George Banks, the President and Founder of the Metro Richmond Tennis Club (MRTC), which he founded in 2010, has followed in the footsteps of the legendary Dr. John Watson, Jr. and Sam Woods by dedicating his life to offering the gift of tennis to any child in Richmond who wants to learn the game. George was taught to play tennis by Franklin Crawford on the old Armstrong High School tennis courts where he developed the powerful game which earned him the #1 position on the Benedictine team. This gave him the opportunity to compete and win against some of Richmond’s top junior players. In college, George played #2 at Virginia Union University for Dr. Watson.
The MRTC is a non-profit organization that promotes the sport of tennis through education, skill development, competition, and fun. Since their founding in 2010, they've stood dedicated to helping youth and adults develop athletic skills while having a rewarding experience in the sport. Their philosophy is to teach individuals how to play tennis and then give them the opportunity to compete in tournaments against other players of every level. They offer lessons for beginners, intermediate and advanced players, as well as clinics for adults. The MRTC is a member of the USTA Virginia Section, which has more than 3,000 member clubs nationwide.
After college, George joined the Richmond Police Department as a Resource Officer. In 1995 he was assigned to Huguenot where he volunteered to coach the boys’ tennis team. When he was reassigned to Armstrong High School in 2001, he again volunteered to coach tennis. During the 20 years he served in that position, he was named the Dominion District Coach of the Year 3 times, he led his team to a district title and he produced several players who went on to play at the college level.
He would like to see Richmond do more to live up to Arthur Ashe’s legacy. He envisions a tennis learning center, where students can go after school and on weekends to learn the game, get help with homework and participate in events.
“Kids who play tennis are a different breed of kids,” he says. “They learn discipline. They learn self-control. They learn qualities that make them good students.”
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