Roberto Kampfner
Assistant Buisness Manager
Mira Costa is home to many outstanding athletes, but one tennis player, who has only been at Costa for a month, has already made a lasting impression on both Mira Costa and the nation.
Freshman Taylor Johnson is ranked the 6th best tennis player in the country, and 419th best tennis player in the world by the International Tennis Federation. In her career, Johnson has won 18 singles games and lost only 7. In doubles games, she has won 25 games and lost only 5 games.
“My parents have helped get me to where I am today,” Johnson said. “They have given me all the opportunities to go and play across the country and get the best training available.”
Johnson moved from Phoenix so she could play tennis at the USA training facility in Carson, and be able to compete with some of the best players around the nation every day. She has been playing tennis since she was five, and decided to stop focusing on other sports and focus only on tennis at age nine when she was told by Billie Jean King, a past professional tennis player, that she had the talent to make it to the next level.
“If you love something enough to do it as much as I play tennis, you don’t consider it work,” Taylor said, “It’s just something I have had a passion for since I started playing and I’ve strived for success in.”
King, a close friend to the Johnson family has been a mentor to Johnson since she was 10, and she has continued to push Taylor in all aspects of life. According to Johnson’s mom, Trynna, Johnson was a ball hog in other sports, and she feels comfortable in tennis because the ball is all hers.
“If you love something enough to do it as much as I play tennis, you don’t consider it work,” Taylor said, “It’s just something I have had a passion for since I started playing and I’ve strived for success in.”
Taylor has participated in many tournaments throughout her career. Most notably is the International Orange Bowl that takes place every December. In the tournament, 360 players from around the world come to compete for the honor of winning. Johnson finished third place in the International Orange Bowl, got second at national hard courts, and competed in and won five tournaments in 2014.
Johnson is on the Varsity team, but can only play few games with the team because she has tournaments around Southern California and practices Carson almost every day of the week. Although she can only make it to a few games, her impact will still be felt throughout the season.
“Unfortunately she’ll only be playing five matches with us due to outside tennis commitments and tournaments, but she is very impressive and follows in the footsteps of two players that have gone on to have incredible success in the professional world,” Coach Joe Ciasulli said.
Taylor has learned life lessons from tennis, and has applied those situations to her everyday situations. She takes the lessons she learns from the court such as learning to deal with a loss and learning modesty and grace with a win and transfers them to her life.
“Tennis is an individual sport so she learned at an early age to stand up for herself and has realized success is based solely on what she does on the court,” Trynna said, “All we ask is for her to go her hardest every time she’s out there.”
Johnson is not looking to stop her career with being a good teenage athlete, but she wants to continue her dominance through her life and take the game to the next level. One day she wants to play college and professional tennis.
“I want to be a professional tennis player, win titles, and become a champion,” Johnson said, “I also want to use my tennis skills to help and inspire the world to become a better place.”
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