Visitors at the Campbell home visitors are greeted with a pair of matching door mats: “Welcome to the Zoo,” they declare. Inside, three boys all under the age of 5 happily kick around a soccer ball with their dad, pro golfer Chad Campbell. Family photos sit on the fireplace mantel and cover the walls in an immaculately decorated living room. In the midst of it all is their mom, Amy, running around trying to manage the after-school chaos and keep things in order.
The home scene unfolding in the heart of Colleyville is hectic but happy. Everyone is having a good time, but they all know who’s in charge. Amy is used to running a tight ship as a former teacher from a family of educators. But she goofs off as much as she keeps her boys in line. The mom of three will play ’90s music or start singing rap in the car – anything to get her kids to smile. “I have no problem making an idiot of myself … I’m a loud-mouthed, obnoxious, in-your-face type of person,” Amy says with a laugh. And behind the rules-with-a-side-of-fun attitude is a big soft spot for kids in need.
“When I was teaching middle school, I had a heart for kiddos who were at risk. So I had a student come and live with us for almost a year,” Amy recalls. “He just couldn’t stay out of the juvenile courts, so he came and stayed with Chad and me.” This was before the Campbells had kids of their own. Taking a sixth-grader out of an unsupportive environment and giving him a home where he could flourish as a young boy became Amy’s primary goal.
Years later, Amy and Chad were introduced to Steve Riach, the founder and director of the Heart of a Champion, and their shared mission of helping educate and empower youth was realized. “The organization was working in the state prisons and schools with their own curriculum, which I thought was fantastic because a lot of kids just don’t get taught some important everyday characteristics,” Amy says.
Looking for a way to bring the Heart of a Champion philosophy into Tarrant County, Amy and Chad launched U-Turn so that they could work closely with local juvenile offenders. The program shows youth how to break from bad decision-making and find a better path in life. The key has been reaching kids and also their parents. “I really want them to learn what unconditional love is and that they can turn things around,” Amy says.
As a mother, Amy’s heart is with children everywhere. As a teacher, however, she was sometimes met with doubt. “I know that a lot of students didn’t trust me and parents didn’t trust me,” she says. “They thought, ‘What’s this golfing wife doing? Why is she here?’ It took a while for me to gain their trust.”
As of this year, U-Turn has reached approximately 100 kids and their parents or caregivers in Tarrant County, with plans to introduce new initiatives in counties across Texas. For youth who are exposed to the program, their lives change for the better as they learn how to make sound decisions, ask for help when needed and show regard for others.
As far as her own boys go, Amy walks the talk. Their oldest son, Grayson, is 6 years old and was adopted as a baby. When the opportunity to adopt came up, Amy was already pregnant with Dax, now 5 years old. But she didn’t hesitate to embrace the challenge. Then came Cannon, now 3, and there’s another boy on the way. Dodge David is due this month. But in true boys-will-be-boys fashion, the kids have taken to calling their new brother “Rocco.”
The growing Campbell clan is supported by Amy and Chad’s enduring commitment to family. Married for 11 years, they’re a case of opposites attract. He’s the quiet presence; she’s the talker. He’s super-funny … but no one will ever know it. “He won’t be funny in front of other people!” Amy says with a laugh. And while Chad spends most days working on his golf swing, Amy only plays “for comic relief.”
“Above all else, we show respect in front of the kids,” Amy continues. “Especially with the amount of time that Chad is gone, it’s important for the kids to see our love and joy.”
This year, Chad’s career has meant he’s gone four or five weeks at a time. But when he’s home, he’s the one taking the kids to school every day. And because his time can be limited, he leads by example as a father.
“Chad hasn’t had the best years on the golf course, and that’s been a life lesson for us,” Amy says. “But it’s also given us our priorities and allowed us to put them in place. It’s one of the biggest things my kids will learn – staying with it, not getting down on himself, not taking it out on anyone.”
That kind of resolve is what makes the Campbells’ charitable work so meaningful. It comes from a place of experiencing adversity in their own lives. “All of my successes have come from failure or from heartache,” Amy says. “Life can be so hard sometimes, and you need to have that perseverance to finish the race.”
But she keeps a positive perspective, adding, “It doesn’t really matter how you start – it’s where you end up.”
Published January 2014
