Lance Davenport

Lance Davenport started playing tennis at the age of 8 at the Washington Park Tennis Center in Atlanta. His athletic career soon thereafter took him into football and track and field where he played quarterback and ran the 400M at Southwest DeKalb High School in Decatur, Georgia. Upon graduation he accepted an athletic scholarship to the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia before transferring to Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana.

In August of 2009, Lance accepted the position of head tennis coach at his alma mater Southwest DeKalb.  As the school's tennis coach Lance Davenport established the program as a local recognized premier program, on the rise.  The Team traveled to and competed in elite-level team tournaments.  The Boys won the 6 AAAA Sub-Region Title in 2010, 2011,  and in 2012.  The Girls were 6 AAAA Sub-Region Champions in 2011 and 2012.

The Team, comprised of 40 members, maintained a cumulative 3.4 GPA during Davenport's time as Coach.  In 2012 five Team members received tennis athletic scholarships to three different colleges (Jasmine Riddick to Johnson C. Smith University; Felicia Penn to Tuskegee University, and Kalin Harrison, Odell McCree, and Quadarris Kennedy to Fisk University).  Coach Davenport increased numbers and overall level of participation.  Each successive season there were from 75 to 85 kids trying-out for the Team.  Lance started the Junior Varsity Team in 2011.  He as well started a feeder-system program for kids ages 5 and up at nearby Dottie Bridges Tennis Center

In the Summer of 2011 Lance organized and directed the Southwest DeKalb Panther Community Tennis Camp.  It was a full day program (9 hours) for kids ages 5 – 18.  There were 65 attendees over two one week sessions.

Coach Davenport coaches and captains 4 teams in the USTA Atlanta Junior Team Tennis League.  In 2013 the 8u Team won their USTA Atlanta Division Title; finishing as a semi-finalist in the the City Championships.  The Team however topped the City performance by winning the 2013 USTA Georgia State Championship.  In 2012 the 10u Team won the USTA Atlanta South Division Title and finished as a City Championship semi-finalist.

A member of the USTA, Lance is also a Private Tennis instructor.  He currently instructs students ages 5 to 19 along with adults.  Lance Davenport also is principal in the real estate development firm Davenport Worldwide Development, which specializes in commercial, sustainable mixed-use development and asset management.