Organization Spotlight: Black Top Kings & Queens Sports Academy

Marquee Sports and Events has a passion for the community. Over the course of the year, we will be posting spotlights of various organizations that we have partnered with or participated in our tournaments.

Each of these organizations make a positive impact on their community. As part of these spotlights, we will highlight their directors and let them tell everyone about the things that make them and their organization special.

The first organization and leader we will highlight will be Black Top Kings and Queens Sports Academy located in Richmond, Virginia. The director of Black Top Kings and Queens Sports Academy is Richmond native, Manny Harris.

The following are questions we asked Manny and his responses.

Q: In 3-5 words describe your program?

  • Community

  • Athletic

  • Academics

  • Character

  • Commitment

Q: What makes your athletic program different from others in the RVA area?

  • I started this program in 2012 in a park called Pine Camp on the Northside of Richmond. I trained my kids and 3 other Kids to begin with. I was motivated by my passion and not the money. Fast forward to when I finally was able to acquire my own building, I wanted to still keep my prices affordable for parents from all walks of life and keep my hours open for working parents and single moms that may not have help. Those 2 things alone has separated me from the rest.

Q: What motivates you and your staff on a daily basis to provide the quality of services you do?

  • The kids of the community and their parents commitment to the program and their kids to get better at their craft is what keeps us going. We love to see the development of our kids in the program and how far they have come.

Q: Why should a parent place their child in your program?

  • We are a family based business which means you will know all of our staff personally. We are reliable, affordable, and we are open 6-7 days a week. We provide Spring Break camps, Winter Break camps, Summer camps, after school pick ups, after school training, Vertimax training, and shooting machine drills.

Q: What is the ultimate goal of Black Top Kings and Queens Sports Academy?

  • It is the mission of the Black Top Kings and Queens Program to educate and empower today's youth with confidence, commitment and integrity so they can live a productive and successful tomorrow. Our goal is to teach young athletes respect for themselves, their peers and their community by instilling a code of ethics built on honesty, responsibility and team work.