GREAT LAKES BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION semi-pro basketball: Board

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Robert Fillmore - Basketball
Founder/Organizer

Robert Fillmore - Basketball

Position:	Founder/Organizer
Email:	greatlakesbasketballassociation@yahoo.com
Age:	33
School:	Baker College
Profile:	Robert Fillmore, Founder/Organizer of the Great Lakes Basketball Association, is no stranger to semi-professional sports. During the summer of 1992, the summer between his freshman and sophomore years of high school, Fillmore became an athletic trainer with the original Jackson Bombers semi-pro football team. While in high school Fillmore was a student athletic trainer and attended three athletic training workshops at the University of Michigan (1991, 1992, 1993) and one Cramer athletic training workshop at Michigan State University (1992). Fillmore was also one of about ten high school student athletic trainers per year to assist with the University of Michigan’s Football Technique School in 1991, 1992, and 1993. The original Jackson Bombers that Fillmore was with finished 11-0 and as Michigan Football League Champions in just their very first season in 1992. In 1993 the Bombers won their first five games. And in three seasons of existence, 1992-1994, the Bombers posted a 25-5 record. The Bombers also averaged more than 4,000 fans per game. This was nearly ten times that of the average team in the league. Other teams were in Lansing, Muskegon, Holland, Howell, Detroit, Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids, Bay City, Flint, and Fremont (IN). Seeing the success of the Bombers, during Fillmore’s senior year of high school (1994-1995), Fillmore formed his own semi-pro football team called the Jackson Jaguars. The Jaguars played at Vandercook Lake High School in 1995 and Hanover-Horton High School in 1996. The Jaguars kicked off in 1995 two days prior to Fillmore’s high school graduation in 1995. In the fall of 1995 Fillmore started at Spring Arbor College, and assisted the nationally ranked men’s basketball team under the guidance of Head Coach Doug Noll. Fillmore transferred from Spring Arbor College to Baker College in 1996, where he began in April of 1996. In May of 1996 Fillmore left the Jaguars to concentrate more on college. While the Jaguars may not have been as successful as the Bombers on the field or in the stands, they were able to provide a better image for semi-pro football off the field. Just a few of the things the Jaguars did was visit nursing homes, visit patients at Foote Hospital, make donations to various organizations, etc.. After getting involved with the different of semi-pro football, operating a franchise, Fillmore learned of some real negatives of the previous organization and set out to correct those, which he feels he did. While with the Jaguars, Fillmore also served on the Michigan Football League’s Scheduling Committee. Fillmore graduated from Baker College with is degree in Business Management in 1999. In 2000 Fillmore joined the NEW Jackson Bombers as their Vice-President of Marketing. The NEW Jackson Bomber originated as the Michigan (Stockbridge) Thunder in 1996 and became the Jackson Bombers in 1997 after relocating to Jackson after the Jackson Jaguars folded. In between stints with semi-pro football, Fillmore also formed his own web site design business called A+ Web Design. This is a business that Fillmore still owns and operates. Fillmore was Vice-President of Marketing for the Jackson Bombers nearly two seasons, 2000-2002. Under Fillmore’s guidance the Bombers became very active in the community and formed their own cheerleading squad. Some of the Bombers community involvement included participation in the Michigan Center Lions Club’s Carp Carnival, American Cancer Society’s Relay-for-Life, March of Dimes Walk American, as well as various other game day activities. Fillmore hopes to make the Great Lakes Basketball Association similar to the Michigan Football League and Mid-Continental Football League, both leagues that the Jackson Jaguars and Jackson Bombers played in. Fillmore is also starting a semi-pro soccer league, the Tri-State Soccer League