“I believe that the game of basketball is beyond myself, which is why I have developed LBO Sports in hopes of impacting our youth. If I can impact one child through any of LBO Sports’ ventures, I then, will feel truly successful.”
– Laurence Bowers
WHO IS LBO?
Laurence Bowers grew up with basketball around him, but his love of basketball started while playing at The Boys and Girls Club of West Memphis, in West Memphis, Arkansas at the age of 5. He was born in Memphis, Tennessee, but moved to live in “the country” in West Memphis, Arkansas which is directly located across the Mississippi River from Memphis. He lived in Arkansas with his mother from the ages of 5-12. During that time period he practiced the game of basketball with a basket that he attached to a light pole in the front yard. At the age of 12 he moved back to Memphis Tennessee until he graduated high school. It was around the age of 12, that Laurence really believed that he had a chance to do something special in the game of basketball.
He is a proud alumnus of St. Georges’ Independent School and The University of Missouri. During his time at The University of Missouri, he became one of the winningest Tigers in the university’s history, and he also became the first active-scholarship player to receive a Master’s Degree in five years. He has a passion for the game of basketball that runs deep. Basketball is what kept him focused during the struggles of growing up while encountering numerous forms of adversity. Basketball has also brought him a lot of success both collegiately and professionally, but he truly feels the victory of success through inspiring kids to be the best version of themselves.
The name of his LLC, “LBO”, was a nickname given to him in college and has stuck with him until this day. LBO is a short play of words, connecting the first initial of his first name “L” with the first two letters of his surname, Bowers. He, his wife (Feven), daughter (Fiyori), and son (Lael) currently live in Columbia, Missouri. Laurence has traveled all over the world with the game of basketball. He concluded his professional career after a championship season in year 5 in Italy (Alma Trieste).
Since the summer of 2015, Laurence has hosted his annual youth basketball camps in addition to his “Lessons From LBO” training regime. He has had the opportunity to impacts hundreds of kids each summer using the roundball. In addition to his basketball ventures, he often guest speaks at various community events, camps, banquets, etc. Laurence is always working with the youth in the community to help them become better athletes and people. He always states how it took many people and organizations similar to LBO SPORTS during his more formative years to get him to the point that he currently is, and that he solely wants to reciprocate it!
Testimonials
Camp Bowers:
- “Laurence and his staff at Camp Bowers not only gave our son excellent, personal attention with his skills…. they gave him even more passion for the game of basketball!”
– Kim Dampier (Carter) - “My 4 children attended Camp Bowers and received excellent attention and learned new basketball skills. We could tell a huge improvement from the first day of camp to the last. Most importantly, my 4 children had fun and can’t wait to go back to camp this summer!”
– Kristin Eastman (Wilson, Luke, Ellie, Caroline) - “Camp Bowers was a great experience for my daughter. Each day she came home with renewed dedication, devotion, and excitement towards improving her skills on and off the court.”
– Ashley Troutman (Brooke) - “My nephew loved Camp Bowers. He learned a lot and he really appreciated the encouraging words that you had for him after the camp. I appreciated how you stressed the importance of education, and how one day, the ball will quit bouncing. Keep up the great work!”
– Scott Glasgow (Cachao) - “Laurence Bowers has a deep passion to help the youth become successful in life. He has been able to do this through the game of basketball and Camp Bowers. I have watched my son flourish not only with his basketball skills, but also in his self-confidence. Laurence takes the time to develop each player’s skills, knowledge and appreciate for the game of basketball. I am thankful for all he has done for our family and for being a big brother to my son.”
– Tami Chievous (Tahki) - “My two sons have been working with Laurence since 2011, and when he brought his camp to the St. Louis area last summer we were so excited that he was close to home. It is such a great opportunity for kids to be able to work with Division I athletes from MU. Laurence and his staff are great with kids of all ages. They did a great job giving attention to each camper and working on all of their skills. This summer my daughter (8 years old) wants to join in on the fun, so we are excited that all 3 will be able to attend camp!”
– Therese Ruble (Josh & Nate) - “My son thoroughly enjoyed the camp. Not only was it a fun camp but also the high levels of skills being taught were great. The coaches who assisted with the camp were also great and very knowledgeable. I learned as a father and my son learned as a student of basketball. We are excited about 2016 camps.”
– Lance Reams (Isaiah) - “My three kids have been attending Camp Bowers since they were very little. They enjoyed learning basketball skills to improve their game but also developed a passion for the sport because of the time they spent with and around Coach Bowers. As teenagers now, Laurence continues to be a great influence in their lives and it all started with this camp experience. They look up to him as a coach and a friend. We are so glad he is in our community, reaching so many aspiring basketball players and making each of their lives better.”
– Karin Carratura (Cash, Beck, & Grayson))
Lessons From LBO:
- “Our children have had the privilege of working with Laurence during various camps over the past five years. The “Lessons with LBO” workout that they attended last summer was by far the best experience for them.The one-on-one attention they received was beneficial to them. He showed them techniques and drills that they had never seen before and were geared directly towards their needs. Laurence is one of the most caring individuals that we know. He has a way of working with children and has a passion for basketball.”
– Toby & Melissa, Laredo, MO - “When our son couldn’t find a suitable basketball home, we didn’t know what to do. He was not being challenged enough in rec ball, but some of the competitive teams were either filled or just didn’t want him. We saw a major dip in confidence during this time. A friend told us about Bowers personal skills training so we thought it might be a good way to keep him sharp. We didn’t realize how personally invested Bowers would be in our son’s development and basketball journey. Within a few sessions, we saw a tremendous change in confidence and an improved set of skills in his bag. Bowers challenged him in ways he hadn’t been challenged before with a perfect blend of toughness but keeping the sport fun. It was exactly what we needed to stay on track. Bowers improved our son as a player, no question. But the real value was the way he was able to build our son up at a time where he just needed someone to believe in him.”
– Jeff & Katy Blumer (Landon) - “Sloane and Tripp have worked with Coach Bowers for over a year. We’ve watched both kids transform into better basketball players through ball handling skills, aggressiveness, ability to read the court and hustle. But what we love most is the confidence (on and off the court) and love for the game he’s instilled in our kids. Coach Bowers’ ability to connect with kids is unmatched. He trains his players at a high level all while making it fun! We are thankful for him and all he does for our basketball community.”
– Tyler & Brooke Morris (Sloane & Tripp) - “My son had such an outstanding experience taking private and group lessons from Laurence. I was so impressed with the time Laurence took to really drill certain skills, and he has a great rapport with kids. He definitely has a coach’s touch. The only drawback of the summer sessions was that they ended. If he could, my son Robert would still be playing with and for Laurence.”
– Marie Hunter, Columbia, MO (Robert) - “My 12 year old son had a terrific experience working out with Laurence last summer. He improved his existing skills and learned new ones, all while having a great time. We could not have asked for a better experience and highly recommend Laurence to work with your son or daughter! It will be time well spent.”
– Casey Berndt, Columbia, MO (Jonny) - “As parents, we are quite fortunate to have been given the great opportunity you provided for our children. Equally as important, I want you to know our daughter truly treasured the time she got to spend with you and has shared the pictures you took with them on their last day with all her buddies – that is really cool stuff Laurence!!! Again, thank you Sir for what you are doing with these kids, what an inspiration and role model you are for them!!!”
– Mark Flaspohler, Ashland, MO
