Louminati
Youth Leadership Foundation
"Life is not meant to be a cake walk. The peaks and valleys we go through go hand and hand in helping us to foreshadow the type of individual we will become. The Supreme Architect designed it that way. It helps him determine the role you will play in the game of life!!!"
Now I am going to give you a little insight on Louminati and how all this came to be. I was born in Harlem, New York on October 21, 1975. My parents are from Sierra Leone, Africa. They came to America in hopes of finding more opportunity. But as we already know, things most of the time do not go the way you plan them to.
From the start it was a struggle. They worked part-time jobs trying to make ends meet—and trying to stay undetected by the immigration police. My parents’ philosophy was simply that they would go through the hardships to give my brother and I the best possible situation so that we could make something of ourselves.
It was seventh grade when I first touched a basketball. The more I played, the more I got into the game. I started realizing what the game could do for me so I worked even harder. Then my mom, who didn’t know much about sports, realized what sports could do for us to she pushed me even harder.
Because of basketball I was able to travel to different states playing games. Basketball opened up a whole new world for me. I played for the Riverside Hawks and the Gauchos. As the years went by I started earning a little rep in the hood. When I would come out to play and hang out the old heads used to say “Son, got a little game? Keep at it and you gonna be alright.”
That’s all it took for me cause now I was getting attention doing something that I loved to do. It lit a fire under me. You know, my mother made sure that fire stayed lit. Like how people go to work, I stayed on the courts sun up to sun down. Basketball earned me a high school scholarship—all the schools wanted me). But my mother did not want me in any of the city schools so I went to Stepinac, a high school in White Plains. They offered to send a teacher, Mr. Hanley, to pick me up in the morning and drive me to school. Wow! Look at where basketball has taken me.
Things really started to change. One story sticks out in my mind. After I tell you, you will understand why. I remember one day coming to hang out with the fellas, you know everyone likes hanging out with the boys, the crew, whatever you want to call it. They happened to be smoking weed. I saw this and thought nothing of it. So I joined them. When it was my turn to hit the blunt, I reached for it…then one of the older guys in the group—Derrick (we called him D-Nice) said to me “you don’t want to do that. You got a chance to make something of yourself and make it out. This is not for you. Plus, it makes you slower, trust me, I know.” I just looked at him for a few seconds then I passed it and turned around to go home. I remember sitting on my bed thinking, “damn, I thought I was one of the boys, why did he do that?” Now, as I look back, being a little more mature, I realize he was only trying to protect me. I still see him when I go to visit and all he says to me is “Keep reppin for us.” In English that means “Do good and keep shining because through you we shine and I try to cause that is my way of saying thank you to him for that day.
Now, time has gone by and I’m playing good and working on my game. I’m focused and determined cause I know that this is going to be my ticket to a good college and then the NBA. So, I’m hungry. Senior year came and all of the big time college coaches were calling my house wanting to speak to me, cracking jokes like they knew me for years. Selling me on their school. I decided on Providence College. It was my second year in college when I realized that basketball was my vehicle but it was time for me to put my hands on the steering wheel. A lot of kids make that mistake—they let sports drive them and when its over they are back where they started. Not me, I was not making that mistake. I majored in elementary/special education and I graduated with my degree. But I had also come across my first stop sign. I looked at it closer and closer and you know what it read—NBA is not in your future. But it was one of those blinking stop sign. So I stood there for a few minutes hoping that the sign would change but it didn’t. Needless to say, I was a little disappointed but I had to move on. I hit reverse, made left, then a right, then went up a few blocks and came to a fork in the road. I looked up one street and at the end of the road was a classroom and the principal was at the door waving me in. I said “Ill be back, but not yet.” Let me find out what the other road has to offer. I looked up and it was the strangest thing. I almost had to do a double take. The basketball was bouncing but it was like a big sea in the middle of the road and the ball was bouncing back and forth over the water in a huge arc.
I think you can pretty much put it together—I ended up playing pro-ball overseas. I was fortunate enough to play in Portugal and win a championship then go on to play in Mexico, Luxembourg ( where I was in the movie "The Emperor's Wife"), Switzerland, and China. So, things were going good. My agent even started getting calls from minor league teams in the states. Now the good thing about that is you can get called up to the league if you stand out. Chances are slim to none, but it does happen. All of my life I’ve been told what would be impossible for me—for one reason or another—not big enough, not tall enough, not fast enough or strong enough, not smart enough. Here I stand, I proved all the critics wrong against all odds and I was determined to do it again. This time I was going to get the brass ring which for me was the NBA. I have one motto that I’ve lived by ever since I was a kid—IF YOU ARE FOCUSED AND DETERMINED ON ACHIEVING A GOAL OR A DREAM, YOU WILL BE SUCCESSFUL.
The fall of 04 came a defining moment in my life. I hit another fork in the road. This was not a regular fork. It was a life-altering fork. On one road, the ball was bouncing everywhere in the states and overseas. On the other road, on the sidewalk however was a small baby carriage and inside was a beautiful little girl with big brown eyes just staring up at me. Oh boy was I in trouble. Those eyes just pulled me right in and I could not leave. I was mesmerized—what an amazing sight.
I made a tough but easy decision—to walk away from the game that brought me so much and taught me so much—to be there for my family. The birth of my little girl made it a no-brainer. Plus, I was whipped, I couldn’t leave her.
For the first time in my life I was a family man and loved every minute of it—watching my girl take her first step, say her first words, change her diapers—you know—all the fun stuff. But something was missing. I am an individual who lives by goals and achievements. I felt like I had no goals, no purpose—I felt lost. I worked at an adolescent boys home as a counselor. I even had a role in a New Balance commercial, but something more was missing. I wanted to open a restaurant, a club, a bar, a mortgage business—I was all over the place. I am very fortunate that I had good people around me that gave me guidance and always showed me pros and cons of each of these ideas and ultimately why none would work for me. Then it came to me—my guardian angel whispered in my ear one night—your purpose is easy—it is what you are and know best. I woke up the next morning enlightened. I knew what my mission was.
You ask—what is Louminati? Louminati is me. It’s my story told to all youths to show them that you can be something even better--tomorrow’s leaders. If you are focused, determined and never give up, you will achieve success. I realized that my mission was to make all youth believe that anything is possible.
Since then, I’ve had
another daughter which raises the count to 2.
I’ve also done 2 commercials in the last few months with NBA
stars Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. I
sit on the Board of Directors of the Mal Brown Club at Providence College.
I am the president/CEO of Louminati Basketball, offering basketball
camps, one on one instruction, group clinics, and motivational speaking.
I am the founder of the Louminati Youth Leadership Foundation which
offers workshops, clinics, AAU program:
and camps that I have held and have featured notable guest speakers
such as John Lombardi, former city council president, Kevin Stacom, the
Dallas Mavericks Scout, Frank Caprio Jr., the General Treasurer, Patrick
Lynch, Attorney General, Ryan Gomes, Minnesota Timberwolves, Keno Davis,
Head Coach of Providence College, Father Shanley, President of Providence
College and the list goes on.
I’m here to challenge
the next generation to see who is going to pick up where I’m leaving
off.
Parents, loved ones,
guardians—challenge your children to dream big—to be all they can
be—to realize the only ones that can stop them from reaching their goals
is themselves. Challenge them to reach for the moon, cause if they miss,
they are still amongst the stars.
Lou Cole
Life is what you make it
Never be afraid
Set goals and achieve them
This is the way of the brave
You’ve been through hardships
So pain in nothing new
I came all the way from Harlem to deliver this message to you
No worries if you should slip or stumble
Louminati will guide you through
God made everyone special
Simply put us on this Earth
Look to the youth leadership foundation
We will help you discover your worth
When it gets cold and lonely in the darkest of the night
Look to the sky
Louminati will make it bright!
Lou Cole
Copyright 2007 Louminati, LLC