L&C Unanimously: Head Men’s and Women’s Tennis Coach/Instructor Jimmy Chau

L&C Unanimously is a series of stories featuring Lewis & Clark faculty and staff donors. Head Men’s and Women’s Tennis Coach/Instructor Jimmy Chau most enjoys giving students the opportunity to have an amazing student-athlete collegiate experience here at his alma mater.

What is your role at Lewis & Clark?

I am the Head Men’s and Women’s Tennis Coach.

Why do you give to the college? 

Being an alum, long-time assistant, and recent head coach, my love for the school and its student-athletes have grown tremendously over the years. Everything that the school has done for me and continues to do for students is unmatched. While the school does an amazing job of taking care of our students, I personally believe that we can never do enough. Any donation simply adds to the breadth of what we can offer to our students!

What do you like most about Lewis & Clark?

What I love most about L&C is the opportunities afforded to our students by faculty and staff that are truly committed and passionate about student success.  The guidance and support that our school provides in cultivating young minds and hearts is unparalleled. 

Do you have a funny or poignant story to share?

Never in a million years did I think I would become a tennis coach. A first semester PE/Athletics tennis course would change my life forever. The instructor of the course, Gundars Tilmanis, took a chance with me, and offered me a spot on the team. Compared to the other student-athletes, I was un-athletic, inexperienced, and didn’t really bring much talent to the table. The one thing I had though, was an immense love for the game and a determination like no other to earn a starting spot. Three years later, I was the captain of the team my senior year, and thousands of memories after that, I find myself as the leader of the program trying to give others the opportunity to have an amazing student-athlete collegiate experience here at my alma mater.

What would your colleagues be surprised to learn about you?

An interesting tidbit would be the fact that I have been an officiant to six weddings. You would never guess that I would volunteer to do this with my trepidation to public speaking, but there’s just something about weddings that tugs at my heartstrings.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

Family time with my wife and daughter is always the best. If you’re talking about time for myself, it would definitely be something outdoors like fishing or hiking.

Please share your favorite book and/or your favorite travel destination.

Thailand comes to mind as a favorite all-time travel spot. The food, culture, history, natural beauty and the overwhelmingly welcoming and friendly locals make it a spot where I’d love to travel to again.