Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 1/6/16
From Press Release
The Atlanta Blaze of Major League Lacrosse (MLL) announced Monday that LB3 Lacrosse Founder Liam Banks has been hired as the team’s Vice President. Banks will assume his duties immediately and will oversee all day-to-day operations for the Blaze.
Liam Banks
“Having someone as huge in the lacrosse community as Liam Banks is an honor and we’re very excited for him to be with us,” said Blaze owner Peter Trematerra.
Banks has been growing the game of Lacrosse in the Atlanta area for the last nine years. He is the founder of LB3 Lacrosse; a successful club organization based in Atlanta as well as Philly. Banks was the original promoter of the first professional lacrosse game in Georgia in 2013 and was active in the Major League Lacrosse Championships held in Atlanta in 2014 and 2015.
Phillie Elite-LB3 has been a mainstay club program in Philly during the decade. Banks also runs a popular spring clinic every year at Shipley School with Gators coach Mark Duncan, an event that kicks off the practice season.
Banks told Phillylacrosse.com today that former Loyola All-American and Walton (GA) star Scott Ratliff would assume the role as President of LB3 and run the day-to-day duties of the program in Georgia, which LB3 has continued amazing growth. Banks’ brother, J.P. Banks, will continue to run Phillie Elite/LB3.
“I will coach and be heavily involved in recruiting but my focus will be with the Blaze and I took the position for the betterment of the sport here in Georgia,” said Liam Banks. “I believe in the Blaze and the MLL and I have put in a lot of hard work promoting the pro game.
“I always wanted to be involved in Major League Lacrosse. I have the connections and have forged opportunities that will help Atlanta lacrosse grow.’
Banks played his only years of MLL lacrosse for the Philadelphia Barrage in the early 2000s. He noted that the Atlanta roster includes three Philly grads, and also one that played for LB3 in Philly, Patrick Resch (La Salle College High grad, played at Dartmouth and Duke). The other Philly grads are defensemen Casey Ikeda (Conestoga, Maryland) and Jon Gill (Unionville, Lynchburg/Virginia).
“I got my introduction to professional lacrosse at Villanova Stadium (with the Barrage) and the MLL inspired me and inspired a lot of kids in Philly like (current Rochester Rattlers standout and Lower Merion grad) Jordan Wolf,” said Banks.
“Now I have an LB3 guy, Patrick Resch on our team. For me to have a guy like Resch, with his name, from Philly, is incredible. That is very special to me.”
Banks has been responsible for the Cobb County Classic that has brought top Men’s and Women’s Division 1 Lacrosse to Fifth Third Bank Stadium. In 2015, Banks was named Head Coach of the Under Armour All America game, featuring the top 46 graduating high school seniors.
As a collegiate player, Banks helped lead Syracuse University to four consecutive Final Four appearances, three Finals appearances, and one National Championship in 2000. That year, Banks was named National Championship MVP, scoring six goals and one assist in the National Championship. He was also named All American in 2000 and 2001.
In international competition, Banks played for the Under 19 USA World Team in 1999. He was the leading scorer of the tournament scoring 18 Goals and 18 assists in only six games. Banks was named to the All-World Team and led Team USA to the gold medal.
Banks played in Major League Lacrosse for five seasons. He played for the Philadelphia Barrage, New Jersey Pride, and San Francisco Dragons. Banks was in the Top Ten of scoring four out of five years in the league and was named Bud Light’s Game MVP on five different occasions.
“I am extremely humbled and blessed to have this opportunity,” said Banks. “The Atlanta lacrosse community is an incredible group of people. They are passionate fans that support the game in every way possible. I have been actively working to grow the game in Atlanta for the last nine years and the growth has been remarkable. I know that the Blaze will continue to be a part of the growth and I think the level of lacrosse is going to continue to skyrocket. Major League Lacrosse is something I believe in and I am excited to be a part of the Atlanta Blaze. I want to thank Mr. Trematerra for this opportunity and I am excited for the challenge ahead.”
Banks grew up playing, watching and loving the sport of lacrosse in Long Island, New York. He attended Ward Melville High School where he was an All-American Attackman. During Banks’ senior year in high school he tallied an unbelievable mark of 172 points in a single season. While Banks has moved on to bigger and better things as an All-American at Syracuse and 2000 NCAA Championship MVP and an MLL star, that mark still stands as one of the truly outstanding seasons New York State High School Lacrosse history.
In 2005 Liam founded LB3 with the simple goal of doing a better job of teaching the game of lacrosse. Soon after establishing LB3 in Pennsylvania, he brought his philosophy of focusing on fundamentals and preaching the love of the game down to the great state of Georgia as he saw an opportunity to help grow the game in a developing area.