Today we’d like to introduce you to Lawrence Mann.
Hi Lawrence, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Top Achievers really started with my sons.
When my sons, Anteus and Lawrence Jr., asked me to coach them, I saw an opportunity to do more than teach basketball. I began bringing together young athletes who were willing to work, learn and challenge themselves. As the team developed, so did the athletes. By fourth grade, they were among the top players in the PSA and ranked among the top 15 nationally. By sixth grade, they were competing among the top four teams in the country.
But what became clear to me along the way was that basketball was only the vehicle. These young people needed someone to help them navigate school, relationships, confidence, discipline, leadership and ultimately life. I wanted to create an environment where young people could develop as athletes, but also as students, leaders and people.
That vision became Top Achievers.
Over nearly 30 years, Top Achievers has grown from those early basketball roots into a youth development organization serving young people across Plano and Collin County. Today, our work goes far beyond the court. Through basketball, mentoring, financial literacy, STEAM and e-sports/digital technology, we are helping young people build the skills, relationships and confidence they need to succeed in school, in their careers and in life.
What started with me wanting to help my own sons and the young people around them has become something much bigger. Today, my focus is on building an organization that can reach more young people, create more opportunities and make a lasting impact on the next generation.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No, it definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. Building something that lasts for nearly 30 years comes with plenty of challenges.
One of the biggest has been learning how to grow the vision while staying true to why we started. In the early days, Top Achievers was largely driven by basketball and by my personal commitment to the young people I was coaching. As the organization grew, I had to learn how to build systems, develop partnerships, raise resources and create an organization that could have an impact beyond what I could personally do.
Funding has also been a challenge. Like many nonprofits, we have had to be creative and persistent in finding the resources to keep programs accessible to young people and their families. There have been times when we had to do more with less, figure things out as we went and simply keep moving forward.
But honestly, some of the hardest moments have also reinforced why this work matters. Young people don’t stop needing mentors, opportunities or someone to believe in them just because things are difficult.
The road hasn’t always been easy, but every challenge has helped shape Top Achievers into what it is today. It has taught me to stay focused on the mission, surround myself with people who believe in the vision and keep showing up for the young people we serve.
As you know, we’re big fans of Top Achievers Foundation. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Since 1996, Top Achievers has been developing young people through a holistic approach that recognizes that academic growth, career readiness, and social-emotional development are interconnected parts of a young person’s success.
Our roots are in basketball, but our mission has grown far beyond the basketball court. Today, we create opportunities for young people across five interconnected pillars: Basketball, Mentoring, Financial Literacy, STEAM, and E-Sports/Digital Technology. We believe young people need more than one pathway to discover their strengths, develop practical skills, build confidence, and prepare for their futures. That is why we encourage students to engage across all five areas.
At the heart of our work is our AED framework: Assessment, Exposure, and Direction.
Assessment helps us understand where each young person is starting—identifying their strengths, interests, needs, goals, and opportunities for growth.
Exposure introduces young people to new experiences, ideas, people, careers, and possibilities that expand their understanding of what they can do and who they can become.
Direction helps them turn that awareness into action by building the skills, confidence, relationships, and sense of purpose they need to navigate their future and fulfill their unique promise and potential.
AED guides how we design our programs, engage young people, build partnerships, and measure our impact. Across the model, academic learning, career exploration, and social-emotional development are intentionally connected. A student might come to Top Achievers because they love basketball, discover an interest in technology through a STEAM experience, develop financial skills through a workshop, and build confidence and leadership through mentoring. Each experience builds on the others.
That interconnectedness is what sets Top Achievers apart. We are not simply providing a collection of youth programs; we are creating a developmental ecosystem. Our coaches, mentors, instructors, volunteers, and community partners bring professional expertise and real-world experience directly to young people, while our five-pillar model gives those experiences a clear developmental purpose.
We are proud of the trust and relationships we have built with young people and families over nearly 30 years, as well as the partnerships we have developed with organizations including Microsoft, UTD, IntelliChoice, and others who share our commitment to helping young people thrive.
Most importantly, we want people to know that we see potential in young people—and we want them to see it in themselves. We are not simply trying to keep kids busy or provide activities after school. We are intentionally creating meaningful experiences, trusted relationships, practical skills, and consistent opportunities that help young people build a vision for their future and the confidence to pursue it.
Our work is rooted in a simple belief: every young person is full of potential and promise. Our job is to help them discover what that looks like for them—and give them the tools, relationships, and opportunities to make it possible.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
I define success by the impact you have on other people—not simply by what you accomplish for yourself.
For me, success is seeing a young person discover a strength they didn’t know they had, develop the confidence to pursue something bigger, or make a better decision because someone took the time to invest in them. It’s watching young people grow into leaders and knowing that the opportunities and lessons they experienced through Top Achievers will stay with them long after they leave our programs.
Of course, growth and accomplishments matter. But I don’t measure success only by numbers, trophies or titles. I measure it by the lives we touch, the relationships we build and the opportunities we create.
If a young person leaves Top Achievers better prepared for school, a career and life—and believes they can accomplish something they once thought was out of reach—that’s success to me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://topachieversplano.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/topachieversplano/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/topachieversplano
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/top-achievers-foundation
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@topachieversfoundation216
