Volleyball has been an integral part of Stephen’s life for nearly five decades. His passion for the sport began at Stonington High School in 1975, where as a member of the “Spikers”, his team defeated the “Red Army” for the intramural championship. He continued playing volleyball throughout the 1980s at the Westerly Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), earning the Cliff Smith Sportsmanship Award in 1988. Steve also competed at the Club A level with the Westerly and Groton Volleyball Clubs while enjoying beach leagues and tournaments on both hardwood and sand. As he puts it, “the spirit was willing, but the body could not compete at a high level”, he retired from competitive play in 2016. Away from volleyball, Steve continues to run every day and has completed both the Ocean State Marathon in Rhode Island and the Kona Marathon in Hawaii while raising money for the American Stroke Association. More recently, he has taken up golf and continues his search for that elusive first hole-in-one.
Steve began his scholastic coaching career at Fitch High School in 1994 as the junior varsity coach before taking over the varsity program in 1996. Following a brief retirement in 2021, he returned to Fitch in 2024. Throughout his coaching career, he successfully balanced the demands of coaching, family, and a 47-year career as an Environmental Engineer for the Towns of Stonington and Ledyard. His dedication to volleyball also extended beyond high school season through camps, clinics, and leagues for middle school and high school athletes in the Groton and Westerly area. He continually sought opportunities to grow as a coach by attending numerous coaching clinics, including Gold Medal Squared, while acknowledging that he learned just as much from his players and fellow coaches over the years.
Over the course of his noteworthy coaching career, Steve compiled a 396-178 record, good for a 70 percent winning percentage. His teams captured nine Eastern Connecticut Conference (ECC) League Championships and ten ECC Tournament titles while producing 14 All-State players. Fitch qualified for the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) State Tournament in 25 of his 27 seasons, winning the first-round tournament matches in 23 of those appearances. His teams advanced to the Class L Championship Match in 2003, the Class LL Championship Match in 2008, and made numerous CIAC semifinal and quarterfinal appearances. Steve was selected twice as a Senior All-Star Coach and was named The Day newspaper Coach of the Year six times. He also served as Groton Middle School Tournament Director for 25 years, directed the Westerly YMCA High School Volleyball League, and consistently challenged his teams by scheduling one of the state’s strongest non-conference schedules.
Throughout his career, Steve emphasized sportsmanship, hard work, fun, and respect while building lasting friendships with players, coaches, and colleagues across Connecticut. He reflects with gratitude on the many memorable matches and the mutual respect shared among opposing coaches, noting regardless of the outcome, they could always shake hands and compliment one another’s teams. His hope has always been that he helped his players reach beyond their limitations while achieving excellence both on and off the volleyball court.
His former Athletic Director, Mike Ellis, perhaps summarized Steve’s legacy best when he wrote, “Congrats on a superlative career at Fitch. Your teams were always competitive but more importantly they always played with class. I am so proud to have worked with you.” Steve has long embraced two of John Wooden’s guiding principles: “Teamwork is not a preference; it is a requirement”, and “Success is never final and failure is never fatal.” Those values have shaped both his coaching philosophy and the culture of the Fitch Volleyball program.
Steve’s commitment to developing young people extended beyond competition. Fitch Volleyball annually presents the “Art Carmichael Award” to the team’s best hitter in memory of a friend and pioneer of New England volleyball. The program also raises money for cancer research and supports local food banks, encouraging players to look beyond themselves and make a positive impact on their community. He credits the love and unwavering support of his wife and family as an essential part of his distinguished coaching journey. Through his leadership, sportsmanship, and unwavering commitment to his student-athletes, Stephen Banks has left a lasting impact on Fitch High School Volleyball and on the generations of young people throughout his career.