport there is, especially mentally, it can beat you up when things aren’t going good. He does a great job of just encouraging guys and helping them get the mind back focused on what they’re supposed to be doing.”

Chow also accredits his leadership ability and dedication to golf to his family’s mentality.

“My dad [Francis Chow] and my grandfather [Herb Warner] are both hard workers, and when they put their mind to something, they always get it done, so I look up to them in that aspect,” Chow said. “They taught me to always be a good competitor. Even when my game is off, I never quit and put forward the best score I can.”

Chow began golf at 7, attracted to the game for the competitiveness it demanded the full way through a tournament and with each shot. He was also excited at the opportunity to practice the sport without a partner or team. 

“Ironically, he’s always contacting us about going to practice together now to hold each other accountable, he really takes care of the team,” Coppell junior golfer Alex Ahn said. “He likes to lead people, especially young guys. We have a lot of freshmen this year, and he talks to each of them to cheer them up when they’re down or give them some tips for golf.”

As captain, one of Chow’s duties is to communicate with the coach as a spokesperson for the team. From speaking with him on team matters, Spoor thinks Chow’s involvement in community service and Young Life have added to his leadership capabilities.

“Over the last two years, he’s really grown as a leader,” Spoor said. “He’s a hard worker and he puts a lot of time into working on his game and the team. He’s paid his dues to offer his input on the team and earned that right because he really wants what’s best for the team and he acts on it.”

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