Alumni

Four-year Varsity competitor and Northridge's #1 Singles player from sophomore through senior year (2013–2016). Region Champion at #1 Singles his senior year — the most decorated player in program history.

His game was textbook traditional American tennis: a massive first serve clocked upwards of 100 mph, near-perfect technique on every stroke, and the ability to outhit opponents from the baseline or take over points at the net. Few players in program history have been as complete top to bottom.

Equal parts fierce competitor and steady teammate, Ben was also one of Coach Coburn's closest friends and toughest rivals during their playing days — a friendship that has carried on long past graduation. We sat down with Ben to talk about his favorite memories on the court, the lessons he learned along the way, and where life has taken him since.

What's your favorite memory from your time on the team?

Probably our weekend trip to St. George to play in a tournament. It was a blast getting to play somewhere new, spending time with the boys, and watching everyone compete well. It was also hilarious watching Bowen have a meltdown.

More than anything, though, that tournament was when something clicked for me. I started handling the faster pace and heavier spin from my opponents better, and that gave me a lot of confidence heading into my senior year. After that trip, I was almost undefeated as a senior — my only loss was to a pusher from Roy, and I ended up beating him later at Region.

What have you been up to since graduating?

After high school I served a mission in Brazil, then headed to BYU, where I graduated with a degree in Computer Science with an emphasis in AI. Today, I work implementing AI solutions for a tax company.

What advice would you give your freshman self?

Stop caring so much about what other people think. Everyone is mostly focused on themselves anyway. Once you really internalize that, you start doing things for yourself, you have way more fun, you stop worrying about FOMO, and you can actually pursue the things that interest and excite you.

What about advice specifically for tennis?

Consistency is everything. Don't worry about going for the lines or trying to crush every ball. You need to be able to rally all day without making mistakes — solid topspin forehand and backhand at about 70% power. Once you have that foundation, then you can start adding pace and speed.

When you stop worrying about whether your shots are going in, tennis becomes ten times more fun. You also start beating a lot of people you probably have no business beating, because you're not giving away free points and you're sticking to lower-risk shots.

Have you kept playing tennis since high school?

A lot, actually. I played constantly in college and took a tennis class several years in a row — it was by far the most fun class I ever took. I met a bunch of guys and girls who, like me, wanted to play but didn't have anyone to hit with. Honestly, I got better in college than I was in high school just because of how often I was playing. It has slowed down since then, but for a while I helped out as a practice hitting partner with Maple Mountain High.

Are you still in touch with anyone from the team?

Mostly Bridger Coburn. He was my best friend and best hitting partner back in high school — the heart, soul, and personality of the team. Now that he's the coach, it looks like he still is.

Looking back, is there anything you wish you had taken more seriously?

Strategy and consistency. At the end of the day, I just liked to hit hard and play to my strengths. Looking back, if I'd been smarter about my opponents and played with more patience, I think I could have won a lot more matches.

Anything you wish you had taken less seriously?

Each individual match. I wish I'd realized in the moment that tennis was so much fun and that I was living through one of the best times of my life. I'd get crazy butterflies and nerves, sometimes to the point where I'd dig myself into a hole in the first few games. I could usually settle in and come back to win, but I wish I had just enjoyed the moment more instead of making every match feel so heavy.

Where do you hope to see the program ten years from now?

I hope Northridge has a strong tennis culture where everyone is working year-round to improve. I hope the team stays deep in talent year after year, with players who genuinely love the game and who have been playing for years before they ever step on a high school court.

One of the most accomplished and skillful singles players in Northridge Tennis history. Held down the #2 Singles position throughout his career and qualified for State out of what was — at the time — one of the toughest regions in Utah.

Known for pushing the region's top players to their breaking point, Taylor was a fixture in three-set battles that nobody wanted any part of, including legendary rivalries with Weber's Brady Carlsen and Davis' Bryson Wilkes.

His signature game was unmistakable: massive Nadal-style forehands off a heavy western grip, relentless court coverage, and a knack for moving opponents around until the winner opened up. High intensity, high pace, no easy points.

We caught up with Taylor to hear about his favorite memories, what he's been up to since, and where he sees the program heading.

What's your favorite memory from your time on the team?

Honestly, it's really hard to pick just one. I have so many good memories from tennis because it was done with so many friends around me — bus rides to and from matches, match days themselves, and just having a good time with the team. The whole experience runs together in the best way.

What have you been up to since graduating?

I went to college and studied computer science. Today I work as a software engineer for a tech company based in Tucson, Arizona, building software that helps other companies create accessible experiences. I got married a few years after high school, and my wife and I now have two kids.

What advice would you give your freshman self?

Just enjoy it. Nothing matters more than having a good time. That doesn't mean you can't work hard or push yourself — for some people, that is the enjoyment. But don't ever let it weigh you down. You only get to do this for so long before life moves on.

Have you kept playing tennis since high school?

Tennis itself, only occasionally. When I went to Weber State I picked up racquetball and ended up playing both in a class and on the club team. That eventually turned into pickleball, which I've played a ton of — for fun and in plenty of local tournaments.

Are you still in touch with anyone from the team?

Quite a few of them, actually, though that's mostly because my friend group were friends before we ever played tennis together. I even keep in touch with players from other teams. One of my best friends now is someone I met through racquetball in college — he played for Fremont's tennis team back in the day, and we still talk all the time.

Where do you hope to see the program ten years from now?

Honestly, where the program is now is pretty close to what I would have hoped for back then. When I started, the Northridge tennis courts were some of the worst in the district — the nets weren't great, the courts had cracks running through them, and we only had three courts, which made practices harder and match days a lot longer. On top of that, freshman and sophomore year we didn't even have our own jerseys. They belonged to the school, and we had to change into and out of them before and after matches.

So when I look at what the program has become — better facilities, better culture, real ownership of the team identity — it's already living up to what I would have wanted. My hope is that it just keeps building on that.