Missouri Valley / St. Louis

Brad Bower, 19, balances officiating, tournament directing and college

David Smale | November 07, 2025

In celebration of Officials Appreciation Month taking place this November, USTA St. Louis is highlighting Brad Bower.

When Brad Bower stands near the net post to officiate at a St. Louis-area tennis tournament, he might look a little out of place.

It’s not because he doesn’t look like a tennis “expert”—he’s been playing the game since he was 6 years old. It’s just that he’s likely younger than the people playing in the match he’s officiating.

Bower is a 19-year-old tennis official making a major impact in the St. Louis area. Besides being an up-and-coming official, he also ran the Alton Open & NTRP, a Level 5 tournament that won the USTA St. Louis Outstanding Adult Tournament Award for 2025.

He didn’t do too much officiating during that tourney, because he was busy with his tournament director duties. But he was ready to step in when called upon. The participants and other volunteers figured out quickly that he was on top of his game.

Skip Advertisement

“It’s definitely a little difficult in situations where I’m the youngest person there,” he said. “But whenever I get there and people come to the desk, they may see me as young. But immediately they can see that I’m responsible, and I know what I’m talking about.

“As soon as they get to know me, they respect me as if I was the same age as them.”

Finding His Footing

Bower is used to being the youngest person involved in the leadership of a match, whether that’s as a tournament director or an on-court official. But that doesn’t stop him from doing what he loves.

He got involved in tennis as a child because both of his parents and his older brothers all played tennis. It was a natural thing to follow in their footsteps. He played tennis at Marquette Catholic High School in Alton, Illinois and in USTA St. Louis junior events.

A couple of years ago, his father noticed an email advertisement for local officials and suggested he could make some extra money by digging in even further to the sport that consumed him.

“The email talked about flexible hours and making some money watching the games,” Bower said. “As soon as I signed up, I was met with a very supportive team. Everyone around St. Louis is very supportive. They sent me the steps I needed to do and made sure I did it right.”

At the ripe old age of 19, Bower said the best part of being an official is watching the “kids” develop their skills.

Brad Bower, 19, has worked junior events where he's not much older than the competing players, like this junior tourney at Dwight Davis Tennis Center in St. Louis.

USTA St. Louis officials Brad Bower and Liz Lahm share a laugh while working a junior tournament this past summer in St. Louis.

Brad Bower, 19, has worked junior events where he's not much older than the competing players, like this junior tourney at Dwight Davis Tennis Center in St. Louis.
USTA St. Louis officials Brad Bower and Liz Lahm share a laugh while working a junior tournament this past summer in St. Louis.

“The biggest reward is watching the kids grow up,” he said. “I love watching their games expand. When you’re an official, you’re focused on the lines. But you also get to see how they grow as a player and how they grow as people as well.

“It’s great to see all the nice kids winning these sportsmanship awards.”

Making His Mark

Sometimes Bower gets funny reactions from players his age or slightly younger when he makes a call.

“Sometimes when I make a call, a lot of them are shocked that somebody the same age as them just made that call,” he said. “But mostly they see me as just another kid on the court. They always want to talk to me after the match.”

Bower is a sophomore at the University of Missouri in Columbia. He drives home to St. Louis for officiating duties on some weekends, keeping himself involved in the game.

He's majoring in finance with a minor in biochemistry and neuroscience. While he sees his long-term future in the business world or possibly in medicine, he also allows himself to dream a little about a future in tennis.

“I’ve always had this idea of officiating at the professional level, on the big stage,” he said. “I’ve talked with some people that know how to get there. It’s definitely in the back of my head, something I can always try to do.”

And if recent history has anything to prove, if Brad Bower puts his mind toward something, he’ll be successful at it.

Check out additional Officials Appreciation Month feature stories from across USTA Missouri Valley by clicking here. Learn more about USTA officiating by clicking here.

Tournaments
Programs

TOURNAMENTS NEAR YOU

PROGRAMS NEAR YOU