BALTIMORE — One minute, Coach Sylvester Banks is shooting hoops in the gym at Reginald F. Lewis High School. The next minute, he's setting up volleys with volleyball players.
Coach Duke, as he's known among his athletes, is a man who wears many hats. He coaches varsity girl's volleyball, varsity boy's basketball and girl's badminton at the high school.
And he makes a point to get to know each and every athlete and is always available when they need to chat.
"If I want to call Coach Duke at 7 p.m., he will answer the phone. If I want to call Coach Duke at 8 a.m., he will answer the phone," said Kylira Williams, a volleyball player.
"I can talk to him about anything, any problems I have. He's always there for me," said Kelly Jordan, a volleyball player.
Coach Duke admits the 24-7 availability can throw off his work-life balance with his family.
"They’ll say well, why are you not with us like you’re suppose to be? And I’ll say well, this is God’s gift and I pass it on to the young ones," he said. "So I have to balance that out the best I can, but I’m all in, I just love coaching."
And when he says he's all in, he means it. Coach Duke will raise money to buy the student athletes food and snacks, train them for free in the off-season and push them to do well in class.
"He wants us to be a reflection of him and he pushes us to be the best that we can everyday," said Marcus Leake, a basketball player. "He’s like another father figure, he’s there when you really need him."
Most coaches will tell you, this job isn't just a few hours of their time a week. It is a serious commitment that comes with sacrifices. But Coach Duke says every minute is worth it.
"Just the thrill of seeing them smile and enjoying what they’re doing. When they trust you, they’ll battle for you, even in the classroom."
